An Unfinished Life

Written by Mark Spragg

Narrated by Judith Marx and Tony Amendola

Jean Gilkyson is living in Iowa with yet another brutal boyfriend when she realizes this kind of life has got to stop, especially for the sake of her daughter, Griff. But the only place they can run to is Ishawooa, Wyoming, where her loved ones are dead and her father-in-law wishes she was too. For a decade, Einar Gilkyson has blamed her for the accident that took his son's life, and has chosen to go on living himself largely because his oldest friend couldn't otherwise survive. Bound together like brothers since the Korean War, their intimacy is even more acute since a bear horribly crippled Mitch. Griff knows none of this, but once she encounters this grandfather she'd never heard about, and the black cowboy confined to the bunkhouse, she attempts to turn grievous loss, wrath and recrimination towards reconciliation and love.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Random House UK Audio
• Release date: Jul 7, 2011
• ISBN: 9781446471739

Reviews for An Unfinished Life

[tabatha014 · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

I wasn't really crazy about this book. It was predictable and I didn't like the way it was written.

[hayduke_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I was a little dismayed when I found out that Spragg was already working on the script for the film version before he had actually finished the novel, but overall I fell under the spell of this tale of a family in disrepair.

[deb32 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Great book - I loved the relationships between the characters; they could be very touching. The writing was very good. Didn't see the movie as I am always disappointed if I have already read the book.

[nyiper · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

A very good "story" told in the different voices of the main characters in the audio version. There is a wonderful relationship between the two older men. The development of their feelings about Griff---as well as her complete appreciation of them, is a very satisfying reading experience. She is a very old ten-year-old.

[tjsjohanna_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I'm sure that I read this book before - but I don't remember when. The movie was on t.v. a few weeks ago and the story was so familiar that I was surprised not to find the book in my LibraryThing account. I rectified that by re-reading the book. This is a beautiful book of redemption, of being able to forgive, of love. The characters are so well drawn and, with the exception of Roy, very likable, despite their flaws. There is some rough language, particularly when the story is told from the point-of-view of Roy - which makes sense but might be objectionable.

[asperula_1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Great story of grief, commitment and connections.

[bookconcierge · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Audio book performed by Tony Amendola and Judith Marx

Jane Gilkyson has finally decided to leave her abusive boyfriend. With her 10-year-old daughter, Griff, she takes off in her ancient car, headed for the Pacific Ocean. But when the car dies and she’s left stranded, she has nowhere to turn but to her father-in-law, a man who blames her for the death of his son, and who is living his life in bitterness and misery on a small ranch in Ishawooa, Wyoming. Einar Gilkyson would probably be dead by now, too, except his oldest friend needs him, and that’s about all that keeps him going. It will be up to Griff to help them all see the need to let go of recrimination and regret, and to embrace love and forgiveness.

This is the first book by Mark Spragg that I’ve read, and it won’t be the last. He has mastered the art of “show, don’t tell,” giving us insight into these characters and their complex relationships without spelling anything out. His writing is rather spare, yet he conveys a strong sense of place. The dialogue is spot on; Griff asks intelligent questions but nothing a 10-year-old wouldn’t wonder, especially one who has grown to be a keen observer of others and learned to hold her questions until “the right time.” Einar and Mitch spar like the close friends they are – almost like an old married couple, they can anticipate each other’s thoughts and reactions. There is no pretty bow tying up the ending, either. There is hope for these people, but they still have a ways to go. I like a little ambiguity in my endings.

Spragg alternates different characters’ points of view. This lets the reader know what each character is thinking, but also serves to build suspense in that we aren’t privy to all the information at once. The audio book is masterfully performed by Tony Amendola and Judith Marx.

[torreyhouse · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Best book I have read in awhile. I looked at it to see what Nancy Stauffer might mean by "utterly sprung to life characters." Got it. I, like the other old men in the book, am completely smitten by the 10 year old brave little girl. Wonder what Spragg is doing next and what it would take to get him to Torrey House.

[bradkautz · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I was browsing used books and a title caught my eye. An Unfinished Life, by Mark Spragg. Something seemed familiar but I couldn't place it. I looked at it very briefly. There was a back cover endorsement by Jim Harrison, which I didn't bother to read. Harrison wrote Legends of the Fall, so his name as an endorsement was good enough for me. I began to read. Spragg is an excellent storyteller and in the opening chapters there were two separate story lines that seemed to be moving towards each other. There were some elements of the story that seemed familiar, and one of the characters reminded me of a role Morgan freeman played in a movie. Now what was the name of that movie? Then, about 85 pages into the book, it hit me. The move was An Unfinished Life! No wonder the title caught my attention and the character seemed like the one played by Freeman! They were one and the same!That said, this is an excellent story, told in a captivating manner. The movie was pretty good, but this book is excellent. Spragg brings out things in the characters, in terms of both their actions and thoughts, that just isn't captured well in a screenplay or on film. The theme of reconciliation is played out in a way that is both beautiful and poignant. I invite you to read it for yourself. You won’t be disappointed.

[kayceel_4 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Jean and daughter, with nowhere else to run, go to Jean’s father-in-law, who blames her for his son's death. Loved the language and simplicity of description. Also, Einar (the father-in-law) and Mitch’s lifelong friendship is wonderfully rich and deceptively simple.