A review by rebeccatc
The Lacuna by Barbara Kingsolver

4.0

This novel is presented as a series of journal entries by the fictional character Harrison William Shepherd. It begins during his childhood in Mexico in the 1930's and continues through his brief time in an American military academy through his adventures as a cook/secretary for the artist Diego Rivera, his wife Frida Kahlo, and their houseguest, Leon Trotsky. The second half of the book finds Shepherd living as a reclusive author in postwar Asheville, North Carolina. It took awhile for me to get used to the style, but once it took off I thought the story was engaging and the protagonist's struggles were very moving. While the settings, real life historical figures and political turmoil he encounters are epic, Shepherd's story is actually a very personal one in which he battles loneliness, anxiety, and fear while recounting the experience with wit and humor.