The best book I have read in a long time.

posted Jan 21, 2010 at 8:38PM

Kingsolver is a master author. Although it took me a bit to get into the rhythm of the book, once I did, I realized how well written this book is. Kingsolver’s ability to bring a character to life is uncanny. Also, her research is meticulous so you wind up learning a lot in addition to enjoying the story. On another level, the parallels to what happened in the 50’s with McCarthyism to today’s paranoia about terrorism makes you think that history can repeat itself. This book is an excellent read from an excellent author. Highly recommended!

posted Oct 25, 2010 at 7:02PM

Novel written as the journals and letters of a young boy who grew to manhood in Mexico and associated with the household of painter Diego Rivera and his wife Frida Kahlo. It also means he knew Lev Trotsky when he spent his final months in Mexico City. Our young Harrison Shepherd returns to his father in Washington, DC, and finding him deceased, takes a young man’s road trip and ends up living and writing in Asheville, NC. Who puts this book together is a mystery known only as V. B. for nearly half the book! But, you’ll love Violet Brown once you get to know her. Kingsolver is at her best with this historical fiction covering a span of nearly 30 years—the 1930s to 1950s—and seeing many things change in American life. This book, with its historical characters takes a look at Communism and the many ways it was viewed in those years, including the despicable activities of the McCarthy era.

posted Apr 8, 2011 at 5:15PM

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