Barbara Kingsolver racked up much critical and commercial success with the wildly entertaining ‘Demon Copperhead’, a novel which gave voice to the under-represented denizens of America. Her latest, once again, is set in rural Appalachia and centres on Livia, a young woman unmoored by both the tragic death of her older brother, and the sundry cruelties of her mother—who is not averse to handing out a whupping. Livia finds sanctuary in music, and her talents on the piano earn her a college scholarship. The narrative flits neatly between Livia’s life now—where she works her familial farm—and her college years, where she falls in love with a young man heavily invested in left-wing politics who is given to quoting Marx. A wholly involving tale, the novel moves beyond a mere coming-of-age story to explore how working-class communities are often alienated from the arts, wrapping these ideas inside a nuanced love story about hope, loss, regret, and acceptance. RM

Published by Faber