The Road By Shiloh Summary

The story is told in the third person narrative, and focuses on the characters’ of Leroy Moffitt, his wife Norma Jean and the mother-in-law Mabel. Leroy is a truck driver, used to driving all over the nation with lengthy time away from home. He now is in recovery from an injury to his leg and finds himself idle at home trying to pass the time. He has many concerns about his future employment, his marriage and the death of the son Randy. He used to do a lot of speed when he was driving and now is just smoking pot. Norma Jean works at a drugstore and is very knowledgeable of cosmetics. She had played the piano in high school and married Leroy when she was eighteen, afterwards giving birth to a son a few months later, but he died of sudden infant
She suggest several times that the two of them, Leroy and Norma Jean should take a trip to Shiloh, because it is so beautiful there and that is where she had spent her honeymoon.

Shiloh starts with an injured tractor-trailer driver convalescing at home for four months after twisting his left leg badly in its socket after jack-knifing the semi he drove. He passes his time working various crafts, and sits on the couch and smokes pot while watching his wife workout with his physical therapy equipment and various barbells and weights. It becomes apparent to him that his marriage is in jeopardy, he thinks of his infants’ death and how they never speak of it. Leroy starts to study his wife, admiring her beauty and he loves her. He presents her with an electric organ for Christmas, and she immediately starts playing it well, but soon loses interest in it. Norma Jean continues to work, keep house and then after completing a six-week bodybuilding course, enrolls in evening classes for an adult education course. She now spends her time working on her English papers. Leroy announces he wants to