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A Thousand Acresby Jane Smiley |
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: ****