Search - Animal Dreams

I love all things Kingsolver and this was no exception. It's written in that style of her earlier stuff (The Bean Trees and Pigs in Heaven)...great dialogue, memorable characters and the kind of casual profundity that makes a person wriggle with delight and think "I wish I'd said that first."

Cody Noline loses her beloved sister and soulmate to missionary work in Central America, finds herself having an existential crisis, and goes back to her childhood home of Grace, AZ, to hide out. She drifts into town, ostensibly to teach for a single year, but more than that to surround herself with her past.

I love Kingsolver's newer books, but they're heavier. Animal Dreams is light in the best sense of the word. It is populated with characters that you'd love to meet and is a story that makes you feel good about humanity. I wish these people were my neighbors.

While less a tour de force than "Poisonwood Bible", this is still a powerful and engaging novel about memory and family and coming to terms with reality.

Codi Noline returns to the sleepy mining town of Grace, Arizona, to care for her father, who is suffering from Alzheimer's disease. It is a bad time for her: disappointed in her personal life, she has closed down her emotions in defense against a heart that cares too easily. "I had quietly begun to hope for nothing at all in the way of love, so as not to be disappointed," she muses. In Grace, she finds friends, allies, and a love that endures. This strong second novel confirms the promise shown in The Bean Trees (LJ 2/1/88), a deserved critical and commercial success. Kingsolver's characters are winners, especially the women, who take charge of life without fuss or complaint. Her novel compares to those of Ann Tyler in its engaging people and message that is upbeat but realistic. Kingsolver's dedication to complex social and environmental causes enriches the story line. Highly recommended

Kingsolver does not disappoint in this book. Beautifully written, this book is about a young woman who has come back to her home town in the South West. I was concerned that the story lines concerning her sister and her father would be too sad (and I have a low tolerance for sad books), but they weren't. Environmental concerns are mentioned, but not overused. Gorgeous South West imagery, imaginative yet believable town, Native American themes, and a sweet love story. I loved it. More reminiscent of Bean Trees than the Poisonwood Bible for those who have read her other books.

Once again Barbara Kingsolver snags me into her writing and I can't stop until I reach the end. This mystery is full of twists and turns and just when you're pretty sure you've figured out where she is headed, she jumps in with something unexpected. I liked The Poinsonwood Bible because of the character development, but Animal Dreams is a close 2nd in my opinion.

I picked up this book because of the title. It was a good book, but it had nothing to do with the title. There were only a couple references to what a dog dreams about, other than that it was a story about a young woman who goes back to the town she grew up in. It was enjoyable reading even though it turned out to be completely different than what I expected.