The Lacuna

by Barbara Kingsolver

This book was such a surprise. A huge Kingsolver fan, this book in no way resembled anything she's done before.
Its hero is a man, it takes place in pre-WWII Mexico and post-war U.S., the prose is more sparse but still lyrical in an open, disarming way. The story is told through journals, letters and other documents.
In 'The Lacuna,' Harrison Shepherd (presidential name, isn't it?) is a boy a bit on the outside, with a vivacious Mexican mother, a remote American father and a very active imagination. Later still, he lives in the U.S., going to school and trying to be American. He's more comfortable in Mexico, where he meets up with artists, scholars, revolutionaries and cooks. But eventually he finds himself back in the U.S., where he becomes sucked into the anti-Communist fever that spreads through the populace like a virus, leaving no one immune.

I very much enjoyed the book but not as much as others by Kingsolver -- and I don't know why. I really enjoyed reading about a time and social upheaval I knew little about. I loved the character of Harrison. Why didn't I treasure it like I did others by her?