Meet Willa Knox, a woman who stands braced against a world which seems to hold little mercy for her and her family - or their old, crumbling house, falling down around them. Willa's two grown-up children, a new-born grandchild, and her ailing father-in-law have all moved in at a time when life seems at its most precarious. But when Willa discovers that a pioneering female scientist lived on the same street in the 1800s, could this historical connection be enough to save their home from ruin? And can Willa, despite the odds, keep her family together?
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['The simplest thing would be to tear it down', the man said. 'The house is a shambles']***
(Faber & Faber, 16 October 2018, ebook, 672 pages, borrowed from @GlasgowLib via @OverDriveLibs)
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I've never read Kingsolver before. I know her name, of course. She's one of those well-known, award-winning literary authors who sort of intimidate wannabe writers like me. Until I read Unsheltered, I assumed her books were high-brow and not for me. But the premise intrigued me and I decided to give the book a shot. I felt further intimidated when I discovered the book was more than 600 pages long. I don't mind reading books of this length. I've read much longer. Though not on a kindle. I tend to find really long kindle books cumbersome and prefer a physical book. I'm glad my assumptions were completely unfounded. I thoroughly enjoyed Unsheltered. I loved the characters. Willa is so real and relatable. I loved the way the book explores the gap between generations and family. Willa learns some painful truths from her daughter Tig (Antigone) which cause her to question her marriage and parenting skills. I liked the fact some of the chapters are flashbacks to people who lived in Willa's house and the area decades and generations before. I look forward to reading more of Kingsolver's work.
