Unsheltered by Barbara Kingsolver

Just like our country, the house that stands at the center of Barbara Kingsolver’s new novel Unsheltered, feels like it is on the verge of collapse. Though Kingsolver does not mention any specific names, her novel explores the deleterious effects of shortsighted social policies and the belief that scientific facts are malleable and partisan. Her novel is complex, rich and frightening, yet leaves her readers with shreds of hope. 

Unsheltered is the tale of two families living 150 years apart in the same spot: the corner of Sixth and Plum in Vineland, New Jersey. Willa Knox, her husband, two kids and her xenophobic, dying father-in-law have played by the rules and are struggling in the midst of the 2016 presidential election. Willa is a journalist whose magazine has folded. Her husband is a college professor whose college has gone bankrupt.  Her son has $100,000 of debt from Harvard Business School and her daughter has just returned from Cuba extolling the virtues of a socialist system that provides shelter, health care and education for its people.  Meanwhile, Willa relentlessly navigates our convoluted health care system to ease her conservative father-in-law Nick’s pain. Nick embraces candidate Trump “because rich white guys are supposed to be running the world.” He doesn’t understand “how black and brown people get to have nice stuff, be in charge of things? Or women, God forbid. When Nick didn’t get his turn yet?” Desperate for a way out of their financial crisis, Willa researches their eligibility for grants under a historic home preservation program. 

In 1861, Charles Landis was a famous real estate mogul who bought 20,000 acres for $500 in Vineland, New Jersey. Seeking to create his version of a utopian community, Landis required all residents to abide by his rules. Kingsolver notes the parallels between the life of our current leader and Charles Landis. (Landis did, in fact, shoot someone and suffered no consequences!) 

During the 1870s, Thatcher Greenwood, a Vineland science teacher, his wife, two daughters and mother-in-law lived in the house at 6^thand Plum. They, too, lacked the resources to maintain their house.  The dominant political issue of their time is the controversial teachings of Charles Darwin. Greenwood understands science and is in awe of Darwin’s discoveries. He befriends his neighbor, scientist and historical figure Mary Treat who corresponds with Darwin and other scientists of that time. Landis disdains Darwin and believes that God directs the lives of human beings.Fearing the wrath of Landis and the Vineland community, Greenwood simply teaches his students the concept of evolution without mentioning Darwin. Community outrage is imminent. 

Both families live during times when corrosive and divisive rhetoric permeate their communities. In the 1870s, Darwin deniers were vociferous and vicious. In our time climate change deniers are similar. Darwin’s theories were proven to be accurate. The facts of climate change have been scientifically verified.  Yet, many of our current political leaders will not accept this paradigm shift. Kingsolver offers reasons why people embrace a president whose vision is narrow and self-serving. “When men fear is the loss of what they know, they will follow any tyrant who promises to restore the old order.” 

Kingsolver’s novel is ambitious, probably too ambitious. Only a writer of her skill could juggle so many topics, themes and characters. Yet, the characters (especially Willa Knox and her family) feel didactic and one-dimensional. Each character’s role is to illuminate one failing component of our current social policy. 

Though the book is a denunciation of our political discourse and draconian public policies, it is also a humane account of hardworking people who adhere to the rules and are still failed by their government. Though these are difficult times, Unshelteredreminds us that America has endured uninformed self-serving leadership before and, with some luck, we will again.