Jane Smiley - Golden Age

Walter Langdon (1895)

Wilmer Langdon Walters father

Elizabeth Chick Walters mother

Ruth Cheek and Lester Chick Walters maternal grandparents

Etta Cheek mother of Ruth Cheek

Lester and Howard Walters brothers

Rosanna Vogel Langdon (1900)Walters wife

Otto Vogel Rosannas father

Mary Augsberger Rosannas mother

Charlotta Kleinfelder Ottos mother

Herman and Augustina Augsberger (Opa and Oma) Rosannas maternal grandparents

Rolf, Eloise, John, Gus, and Kurt Rosannas siblings

Julius Silber Eloises husband

Rosa Eloise and Juliuss daughter

Elton Jackman Rosas first husband, Laceys father

Lacey Rosa and Eltons daughter

Ross Eloises second husband

Shelia Johns wife

Gary, Buddy, Jimmy John and Sheilas sons

Angela Guss wife

Francis Frank Langdonfirst child of Walter and Rosanna

Hildegarde Andrea Bergstrom AndyFranks wife

Janet Frank and Andys eldest daughter

Jared Nelson Janets husband

Emily and Jared Janet and Jareds children

Richard Richie & Michael Frank and Andys twin sons

Ivy Richies wife

Leonard LeoRichie and Ivys son

Britt Leos wife

Mona Leo and Britts daughter

Jack Britts son

Loretta Perroni Michaels wife

Chance, Tia, Beatrice BinkyMichael and Lorettas children

Delilah Rankin Chances wife

Raymond Chandler Chance and Delilahs son

Emile Tias husband

Chris Binkys husband

Joseph Joe Langdonsecond child of Walter and Rosanna

Lois Frederick Joes wife

Roland and Lorena Frederick Loiss parents

Minnie Loiss sister

Ann Annie and Joseph JesseJoe and Loiss children

Jennifer Guthrie Jesses wife

Joseph Guthrie, Franklin Perkins Perky, and Felicity Jesse and Jennifers children

Ezra Newmark Felicitys husband

Mary Elizabeth Langdonthird child of Walter and Rosanna

Lillian Elizabeth Langdonfourth child of Walter and Rosanna

Arthur Brinks Manning Lillians husband

Sarah Cole DeRocher and Colonel Brinks Manning Arthurs parents

Timothy Tim, Deborah Debbie, Dean Henry, and Christina Eloise TinaLillian and Arthurs children

Charlie Wickett Tims son

Fiona McCorkle Charlies mother

Riley Calhoun Charlies wife

Alexis Tim and Rileys daughter

Hugh Debbies husband

Carlie and Kevin KevvieDebbie and Hughs children

Linda Deans wife

Eric Dean and Lindas son

Cheryl Lindas daughter

Henryfifth child of Walter and Rosanna

Clairesixth child of Walter and Rosanna

Paul Darnell Claires first husband

Grayson and Bradley Claire and Pauls sons

Lisa Graysons wife

Dustin Grayson and Lisas son

Samantha Bradleys wife

Laure and Ned Bradley and Samanthas children

Carl Claires second husband

Angie Carls daughter

Doug Schmidt Angies husband

Peter, Rhea, and Dash Angie and Dougs children

IT WAS FRIDAY. Everyone was somewhere else, doing last-minute chores. The tall young man got out of his little green station wagon, stretched, looked around, took off his sunglasses, and started up the walk. Minnie Frederick, who saw him through her bedroom window, dropped the stack of sheets she was carrying and ran down the stairs. But he was not at the door, and when she went out onto the porch, he was nowhere to be seen. Back in the house, through the kitchen, out onto the stoop. Still nothing, apart from Jesse, her nephew, a noisy dot, cultivating the bean field east of the Osage-orange hedge. She walked around the house to the front porch. The car was still there. She crossed to it and looked in the window. A pair of fancy boots in the foot well of the passengers seat, two wadded-up pieces of waxed paper, a soda can. She stood beside the green car for a long moment, then touched the hood. It was warm. It was real. She was not imagining things, sixty-seven years old, she who came from a long line of crazy people on all sides, who was both happy and relieved to have chosen long ago not to reproduce. What, she thought, was the not-crazy thing to do? It was to make a glass of iced tea and see if her sister, Lois, had left any shortbread in the cookie jar.

When did Lois first mention him Charlie Wickett sometime in January? But Minnie hadnt paid attention, because she was planning her summer trip to Rome. He was Tims son, Lillian and Arthurs grandson, produced by means of one of those irresponsible high-school romances that every principal was only too familiar with. The baby had ended up in St. Louis. Tim had ended up in Vietnam, killed by a grenade fragment. Charlie now lived in Aspen, said he would be happy to meet everyone, to drive to Denby, and within a week, a reunion had exploded around his coming. They were all heading to the farm Frank and Andy, Michael and Richie with their wives and kids, Janet, alone (Minnie remembered that Janet had always had a thing about Tim), Arthur and Debbie and her kids (Hugh, her husband, couldnt come because of exams, though). There hadnt been a family gathering of this size since Claires wedding1962, that was. Minnie hoped everyone would mind their manners. She knew plenty of farm families who did not get along, but they kept their conflicts to themselves and behaved, at least in public. Families that had scattered, like the Langdons, could end up looking and acting like alien species of a single genus. Frank had nothing in common with Joe (never had), except that, thanks to Frank, the farm was paid off. Frank let Jesse and Joe work the land however they wished. Lillian, whom everyone had loved, had passed three and a half years before, and there was plenty of family gossip about what a mess Arthur and Debbie were. Dean kept to himself, and Tina, the youngest, had taken off to the mountains of Idaho. She wasnt coming (but she had driven down to Aspen, met Charlie, liked him, and issued a bulletin in the form of a drawing that depicted a handsome, laughing kid. How she had gotten the twinkle into his eye, Minnie didnt understand). For once, Henry was coming from Chicago (Minnie suspected that no one in Chicago knew that Henry was a farm kid). Only Claire, who was driving up from Des Moines, was a regular visitor. A big party. Lois was in charge of the cooking, Jen in charge of shopping, Joe in charge of the generous welcome. Minnie had done a lot of cleaning.

Now Charlie appeared on the other side of the screen door, loose-limbed and fit. He saw her, he smiled, and Minnie said, I thought you were a phantom.

Oh, I am sorry, said Charlie. When I got out of the car and realized how hot it was getting, I decided I had to take my run right away, so I ran around the section. What is that, do you think?

Four miles, said Minnie.

He said, Well, Im not used to the heat yet. But its really flat, so that makes up for it a little.

She got up and opened the door. She said, Ill bet youd like some water.

She took a glass out of the drainer and held it under the tap. Not too brown. Lois had bought some kind of French sparkling water for the weekend, though Minnie was surprised you could get that sort of thing in Iowa. He tilted his head back, opened his mouth, poured it down. She didnt see the Langdon in him the way Frank had when he first espied him in a coffee shop in Aspen last fall, and, supposedly, was convinced the boy was a younger version of himself. Nor did she hear it in his voice (but, then, she hadnt spent much time with Tim). What she saw was grace and a ready smile. His eyes flicked here and there as he drank he was no less observant than Frank, probably, but he looked like those kids she had known over the years whose parents were indulgent and easygoing, kids who understood that redemption was automatic.