 | By: Jane Smiley Binding: Paperback Publisher: Anchor Books ISBN: 030727909X ISBN-13: 9780307279095 Released: 09 Oct 2007 RRP: Average Rating:  |
The most surprising thing is how well she writes from the main character's perspective. His personality as a father & husband is so clearly defined, so original, & so _masculine_ that I often found it difficult to believe that the author is a woman.
Like Smiley's other writings, this story is very much about relationships--familial, neighborly & those between oneself & the world--and how even the most carefully made decisions & choices can dramaticallly alter an equallly well-planned life.
This novella originallly appealed to me as a story of escape from society & retreat to nature, but I took away a great many lessons about life as well. Within her beautifully woven tale Smiley manages substantive discussions on racism, money, religion, & sexism--but these scenes are unforced. They are simply _there_, as natural as the lifestyle treasured by the main protagonists.
I loved this book.
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