“This book turned me against Kingsolver due to her propensity toward glorification of the "noble savage" (which anyone should find offensive if they think about it) and sappy/sopping phrases such as "the bread the smells like love". I read this years ago and still haven't dislodged that horrible bit of schmalz from my brain.”
“I read this over 10 years ago and what I remember most is the young girl giving birth all by herself with no one to help her. This is a crazy world and that's the way it goes.”
“Kingsolver's perspective of the world is so real, albeit a bit bleak. Very inspiring. She is the counter-Ayn Rand. ”
“Unlike some of my other favorite writers, Kikngsolver has yet to disappoint, I started with Prodigal Summer, then went right thru Bean Trees, Pigs in Heaven, Animal Dreams and finally the Poisonwood Bible. Picking a favorite would be like choosing one child to love more than the next. Animal Dreams seems like a transition from her Southwest stories to her African masterpiece, and maybe suffered a little compared to Beans and Pigs, but there was so much I could identify with here and Barbara does have a way of pulling you deep into the story, maybe not a masterpiece, but certainly better than 99% of the stuff out there in todays new book market. My only knock on Barbara, like all my favorites, I wish she would write faster:)”
“ Joe3 Animal Dreams, May 8, 2007A Kid's ReviewAnimal Dreams was a good book that I could not put down once I started to read it. It is about two girls named Codi and Hallie who are sisters who live in Tuscan, Arizona. Hallie goes to Nicaragua to join a Communist regime and fight in a war. Codi then moves back to Grace, Arizona where she grew up to care for her father who has Alzheimer's, but people do not respect her there because her and her family is considered outsiders. Codi goes back to her hometown and she wants to become a biology teacher after she failed as a medical practitioner. Her mother at the beginning of the story has died and her personal life is in upheaval. Codi then lives with Emelina, a friend in Grace and she lives in the guesthouse. As she lives in the town the water supply starts to go bad and because of sulfuric acid and a club called The Stitch and Bitch starts to talk about the water and the men of Grace say something to the Environmental Protection Agency but they do not seem to concerned about the town of Grace since it is so small a town. Codi joins the Stitch and Bitch club and starts to get involved with the community as well. Hallie sadly dies in Nicaragua fighting for her communist cause and a service for her body is held and everyone in Grace attends.Well this made me cry. I am one of five daughters and we are all powerfully- fiercely independent. ”
