Phillips’ commercial success as a writer came with Black Tickets: Stories
Lark and Termite, her fourth novel, published in 2009, is her best so far, and has also been the most critically acclaimed of her novels. It was selected as one of five finalists for the National Book Award in fiction and listed as one of the unforgettable books of 2009 by New York Times.
It tells the complicated tale of a very unique family; a tale of devotion, grief and survival. It tells two parallel stories, taking place in the course of six days of July during the years 1950 and 1959. The main story – from 1959 – is about 17-year-old Lark and her brother, Termite, as well as their aunt and caretaker Nonie. They live in Smalltown USA, here located in West Virginia.
Lark, now self-reliant and awaking sexually, has no idea why her mother gave her up. She doesn’t know who her father is. For nine
years she has taken care of Termite, a very special child (born with hydrocephalus and with mental and physical challenges) while Nonie has worked to provide for the family. Termite does not talk, but he is even so able to communicate. Lark struggles to make a living for herself and Termite, but increasingly realizes that their options are fairly limited, while also learning more about the mysteries in the past that have led to the present.
Lark and Termite is exceptionally well written, and may well be read for its lyrical qualities alone. The story takes a while to get fully started, and doesn’t immediately grab you. But when it does, it is like a steam-train rolling over you. This is a book that can make you laugh of joy and cry of despair. Lark and Termite is a tragedy, a literary masterpiece, a horrible story, and a brilliant exploration of the basic bonds that tie us together and the role they play. And a surprisingly satisfying novel.
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