Barbara Kingsolver's "The Lacuna"

This was a fun read. It neatly crafted several topics of interest to me:

• Mexico, its peoples, its culture, its history


• Communists: Leon Trotsky plays a key role as well as the Mexican painters Diego Rivera, Frida Kahlo, and David Sisueiros


• The attack on the Bonus Army by Douglas MacArthur under President Herbert Hoover


• The early years of McCartyism


• The pleasure of reading yet another book by Barbara Kingsolver

As you can see, the strong historical elements attracted me. But the writing held me. At times I felt the writing craft wasn't that strong, but I did enjoy her effort to weave an interesting historical tale. The ending grabbed me by the lapels. She did a fine job of closing off the book with an artful ending. This isn't great literature with grand themes. But it is a thoughtful book that comments on American life and makes you think. It has depths to it that make it more than just a "good read". There is material to ponder as it resonates.

I have my quibbles.

• I think she made Trotsky too attractive. He was ruthless and just as cruel as Stalin. Maybe not as paranoid, but Trotsky would not have hesitated to commit the millions of murders that Stalin "achieved".


• The technique of stitching together narrative, journals, and editors comments was a stylistic technique that didn't help advance the story or lend it more credibility. It just added a bit of complexity that I wouldn't have done. But, take that with a grain of salt, since I'm not an accomplished writer and Kingsolver is.

I do recommend this book.