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Book of the Week: Unsheltered

Unsheltered by Barbara Kingsolver Reviewed by Kathy Johnson, Coquitlam Public Library Barbara Kingsolver’s latest novel, Unsheltered, takes an engaging and thought-provoking look at the foundations of the American dream.
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Unsheltered by Barbara Kingsolver

Reviewed by Kathy Johnson, Coquitlam Public Library

 

Barbara Kingsolver’s latest novel, Unsheltered, takes an engaging and thought-provoking look at the foundations of the American dream.

In true Kingsolver style, she blends insightful observations of the natural world with the all too-real challenges of life in both the modern and post-Civil War eras.

The characters in this novel are desperately in search of shelter, stability and standing in their community in one form or another.

But the main characters in each time period find themselves trying to shore up a dilapidated home built on unstable foundations.

While trying to reconcile the world they live in with the world they have come from, there are moments of humour and intimacy mixed with deep sadness.

This novel highlights moments of rapid change as cultures scramble to figure out where the next step in their journey will take them.

Ultimately, those next steps will be dependent on their choices.