Kathy Zinn

The Idea behind this book is wonderful: to depict the devastation of the lives of Appalachian people - especially young people, by a seemingly engineered drug crisis. To do it by alluding to Dickens' "David Copperfield" is brilliant. I was, however, diasappointed. Like "The Goldfinch" another book about an adolescent boy growing up in a modern day drug culture, (albeit a very different environment), and finding his way out, the book is way too long, by half. Towards the climax and ending, I found the writing stronger, and more focussed. And then, all of a sudden, everything gets wrapped up with a "happily ever after" bow. Kingsolver's characters are great. The story deserves to be told. But it gets a little too preachy and sociological ( and I am a social worker by training!) towards the end. Again, like "The Goldfinch", this needs to be a movie to cut down on its excesses and focus on the wonderful characters. I listened to the audio book. Several times I almost turned it off completely. But I persevered, as it had so much acclaim, and out of respect for the author. I am glad I did. However, I hope that, with good editing and actors, it becomes a great movie to better tell its important story.

Too long by half! Maybe even 2/3. 1st and last 100 pages were wonderful. But too much drugs and waaay too much Las Vegas! It sticks with me, however- I must admit. Wondering how she knows so much about furniture restoration, Las Vegas and Amsterdam. What was her motivation for writing this?

Very accessible and Frightening read! I hope that millions read it and learn that terrible dangrr we are approaching in our Democracy.

This is my 2nd time taking up this wonderful book. Despite its daunting length of almost 700 pages, it is extraordinarily well written, with compelling characters, most of them, historical. It describes the founding of " The Society of Friends", popularly called the "Quakers", in the 1600's in England, by George Fox and Margaret Fell. The story continues into colonial America, especially Philadelphia, an later into the Frontier of that time. What is most striking to me is the ongoing tension between the high ideals of George Fox to acknowledge "That of God" in everyone, and Margaret Fell's actual living out his theology in the real and often appalling human condition. This would make a wonderful and deeply moving movie. It deserves to be widely read.