Run by Ann Patchett

Run is a novel about two adopted children, black boys who were adopted separately. After the youngst son was accepted by the family, the agency called to ask if they would take an older son so that the boys could stay together.  The family agreed.  The opening chapter describes a statue of the Virgin Mary in the home which is passed from daughter to daughter in the family.  Strangely enough, the statue looks like the woman who has adopted the black boys.  The family is Irish Catholic, has a natural son, Sullivan, who looks like his mother, Bernadette.,  Supposedly the story takes place within a 24 hour period, but the final chapter does take place several years later, but during the course of one snowfilled day, the reader learns of the characters of Tip and Teddy, the black boys, Doyle, the Irish Catholic former mayor of Boston who is the adopted father, and Kenya, a young black girl, and her mother Tennessee, Father Sullivan, brother to Doyle, and uncle of Tip and Teddy and natural son Sullivan.   Sullivan is jealous of his two adopted younger brothers, has serious problems regarding his emotional status, so he has reappeared from his years of service in Africa where he has been doing penance for a driving accident in which his partner, Natalie, was killed due to his drunken state.  Tip and Teddy are both overly protected and prodded by their father Doyle who wants them to go into politics to become the president.  Neither want to fulfill his ambition for them.  On this one single day, the entire family becomes united together due to a snowstorm, events that bring them together to listen to a Jesse Jackson lecture locally, and thus, meet up with Tennesse and Kenya.  Kenya is only 11 years old.  After leaving the lecture, the snow is so heavy that nobody can see a car that causes Tip to be pushed away from the car when Tennessee sees it coming, and takes the hit herself.  Kenya is left alone while Tennessee is taken to the hospital and Tip is also taken in to repair his ankle injury when the tire rolled across his foot.  The entire novel describes Tip, Teddy, Kenya, Tennessee, Doyle, Father Sullivan, and Sullivan who have all come together at one time in one place. The old priest is near death by manages to satisfy Teddy to come to the hospital to pray for Tennessee.  This is a wonderful book to read as it is told in such a simple homespun way, but the characters are exaggerated so that one cannot believe in the success story of these simple people despite the good intent behind it.  It just proves that in the right environmental setting, anyone with a half way decent i.q. can get an education, social acceptance, and approval to acquire a medical degree, succeed in politics, and even run in the Olympic games...Preposterous but entertaining!