Homeland and Other Stories
by Barbara Kingsolver

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Book Reviews of Homeland and Other Stories

Book Review: Not as good as her other work, but still enjoyable reading
Summary: 3 Stars

The two stories in this collection that particularly stood out to me were the title story, "Homeland," and "Covered Bridges." "Homeland" is the moving story of Gloria St. Clair, a native of "a coal town hacked with sharp blades out of a forest that threatened always to take it back," and her "Great Mam," a woman who belonged to the Bird Clan, "one of the fugitive bands of Cherokee who resisted capture in the year that General Winfield Scott was in charge of prodding the forest people from their beds and removing them westward." It is particularly lyrical and full of evocative images, metaphors, and language, drawing on Kingsolver's own Kentucky and Cherokee roots and apparent love of the land and its native peoples.

"Covered Bridges" has a familiar Kingsolver protagonist with a background that reflects Kingsolver's own educational and professional background in biology, and particularly her interest in quirky, little-known biological facts. Lena is a specialist in toxicology and operates a poison hotline at the county hospital. We also discover that Lena has a deadly allergy to the stings of bees and wasps. "Covered Bridges" explores the relationship between Lena and her husband and examines the question of whether or not they want to have children.

I readily recommend Kingsolver's earlier work, but discourage reading her more recent work, starting with "Prodigal Summer." I admire her most for the risks she takes in tackling new and different projects and genres (even "Prodigal Summer"), rather than rehashing the same, well-worn theme. Reading these stories provides a fuller picture of who she is as an author and where her passions, concerns, and interests lie.

Summary of Homeland and Other Stories

With the same wit and sensitivity that have come to characterize her highly praised and beloved novels Animal Dreams and The Bean Trees, Barbara Kingsolver gives us a rich and emotionally resonant collection of twelve stories. Spreading her memorable characters over landscapes ranging from northern-California to the hills of eastern Kentucky and the Caribbean island of St. Lucia, Kingsolver tells stories of hope, momentary joy, and powerful endurance. In every setting, Kingsolver's distinctive voice -- at times comic, but often heartrending -- rings true as she explores the twin themes of family ties and the life choices one must ultimately make alone. Homeland and Other Stories creates a world of love and possibility that readers will want to take as their own.

Short Stories Books

• Subjects > Literature & Fiction > Short Stories
• Literary