Well, this is pretty epic, but you’re already expecting that with a Kingsolver novel! I find her novels easy to read despite their length, and the pacing is excellent. I’ve read probably 3-4 of her novels before and I feel this fits in with her others.
The fact that this is a nod to Dickens and his Bildungsroman David Copperfield wasn’t lost on me, and I enjoyed some of the references to it. I’d say the connection isn’t essential for appreciating the novel, but especially some characters and names provide some interesting depth.
This book is very emotional. There’s no way around it. It looks at really tough topics, mainly grinding poverty and child neglect and the opioid crisis, so you’ll definitely be reading through some tough things. But at the same time, it’s a book that’s still full of joy, love, and redemption. You 100% root for the narrator and you live alongside him. There’s many moments where you want to shake and scream at people, something that’s also true in David Copperfield.
It’s social realism of a kind that in my eyes has a lot of compassion and respect. Young people and their perspective is centred.
For people who love to follow a person on their journey.
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