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A review by katmackie
Lost Children Archive by Valeria Luiselli
4.0
Smart and contemporary, Lost Children Archive is an unconventional Great American Road Trip novel with sobering originality.
Though it starts with a marriage and a family, Lost Children Archive evolves beyond the marital. Each person in the car has packed a box of belongings. Well, the adults (at first). The narrator becomes deeply interested in helping a woman back in New York find her missing refugee daughters. As they drive deeper into the south, her own children become braided into her desire to help. The story really evolves around the objects in the boxes in subtle and major ways. Luiselli has woven these influences into the story in a powerful but complicated way. This was not an easy read for me, but it was extremely captivating and original.
The story climaxes with a powerful single-sentence chapter with stunning perspective changes and intense imagery. In fact, this portion set the story over the top for me despite some of its faults. Luiselli continues to publish unique and inspiring books and I look forward to what she does next.
Though it starts with a marriage and a family, Lost Children Archive evolves beyond the marital. Each person in the car has packed a box of belongings. Well, the adults (at first). The narrator becomes deeply interested in helping a woman back in New York find her missing refugee daughters. As they drive deeper into the south, her own children become braided into her desire to help. The story really evolves around the objects in the boxes in subtle and major ways. Luiselli has woven these influences into the story in a powerful but complicated way. This was not an easy read for me, but it was extremely captivating and original.
The story climaxes with a powerful single-sentence chapter with stunning perspective changes and intense imagery. In fact, this portion set the story over the top for me despite some of its faults. Luiselli continues to publish unique and inspiring books and I look forward to what she does next.