The Lacuna

 

The Lacuna by Barbara Kingsolver

Fiction

2009

Finished on May 1, 2026

Rating: 4.5/5 (Excellent)

Publisher's Blurb:

In her most accomplished novel, Barbara Kingsolver takes us on an epic journey from the Mexico City of artists Diego Rivera and Frida Kahlo to the America of Pearl Harbor, FDR, and J. Edgar Hoover. The Lacuna is a poignant story of a man pulled between two nations as they invent their modern identities.

Born in the United States, reared in a series of provisional households in Mexico—from a coastal island jungle to 1930s Mexico City—Harrison Shepherd finds precarious shelter but no sense of home on his thrilling odyssey. Life is whatever he learns from housekeepers who put him to work in the kitchen, errands he runs in the streets, and one fateful day, by mixing plaster for famed Mexican muralist Diego Rivera. He discovers a passion for Aztec history and meets the exotic, imperious artist Frida Kahlo, who will become his lifelong friend. When he goes to work for Lev Trotsky, an exiled political leader fighting for his life, Shepherd inadvertently casts his lot with art and revolution, newspaper headlines and howling gossip, and a risk of terrible violence.

Meanwhile, to the north, the United States will soon be caught up in the internationalist goodwill of World War II. There in the land of his birth, Shepherd believes he might remake himself in America's hopeful image and claim a voice of his own. He finds support from an unlikely kindred soul, his stenographer, Mrs. Brown, who will be far more valuable to her employer than he could ever know. Through darkening years, political winds continue to toss him between north and south in a plot that turns many times on the unspeakable breach—the lacuna—between truth and public presumption.

With deeply compelling characters, a vivid sense of place, and a clear grasp of how history and public opinion can shape a life, Barbara Kingsolver has created an unforgettable portrait of the artist—and of art itself. The Lacuna is a rich and daring work of literature, establishing its author as one of the most provocative and important of her time.

Wow. Why did I wait so long to read this remarkable story by one of my favorite authors? I was quickly pulled into Barabara Kingsolver's gorgeously written novel, filling my copy with dozens of Post-It flags. The first half of the book is quite a page-turner, and I enjoyed learning about Rivera and Kahlo's art, paintings with which I'm familiar from my art history studies. From journal entries to correspondences (to Frida), we have an intimate view of Harrison Shepherd's life from start to end. This immersive tale is filled with vivid settings, as well as realistic characters. One of the things I love about historical fiction is learning about a specific time period. Kingsolver touches on numerous points in our history from the 1930s to 1950s. This would have been a perfect 5-star read, but as I reached the three-quarter mark, it lost momentum and I struggled to stay awake for more than a few pages each night. The story regained my interest toward the end, and the finale was very satisfying.

Some favorite passages:

“Mr. Shepherd, ye cannot stop a bad thought from coming into your head. But ye need not pull up a chair and bide it sit down."

I should like to write my books only for the dear person who lies awake reading in bed until page last, then lets the open book fall gently on her face, to touch her smile or drink her tears.

The jacaranda in the courtyard has put on its bloom. This purple can't be ignored, it's like a tree singing. The walk down Londres Street to the market is a concert: the small jacaranda on the the corner hums the tuning note, then all others in the lane join in.

When Cortés’s men first arrived here, they asked in Spanish, “What is the name of this place?” From the native Mayans they received the same answer every time: “Yucatán!” In their language that word means: “I do not understand you.”

His mother had let him carry two valises: one for books, one for clothes. The clothes were a waste, outgrown instantly. He should have filled both with books. 

Algebra, a language spoken on the moon. For a boy with no plans to go there. 

If you're a Kingsolver fan and you haven't read The Lacuna, don't wait another moment. This one's a gem, and one that I will read again.

Highly recommend.