THE LACUNA

Kingsolver’s historical novel portrays the United States, Mexico, and the turbulent world in which they were developing early in the twentieth century. The story is seen through the personal journals of Harrison William Shepherd, a Mexican-American who grew up in the 1930s caught between the two cultures of his divorced parents. Historical figures such as Diego Rivera, Frida Kahlo, and Leon Trotsky are also involved in the story. Kingsolver narrates with the passion of an extraordinary storyteller. She adds an extra dimension with her command of the idiomatic Spanish she uses extensively in the text. However, the pace of her narration sometimes lags behind the forward momentum of the story. Nonetheless, Kingsolver’s fans have waited eagerly for nine years for a new work and will not be disappointed. M.C. © AudioFile 2009, Portland, Maine [Published: DECEMBER 2009]