Unsheltered - Barbara Kingsolver

Unsheltered

By Barbara Kingsolver

  • Release Date: 2018-10-16
  • Genre: Literary Fiction
Score: 4
4
From 781 Ratings

Description

New York Times Bestseller • Named one of the Best Books of the Year by NPR, O: The Oprah Magazine, San Francisco Chronicle, Christian Science Monitor and Newsweek

“Kingsolver brilliantly captures both the price of profound change and how it can pave the way not only for future generations, but also for a radiant, unexpected expansion of the heart.” — O: The Oprah Magazine

The acclaimed author of The Poisonwood Bible and The Bean Trees, and recipient of numerous literary awards—including the National Humanities Medal, the Dayton Literary Peace Prize, and the Orange Prize—returns with a story about two families, in two centuries, navigating what seems to be the end of the world as they know it. With history as their tantalizing canvas, these characters paint a startlingly relevant portrait of life in precarious times when the foundations of the past have failed to prepare us for the future.

How could two hardworking people do everything right in life, a woman asks, and end up destitute? Willa Knox and her husband followed all the rules as responsible parents and professionals, and have nothing to show for it but debts and an inherited brick house that is falling apart. The magazine where Willa worked has folded; the college where her husband had tenure has closed. Their dubious shelter is also the only option for a disabled father-in-law and an exasperating, free-spirited daughter. When the family’s one success story, an Ivy-educated son, is uprooted by tragedy he seems likely to join them, with dark complications of his own.

In another time, a troubled husband and public servant asks, How can a man tell the truth, and be reviled for it? A science teacher with a passion for honest investigation, Thatcher Greenwood finds himself under siege: his employer forbids him to speak of the exciting work just published by Charles Darwin. His young bride and social-climbing mother-in-law bristle at the risk of scandal, and dismiss his worries that their elegant house is unsound. In a village ostensibly founded as a benevolent Utopia, Thatcher wants only to honor his duties, but his friendships with a woman scientist and a renegade newspaper editor threaten to draw him into a vendetta with the town’s powerful men.

A timely and "utterly captivating" novel (San Francisco Chronicle), Unsheltered interweaves past and present to explore the human capacity for resiliency and compassion in times of great upheaval.

Reviews

  • Beautifully done.

    5
    By amdwest
    For the first time, I find myself reading pages and chapters over and over again. Wherever the book happens to fall open. Just for the pleasure in the skill of Kingsolver’s writing and the worlds she lets me see. I’m hooked!
  • Unshelted

    5
    By Merjarea
    Absolutely loved this book!
  • Great book

    4
    By pbm5680
    I always enjoy the writing style of Barbara Kingsolver. Although this book may not be her best, it was a very good read
  • Tough read

    2
    By mlvarr
    No real ending to a confusing double story. Lost my interest several times, writing unnecessarily difficult to follow. Author appeared more interested in vocabulary than storytelling. Would not recommend.
  • Really difficult to Get Through---

    2
    By brennansgranmom
    Kingsolver seems to have gotten more difficult to read in recent years. (I'm Bored and confused by the Detailed Descriptions and worn out from reading the same page over and over. Of course, I first read her years ago. Im older now too so maybe it's me.
  • I really tried to read this book

    3
    By Juniper2021
    I love Barbara Kingsolver. And I really tried to read this book. I kept wondering how someone as brilliant as Kingsolver could write some thing as boring as this book? I was certain I just needed to give it time. I gave up halfway through. It’s just so boring.
  • Diatribe

    1
    By clickercrazy
    Excuse for a liberal rant, which would have been okay if plot made sense and characters were appealing. Rare miss by Ms. Kingsolver, whose previous books I have admired.
  • Unsheltered

    4
    By half& half
    First chapter draws you in - occasional clever wit but wonderfully realistic description of human relationships. Of grief, longing. I want to continue with these people, learn how they cope with unavoidable change.
  • Worst Book on Which a I’ve Wasted Time and Money

    1
    By a osterhold
    Pages and pages and pages of boring, pontificating, political diatribe- save yourself some time by watching 5 minutes of CNN to receive the same message! I read for entertainment and to escape into another world away from the exhausting partisan finger-pointing in all forms of media! This book has no real plot- the modern day portions of it consist of dull characters sitting around delivering Kingsolver’s political sermons- literally nothing interesting happens regarding the historical house used as a teaser to draw in a potential reader. I kept reading it only to discover the fate of the house... but as it turns out, its fate was revealed in the first few pages with no further development! Maddening waste of time. Here’s some good old- fashioned capitalism for ya, Kingsolver, I will NEVER spend another dime of my hard-earned money on anything you write! EVER!
  • Unsheltered

    2
    By klimtgold
    Very disappointing. Didn’t care about the characters and the historical narrative underpinning the present day story.