I've only recently come to Barbara Kingsolver. Somehow I missed The Poisonwood Bible, and until The Lacuna, I'd read only a few excellent short stories. Now, I wasn't wildly impressed with The Lacuna. I thought it was too long, and the Mexican bit I could have done without, really. I did like the second part; I thought the McCarthyist paranoia in 1950s America was beautifully done, but overall, I had some reservations. I have very, very minor reservations about this new book.