That's especially true of Alene who is heartbroken after the dissolution of her affair with a married principal. Although they say their reason for helping out is to be good, charitable neighbors, in truth, the Johnson women are desperately lonely.

For example, Berta May cannot afford new clothes and a bicycle for Alice, so Willa and Alene buy these for her.

Willa, an elderly widow, and Alene, who is unmarried and childless, do their best to help Berta May out with raising Alice. Alice recently moved in with Berta May after her mother died of breast cancer. Dad also spends time further cultivating his friendships with various townsfolk, including Willa Johnson and her daughter, Alene, Reverend Robert Lyle, Berta May, and Berta's granddaughter Alice. Lorraine agrees with Dad when he tells her that she deserves a better man than her current boyfriend, and a better life than he is capable of providing. Meanwhile, the relationship between Lorraine and Dad grows stronger in the face of his terminal illness. His last known location is Denver, but Mary learns that Frank is long gone from there, and those he left behind have not heard from him since. Unfortunately, Mary is unsure of Frank's current whereabouts. With Dad now facing death, Mary works diligently to reunite Frank with his father before he dies. The two had a falling out after Frank came out as a gay man. Dad has an estranged son, Frank, whom he hasn't seen since Frank graduated from high school. Dad worries that his longtime employees, Rudy and Ben, will not accept Lorraine as the new manager, so he works to convince them to ensure a calm transition. He also works to get his affairs in order, ensuring that Lorraine will take over as manager of the family's hardware store when he dies. His chief focus is spending as much time as possible with his wife, Mary, and his daughter, Lorraine. Although the disease is very painful, Dad refuses to take his prescribed pain medication out of fear of becoming addicted or diminished in his mental faculties. Grudgingly resigned to his fate, Dad decides to make the most of his final weeks, surrounding himself with a close circle of loved ones. At the beginning of the novel, he is diagnosed with pancreatic cancer and told by his doctor he has only months to live. Dad Lewis lives in the bucolic mountain county of Holt, Colorado. In Ursula Le Guin's review of the novel in The Guardian, she calls Haruf 'a stunningly original writer.' Although the book is a sequel, it can be read as a standalone novel. The third installment of American author Kent Haruf's Plainsong series, Benediction (2013) tells the story of Dad Lewis, a resident of the fictional county of Holt, Colorado who is dying of pancreatic cancer.

Plainsong by kent haruf summary