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. It could be just a little bit preachy, although, to be honest, I hadn't noticed that until someone else pointed it out...but it has great characters - they're flawed, nuanced, three-dimensional and subtle. The struggle of poor Tennessee farmers is portrayed sympathetically, and although some of these rural characters are not that bright, they are not patronised; rather, we come to understand why they struggle to accept climate change, environmental destruction and other issues which divide city and country. I found it thought-provoking, engaging, moving, funny, and very,very real.