Animal Dreams by Barbara Kingsolver

In all the Kingsolver books, the setting and natural landscape become a secondary or even central character. The protagonists also have an interesting relationship with their environment through various interactions. It can be with a political or environment aspect, but it is often a very spiritual and transformative journey for the protagonist.

The beginning of this novel was a bit difficult to read. Cosima aka Codi, the protagonist, was depressed and lethargic in the beginning. She has issues as we learn, but then she became more real as I read about her and in a couple of moments, relatable. Slowly, as I do with Kingsolver characters and novels, I began to be moved and touched by moments in the book. I enjoyed the romance as well; as usual, it was not the central aspect of the book, but a great touch.

It was a lovely little novel. I enjoyed this excerpt:

Codi here’s what I’ve decided: the very least you can do in your life is to figure out what you hope for. And the most you can do is live inside that hope… What I want is so simple I almost can’t say it: elementary kindness. Enough to eat, enough to go around. The possibility that kids might one day grow up to be neither the destroyers nor the destroyed.

All I ask is for a book to make me feel and think. I consistently do with Kingsolver’s works. I’ve read most of them now and will continue to do so.

Read July 12, 2015.

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