In May, I listened to The Poisonwood Bible by Barbara Kingsolver. I don't know why I always fluffed that book aside--possibly because I'd heard it was "political," or maybe, shamefully, because it's so long and, even though I love to read, it seemed like too big of a commitment. I can't speak to any other of Kingsolver's books, but I found this one delightful. I loved this family, and yes, it was political, but not in an unpalatable way. The voice of each character was so strong, quirky, moving. I did think the book got a tad long a the end, but still it was an excellent listen.
And then, vacation came. Between the pre-vacation getting ready, the vacation itself (which didn't allow for much reading time) and the post-vacation laundry, I haven't read much. But I did read Cara Hoffman's Be Safe I Love You. This novel, about a returning female soldier, is amazing. It's beautifully written with characters easy to love and root for, even though they are real and humanly flawed. Lauren, battle-scarred and weary, returns home and tries to pretend everything is ok. Her father, brother, boyfriend, best friend, and others all try to do the same. Until they can't anymore. Hoffman does the almost impossible by keeping this novel from becoming over-sentimental. She has a very light touch, even with this very heavy issue. An excellent read.
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