Before I talk about this book, I would like to take a moment to pat myself on the back. While on vacation last month, we visited a bookstore that we love and I purchased three books. I have since finished all three books. That's right. They didn't sit on my shelves gathering dust for ages while I read the dozens of books I have downloaded onto my kindle or one of the countless books I could get from the library. No sir, I got down to business and read all three of these books right away while other books that I bought ages ago are still sitting on my shelf, gathering dust, slowly giving up hope that I will ever actually read them. And, yes, I still feel good about that!
I really enjoyed this book. Kingsolver is one of those authors I know has a great reputation but, while I do like her stuff, she's never been one of my favorite authors. I dove into this one because I need a serious break from all the YA and this book fit the bill perfectly. It starts off slow and took me awhile to get into it because I had gotten so accustomed to the hit-the-ground-running action-packed books that are taking over the market these days. I was bored, at first, but I stuck with it and I'm very glad I did. Once I got into it, I realized it had it's own way of maintaining suspense.
At first glance, the stakes don't seem all that high. Bored housewife is trapped in a marriage she should never have entered into, but can't leave her kids, blah, blah, blah. Hardly the end-of-the-world drama today's YA has taught me to expect.
Except the world is ending. Dellarobia (the bored housewife) happens upon millions of butterflies right in her own back yard. As it turns out, this is due to global warming. The butterflies were unable to make it to their normal winter roost in Mexico and so were forced to make due with Tennessee. The book is an excellent exploration, not only of global warming and what it could mean for us and our children, but of clashes between "high" and "low" culture.
Dellarobia is a very intelligent but uneducated woman living on a sheep farm in a small town. She starts working for Dr. Ovid Byron who is shocked to learn what their education system is like. My favorite part of their conversations on this topic is that they're filled with mutual respect. Yes, feelings get rankled but no one ever says "you're stupid" or "you're wrong". They ask why. And the other side explains and there's a great crossing of some very solid boundaries and I love it.
The only thing I didn't like was the ending. Dellarobia miraculously helps to give birth to a lamb for the first time and is all proud and ecstatic to experience the miracle of birth, etc, etc, etc. At the end she explains to her five-year-old son that she's moving out and going to college but they'll still see each other and it's all just a little too happy and predictable for me. Yes, the Earth is still FUBAR but, for now at least, everything turned out for the best. *gag*
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