Russell constructed a novel underpinned by an elaborate embroidery of social, geological, historical, and environmental research on the impact of American Western expansion ... She effortlessly weaves in other characters whose unique gifts shed light on the lacunae of history ... If this sounds like a dense novel, you’re only halfway right. The book is threaded with more subplots and histories as well as characters than I can elaborate upon here. However, her sharp narrative grasp guides the reader from character to character as the book unfolds. Russell’s vivid characters retain an element of mystery, which speaks to the novel’s larger point.
A tempest of a tale ... This story is dazzlingly original and ambitious ... Pumped full of just enough magic to make it rise without bursting the bubble of our credulity ... The scale here is large ... Across the vast canvas of this novel, Russell aims for nothing less than a consideration of the role that intentional amnesia plays in American history and American life. To embark on the adventure of reading The Antidote is to place yourself under the enchanting and challenging care of a writer who is guilty of actual witchcraft.
Blends speculative and fantasy elements with rich language and vivid characters in an effort not to escape reality but to comment even more thoughtfully on it ... Submerges the reader in these characters’ inner lives and histories through short, dense chapters that alternate between their perspectives. Russell’s lyrical writing dazzles on every page ... Russell’s ambitious and exciting novel, like all good historical fiction, makes a powerful case for never forgetting. Erasure is a form of combat, but so is remembering.
