Kingsolver is such a good writer at bringing the complex dilemmas of our times into the family arena. This story reveals different generations coming to terms in different ways with the impact of Climate change on economic and lifestyle choices.

I have been a huge fan of Barbara Kingsolver since reading The PoisonWood Bible a few years ago, so was very excited to be given the chance to review this new novel by Faber and Faber.  Unsheltered is split between present day and 1870, the common denominator being the house at Seven Forty Four East Plum in Vineland.  In the present Willa and her husband moves into the house with their adult daughter Tig and invalid father in law Nick, after her husband gets a teaching job, .  In 1871 Thatcher Greenwood has moved into Plum Street after marrying Rose.  The house had belonged  to her father but after his death her mother had to rent the house out as she couldn't afford to stay there.  Now, the marriage has meant that Rose, her mother and sister Polly can all move back.  There maybe one hundred and forty five years separating Willa and Thatcher living on East and Plum Street, but they both face similar issues of expectations, politics, moral and ethical dilemmas. As in her previous novels, Barbara Kingsolver deals head on the important issues of society at the period she is writing of.  In 1871, Thatcher is a scientist, a follower of Darwin but in a town that is still in the past and teaching in a school where Darwin's studies are seen as blasphemy and that the bible has all the answers.  Thatcher also needs to bring his family into the present as their home is crumbling but his wife and mother in law won't have anything changed as it was Rose's father who built the house.  In the present Willa is having similar problems with the house, it is falling about around her ears and they don't have the money to fix it or for much else in life.  Willa and her husband Iano are from a generation where they expected to be better off in their older years, both having had good careers, their children having left home and be doing well for themselves, not still having no money and being in a house that is falling down so much so they are sleeping in one room downstairs with their twenty six year old daughter and their baby grandson. Unsheltered  is very much about dissatisfaction with life, and the problem humans have in  looking backwards rather than looking forwards and adapting to the climate and situation you are living in. Not one to shy away from difficult and political issues, Barbara Kingsolver deals with Obamacare in America, and how it is not well received by all, and in Nick's case, Willa's father in  law, he refuses to have anything to do with it due to prejudice.  The complexity of medical insurance is also explored and really makes me appreciate the free NHS we have access to in the UK. There is also a political character running for president very much in the mould of Donald Trump, and there are many discussions between Nick, Willa and Tig as to the political situation in America and the dissatisfaction of White Americans with their country. Barbara Kingsolver is a wonderful and lyrical writer that has a great understanding of the human condition and the world around her.  Science plays a big part in her books and her look at the emergence of Darwin's On the Origin of the Species and its reception is fascinating.  The idea that people put more faith in the bible than what had been proved by science, and the debates within the narrative make this an interesting and erudite read. In the present there is much discussion on climate change and plastic waste that need to be addressed to save our future. The characters in the present, could be any family in middle class America, all very different, with different feelings and attitudes to life that can cause conflict and arguments.  In the past, Thatcher has the same issues with his family, being from a different background to his wife and feeling he is falling short of their expectations, rather like Willa in the present. The metaphor at the forefront of this novel is that expectations can crumble around you like a house, thus leaving you 'unsheltered'. As expected Unsheltered is a wonderfully erudite and engaging read.  Barbara Kingsolver is remarkable in her ability to convey and understand the human psyche and emotions, and in her perspective of the society we live in.  The combination of history, science and her skilful story telling make this a compelling and pleasurable read; simply sublime.

The story of two families in two centuries who lived in the same house. Even though there is a century apart between the characters and the troubles they face seem almost timeless; the political climate, science against faith... “ Unsheltered “ is a complex story of the American dream gone wrong. She uses the shelter in a physical and metaphorical way, sheltering our lives under the roof of our homes and the world and the society we live in. I must say that Barbara Kingsolver does challenge her readers in many ways with this book. It is one of the most thoughtful-provoking fictional books you will read this year.

This novel is the the story of Willa, a freelance journalist, married to an academic, with grown children and an ailing father in law. Their house is falling down around them, her children and a newborn grandchild are all living back at home with her, and she is struggling to keep it all together. Willas story runs parallel with the story of the teacher who lived in the same house in the 1800’s. Willa is researching the history of the house and neighbourhood in order to apply for a grant to help with the cost of the refurbishment of their Victorian house. The book explores the social turmoil and change in political landscape we are all facing, the US health care system, family dynamics and much more. Kingsolver is the queen of the metaphor, and a quite brilliant story teller. This is a fascinating, occasionally bleak but ultimately deeply satisfying novel.

I always eagerly anticipate a new novel from Barbara Kingsolver but have to admit that by the time I got to the end of this one (a struggle at times because I very soon felt that it was in need of some serious editing!) I was left feeling hugely disappointed. Essentially this was because the premise of highlighting the comparisons between the two timelines had felt so promising, and the fact that all the topics she covered and issues she raised are ones I’m keenly interested in. However, what came to feel like a relentless polemic had the effect of overshadowing her wonderful skills as a story-teller. I wanted to remind her that there are times when less really is more! I felt that the nuanced character-development, which I’ve enjoyed in so many of her other books, had somehow become victim to her determination to get her various messages across. To end on a more positive note, there were moments when I was reading when I was reminded of my admiration for the author’s ability to succinctly encapsulate a mood or a sentiment. Just one example was a sentence which particularly resonated with me, and which I’ve put on a post-it note above my desk because it feels such a perfect description for the way the world is today: “All the rules have changed and it’s hard to watch people keep carrying on just the same, like it’s business as usual.” Somewhat depressing, but so very apt.