PositiveThe CommonThe work’s long gestation is evident in its dexterous language and distilled wisdom ... The result is a fluid point of view that ho[m]es in on a character’s most intimate thoughts one moment and pans out to drone-like vistas the next. Like Morrison in Beloved, Saunders pulls back to panoramic historical refrains that add context. The narration functions as an offstage voice unobtrusively directing the reader’s attention ... jumps in time, which occur throughout the novel, are often illuminating, but several...feel out of step with the book’s subtlety ... We leave this tender and arresting novel asking ourselves where the cruelty of the sort depicted in \'The Lottery\' exists in our lives, and whom we have sacrificed in pursuit of a better harvest.
