A few years ago I read an entire book before realizing I had already read it. I looked back at my Goodreads read list and realized I had no memory of about half of the books on there. So I built a new habit – (almost) every time I finish a book, I word-vomit my thoughts and emotions into a note on my phone. Sometimes they’re brief, sometimes they’re long-longwinded, sometimes they just ramble…and now I’m putting them here. Please enjoy the madness.
This book took me forever to get through. I agree with some other reviews I’ve seen saying it’s really two books (a good one and a not as good one). The beginning is hard reading with some overly lyrical writing that madee me really sttruggle to get through. I feel like it really hits it’s stride 150-200 pages in but I don’t know how many people would hang in there tthat long. The story gets a little infuriating but, at least to me, in a realistic way that kept things interesting.
I loved the use of real life people as supporting characters to the story and felt like Kingsolver seamlessly integrated her protagonist. I’ve never done well at recalling actual history so anytime a piece of fiction can (somewhat reliably) incorporate historical people or events, I find it that much more fascinating. And now I want to learn everything I can about Rivera and Khalo and Trotsky. This definitely got my blood pumping with the injustice of things and all of the ways it’s still coming out in our society. I loved reading Kingsolvers Q&A at the end when she talks about how America started with a bunch of rebels but patriotism has morphed in the idea that you have to accept America as a perfect finished product. I see so much of that with the fear mongering and hatred happening lately and have made that exact “founded out of rebellion” argument in conversation with friends.
Overall, I enjoyed it and am glad I made the effort to finish. It feels like an accomplishment.
Full disclosure: This was a book club book.