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A Thousand Acresby Jane Smiley |
Judy Copek (01/16/12): Set on "A Thousand Acres" in Iowa,
Jane Smiley's novel really nails the farm community culture, with characters so
real you forget they're in a book. Surprises abound (I won't spoil them) in this
novel which can also be read as a modern day King Lear. Now I can't wait to read Smiley's other books.
Rating: ****
Jeanine Gooch: Jane Smiley's writing is smart,
honest and sometimes raw. In A Thousand Acres, Smiley tells the story of a family
farm suddenly offered for takeover by a cantankerous widower to his three daughters
and two sons-in-law who all have deep roots in farming in their hometown. That story
is merely the backdrop to the unwrapping of the three daughters' past. Their
childhood and upbringing consisted of a culture where they were reared to accept
life without question - a stark juxtaposition to their adulthood as they open old
wounds and discover some fresh ones in the process.
Rating: ****
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