PositiveThe Chicago TribuneKingsolver brings historical and imagined characters together in the 1930s and 40s Mexico and the United States in an attempt to achieve social, political and creative freedom … Though Shepherd attempts to remain a mute household servant who responds only in his journals, he increasingly becomes drawn into conversations with Kahlo. These disarming repartees, both playful and heartbreaking, are the soul of the novel … Politics and art dominate the novel, and their overt, unapologetic connection is refreshing … Though The Lacuna makes wide turns and detours at times, occasionally causing the reader to wish for GPS, Kingsolver’s careful plotting usually comes to the rescue.
