Unsheltered, Barbara Kingsolver, HarperCollins, 2018, 461 pp
As far as I can tell, readers either love Barbara Kingsolver's novels unconditionally, love her earlier novels but not anything after The Poisonwood Bible, or complain bitterly about her "preaching." I fall in the first category. I love the many ways she has branched out and matured as a novelist. If anyone is going to preach to me it will be her.
Unsheltered has a complex double plot. One is in the here and now with all the tensions of our contrasting American outlooks. The other takes place in the same New Jersey town, in fact in the same house, during the post Civil War period when religious bible thumpers were desperate to discredit Charles Darwin.
In her brilliant fashion she gets to include the natural world, politics, social friction, and generational family misunderstanding. The super-imposed images of a house falling down around its occupants while those occupants were restrained from repairs by a lack of finance works as a perfect metaphor for people caught up in social change.
What spoke to me the most though was the relationship between the present day Willa and her two adult children. Willa and I share a secret sorrow. We thought we did our best for our children only to wake up one day and find that they feel we were major screw ups as moms.
What's more, we do not understand their approaches to life. All we can do is worry. I really, really loved the ways that Willa's daughter Tig (nickname for Antigone, don't ask, you will find out) explains the world we live in now to her bewildered mother.
The novel completes a full circle for the author. In her first novel, The Bean Trees, daughter Taylor Greer rejects her rural background. In Unsheltered, Tig returns to the simple life. What remains true is the divide between parents and kids. What is even more true is the kids always have a plan.
(Unsheltered is available in hardcover on the shelves at Once Upon A Time Bookstore.)
Wow, Judy, what a marvelous and in-depth review! You have captured the essence of this novel, and your admiration for Kingsolver shines through. I have yet to make her acquaintance but I know beforehand that I don't like preachy, so I don't know how we'll get along. I have several novels of hers on my TBR; I have bought them for peanuts on Kindle deals.
ReplyDeleteThank you so much Carmen. Some people say she is preachy in that tone some people use for women who speak their minds. I don't find her fiction preachy or hectoring or any of those pejorative descriptions. She just tells it like it is. I guess you will have to be the judge.
DeleteI'm very sorry about your secret sorrow. You're a good person Judy. I need to read some of this author's works to form an opinion of her novels ... but I like the themes already.
ReplyDeleteI suspect you would get along well with Ms Kingsolver.
DeleteYour review reminded me of something my mother said to me as we stood by my father's casket: "We did the best we could." In the end, that's about the best any of us can say. We do the best we can and hope the next generation can do better. I think Willa - and Barbara - would agree.
ReplyDeleteI think most mothers would agree. Thank you for being reminded and reminding me. Happy Solstice!
DeleteWhat a great review! I often think the same thing, hoe much I'm failing as a mother, so I relate to that as well.
ReplyDeleteCarrie @ The Butterfly Reader
Thank you Carrie. I guess it is part of being a mother.
DeleteOh, Judy, I wonder if our children have ever stopped to ask themselves what kind of job they've done at being daughters and sons? I ache for you.
ReplyDeleteLovely review - and now I'm more eager than ever to read this!
Oh, Debbie. How much I would like to tell them! But I fear it would not help. They will get over it eventually and so will I-:) I hope you enjoy the book as much as I did.
DeleteI'll have to give her a try. Merry Christmas. Cheers from Carole's chatter
ReplyDeleteOh, I hope you do! Merry Christmas to you and yours Carole.
DeleteOutstanding commentary on this book.
ReplyDeleteI have not read Kingslover but she sounds like an intriguing writer. I tend to like writers who throw out ideas. Thus, I usually do not mind preachiness even when I disagree with it.
I really want to read one of Kingslover’s books soon.
So many ideas! I recommend starting either with this one or The Poisonwood Bible.
DeleteI've only read and loved The Poisonwood Bible by Barbara Kingsolver. In fact, it's one of my all time favorite novels, so am surprised I haven't read more of her novels.
ReplyDeleteThis novel sounds good, so will add it to my reading wishlist. I have Lacuna in my to be read pile, so will probably start with that novel first.
Lacuna is also wonderful!
DeleteI have also just read this book but not yet reviewed it. I belong to your first category, as well. Haven't found a book by Barbara Kingsolver, yet, that I didn't like.
ReplyDeleteMy favourite is probably The Lacuna.
Thanks for your review, I'll come back once I published mine.
Yes, The Lacuna was awesome. I await your review of Unsheltered. Glad to know you are in my first category!
DeleteI think we often have the same taste. Lovely to have met yoy.
DeleteAs you have seen, I read Unsheltered in the meantime. Your comments have contributed a lot to the book. Thanks.
DeleteI am glad. Thanks for stopping back to read my review. Glad you found it relevant to your reading.
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