The Lacuna

By: Barbara Kingsolver

Narrated by: Barbara Kingsolver

Length: 19 hrs and 14 mins

Publisher's summary

From the Mexico City of Frida Kahlo to the America of J. Edgar Hoover, The Lacuna tells the poignant story of a man pulled between two nations.

Born in the United States, but reared in Mexico, Harrison Shepherd finds precarious shelter but no sense of home on his thrilling odyssey. Life is whatever he learns from housekeepers and, one fateful day, by mixing plaster for famed muralist Diego Rivera. When he goes to work for Rivera, his wife, exotic artist Kahlo, and exiled leader Lev Trotsky, Shepherd inadvertently casts his lot with art and revolution.

Meanwhile, the United States has embraced the internationalist goodwill of World War II. Back in the land of his birth, Shepherd seeks to remake himself in America's hopeful image and claim a voice of his own. But political winds continue to toss him between north and south in a plot that turns many times on the unspeakable breach - the lacuna - between truth and public presumption.

©2009 Barbara Kingsolver (P)2009 HarperCollins Publishers

Always the most wonderous English

It is such a pleasure to hear English spoken with such flavor and colorful delight. Complicated and enticing.

Another Disappointing Narration

Before writing this review I looked over what others have written. I concur with the numerous negative comments on Ms Kingsolver's narration of this story. The only reason I am writing this review is to point out that she has always narrated her own books. In the past her gentle, new-age voice has been appropriate. It was perfect for Prodigal Summer and was part of that book's charm for me. In this case is was just dreadful. I think that the book was good enough that someone should re-record it.
The only other negative comment I have is that it was a bit didactic. Sometimes it stopped being a story and turned into a straight-up history lecture. I happen to be very familiar with the events of this era having lived through them in a conscious state. Otherwise I might have found them as shocking as did Ms Kingsolver. The three stars I have given this book is for its content. The narration is -1.

A Fascinating Journey

This is a memorable tale surrounding the real events in the world that led to the witch hunts of the McCarthy investigations. It is reminder of what happens when governments use fear to strip citizens of their privacy and their constitutional rights.
Barbara Kingsolver's reading adds to the book. In my opinion, if you like her writing, you'll like her reading.

Stick to writing please

I love Barbara Kingsolver's novels, and I enjoyed this one a great deal. I liked the part set in Mexico much more. The Ashville part was slow not nearly as compelling.

What I did NOT like was the narrator. It was excruciating to listen to. I did not realize it was Barabara Kingsolver until just now (weeks after finishing the book). I had to buy it and read it because I could not bare the narration.

I feel badly about criticizing such a wonderful writer but, really, let the audio people have their jobs! Let the pros do it. I have heard from fabulous narrators on audible.com.

WELL DONE

I knew little about this time, and it came alive for me. A solid story with good writing. I have long been a fan of Barbara Kingsolver.

Terrible performance

I wanted to finish this book, but the reader was so juvenile and vanilla, I simply couldn’t do it.

Mesmerizing...

Learned a lot about Mexican artists Diego Rivera and Frida Kahlo, and the world and political climate from approx. 1925 to 1950. This long story but it was satisfying to finish it.

Another Kingsolver Treat

Would you consider the audio edition of The Lacuna to be better than the print version?

Books are always the best way to go. I use audiobooks to help keep me alert on the road - works better than coffee.

Who was your favorite character and why?

Ms. Brown was my favorite character. Although she was a sweet person full of integrity, I enjoyed the way she expressed her inner struggles with her integrity and her passion.

Which character – as performed by Barbara Kingsolver – was your favorite?

Frieda (as performed by Barbara Kingsolver) was my favorite character performance. I am now even more amazed at the talent of Ms. Kingsolver. Her character performances were spot on - but the character of Frieda was by far the best.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

I would always prefer to listen to or read a book in one sitting however I am usually limited by my humanity or schedule to a few hours at a time.

Any additional comments?

Ms Kingsolver is one of my all-time favorite authors and this story (and performance / narration) solidifies that opinion even more.

Good story but poor narration

I enjoyed the storyline of this book. My only complaint is that Barbara Kingsolver does the narration. This book needed a professional narrator. There are too many characters and a variety of accents that she did not do well. It was hard to listen to and I wish I would have just read it. Audible should re-record this book.

Lacuna

Kingsolver has woven a wonderful story about a man caught up in a horrible moment in American history linked to such historical figures as Frida Kahlo, Diego Rivera, and Leon Trotsky. The lacuna informs and engages the reader in the hidden story of the Mexican-American writer and the simple woman who loves him and who he comes to love. Very much worth the read and the listen.