Nabil Enayet Enayet itibaren 4242 Tischberg, Austria itibaren 4242 Tischberg, Austria

There is a rule—unspoken but self-apparent—about opening the review of a book by mentioning another review of the same book, but Molotov’s Magic Lantern demands that the rule be broken. Shortly after Rachel Polonsky’s book appeared in her native England, a vicious review was posted on Amazon.com by “Historian,” who gave Polonsky’s effort a blistering assessment: “This is the sort of book that makes you wonder why it was ever written ... Polonsky, it turns out, is not an academic, as claimed in the blurb, but the wife of a foreign lawyer. Read more...

Marietta leaves Kentucky, changes her name to Taylor, and winds up in Arizona having gained a little girl (Turtle) who was left in her car. She moves in with Lou Ann who has a brand new son (Dwayne Ray) and works for a tire change place run by Mattie. Taylor learns about being a mother and about illegal immigrants and their plight. Through all this, she learns how one organism helps another in the background, like Edna and Virgie, like Taylor and Turtle, like wisteria and rhizobia. Themes: motherhood, raising children, plants/vegetables, illegal immigration, Native Americans, Arizona weather and wildlife, symbiosis This was excellent. At first, it bounced back and forth between Lou Ann and Taylor, which I didn't care for, but once the two of them were together it stuck with Taylor's perspective and I realized that the back and forth had helped me get to know Lou Ann, so it worked out. I ached for Taylor to accept Turtle as her own throughout this and was terrified when Esperanza seemed to be 'taking' her. Kingsolver definitely created a real, human, flawed character that I cared a lot about. Turtle was adorable throughout.