The Lacuna

The Lacuna, by Barbara Kingsolver; Harper Publishing, 2009

Reviewed by Barb Sachi

Kingsolver's eloquent novel--The Lacuna, transports us to Mexico and the era of Diego Riviera and his wife, Frida Kahlo, as they house revolutionary Leon Trotsky, and try to prevent his assassination. The story is seen through the eyes of a young writer, narrated in the form of letters, diary entries and newspaper clippings. Amazing book! In a different direction, I read The Last Dickens, by Matthew Pearl. This story centers on Charles Dicken's tour of the U.S. during a time of rampant opium trade in China and Britain. There is also a murder to solve. The writing is in period style, and I found it to be somewhat uninteresting. For a real change of pace, I read Tracy Kidder's Strength in What Remains, which explores the reasons of ethnic violence in Rwanda and Birundi. Kidder's main character 'Deo' has fled the genocide, lands in New York City, and makes his way from living in Central Park, to Columbia University, through the kindness of caring people. His goal is to return to Africa in peacetime and build clinics.