Helpful Score: 9
While less a tour de force than "Poisonwood Bible", this is still a powerful and engaging novel about memory and family and coming to terms with reality.
Helpful Score: 9
I love all things Kingsolver and this was no exception. It's written in that style of her earlier stuff (The Bean Trees and Pigs in Heaven)...great dialogue, memorable characters and the kind of casual profundity that makes a person wriggle with delight and think "I wish I'd said that first."
Cody Noline loses her beloved sister and soulmate to missionary work in Central America, finds herself having an existential crisis, and goes back to her childhood home of Grace, AZ, to hide out. She drifts into town, ostensibly to teach for a single year, but more than that to surround herself with her past.
I love Kingsolver's newer books, but they're heavier. Animal Dreams is light in the best sense of the word. It is populated with characters that you'd love to meet and is a story that makes you feel good about humanity. I wish these people were my neighbors.
Cody Noline loses her beloved sister and soulmate to missionary work in Central America, finds herself having an existential crisis, and goes back to her childhood home of Grace, AZ, to hide out. She drifts into town, ostensibly to teach for a single year, but more than that to surround herself with her past.
I love Kingsolver's newer books, but they're heavier. Animal Dreams is light in the best sense of the word. It is populated with characters that you'd love to meet and is a story that makes you feel good about humanity. I wish these people were my neighbors.
Helpful Score: 5
Codi Noline returns to the sleepy mining town of Grace, Arizona, to care for her father, who is suffering from Alzheimer's disease. It is a bad time for her: disappointed in her personal life, she has closed down her emotions in defense against a heart that cares too easily. "I had quietly begun to hope for nothing at all in the way of love, so as not to be disappointed," she muses. In Grace, she finds friends, allies, and a love that endures. This strong second novel confirms the promise shown in The Bean Trees (LJ 2/1/88), a deserved critical and commercial success. Kingsolver's characters are winners, especially the women, who take charge of life without fuss or complaint. Her novel compares to those of Ann Tyler in its engaging people and message that is upbeat but realistic. Kingsolver's dedication to complex social and environmental causes enriches the story line. Highly recommended
Helpful Score: 3
I loved Poisonwood Bible and Prodigal Summer but this book really did not do much for me. I didn't really get into the characters or the story at all.
Helpful Score: 2
After a while Barbara Kingsolver's books seem to all read alike. This happened to be the fourth of her books that I read. Unfortunately, it had nothing new.
Helpful Score: 1
It is an engaging story of a woman without hope finding her way back to life. Set in the Southwest.
Helpful Score: 1
Animal Dreams centers on the Noline family, father and two daughters, but especially is the story of daughter Cody Noline. Cody returns to her hometown after growing up and finally escaping only to find out the hard way that there is no escape from life. She longs to find the meaning and purpose in her life as her sister seems to have found, but she's repressing all her memories and waiting for someone else to figure it out and tell her about it.
Cody comes to terms with her life with a little help from hometown outsiders and this book's resolution is a bit more upbeat and positive than Poisonwood Bible, although Kingsolver's style is very similar in both books so if you enjoy reading her narrative, Animal Dreams will not disappoint.
Cody comes to terms with her life with a little help from hometown outsiders and this book's resolution is a bit more upbeat and positive than Poisonwood Bible, although Kingsolver's style is very similar in both books so if you enjoy reading her narrative, Animal Dreams will not disappoint.
Helpful Score: 1
Animal Dreams is a novel about so many things: the gulf of miscommunication between parents and children; love; grief; war; the environment; personal responsibility; finding one's way home.
Helpful Score: 1
I loved this book. Kingsolver does a great job in detailing her characters and going into such depth of study that you relate with them. An interesting study in family dynamics and how much we hide of ourselves from those we love, even as we think they see us so clearly.
Helpful Score: 1
Animal Dreams centers on the Noline family, father and two daughters, but especially is the story of daughter Cody Noline. Cody returns to her hometown after growing up and finally escaping only to find out the hard way that there is no escape from life. She longs to find the meaning and purpose in her life as her sister seems to have found, but she's repressing all her memories and waiting for someone else to figure it out and tell her about it.
Cody comes to terms with her life with a little help from hometown outsiders and this book's resolution is a bit more upbeat and positive than Poisonwood Bible, although Kingsolver's style is very similar in both books so if you enjoy reading her narrative, Animal Dreams will not disappoint.
Cody comes to terms with her life with a little help from hometown outsiders and this book's resolution is a bit more upbeat and positive than Poisonwood Bible, although Kingsolver's style is very similar in both books so if you enjoy reading her narrative, Animal Dreams will not disappoint.
Helpful Score: 1
Kingsolver does not disappoint in this book. Beautifully written, this book is about a young woman who has come back to her home town in the South West. I was concerned that the story lines concerning her sister and her father would be too sad (and I have a low tolerance for sad books), but they weren't. Environmental concerns are mentioned, but not overused. Gorgeous South West imagery, imaginative yet believable town, Native American themes, and a sweet love story. I loved it. More reminiscent of Bean Trees than the Poisonwood Bible for those who have read her other books.
Helpful Score: 1
As the book starts, I didn't think I'd like it; by page 50 I was engrossed in the characters and couldn't wait to read more. A great book.
Helpful Score: 1
Animal Dreams centers on the Noline family, father and two daughters, but especially is the story of daughter Cody Noline. Cody returns to her hometown after growing up and finally escaping only to find out the hard way that there is no escape from life. She longs to find the meaning and purpose in her life as her sister seems to have found, but she's repressing all her memories and waiting for someone else to figure it out and tell her about it.
Cody comes to terms with her life with a little help from hometown outsiders and this book's resolution is a bit more upbeat and positive than Poisonwood Bible, although Kingsolver's style is very similar in both books so if you enjoy reading her narrative, Animal Dreams will not disappoint.
Cody comes to terms with her life with a little help from hometown outsiders and this book's resolution is a bit more upbeat and positive than Poisonwood Bible, although Kingsolver's style is very similar in both books so if you enjoy reading her narrative, Animal Dreams will not disappoint.
Once again Barbara Kingsolver snags me into her writing and I can't stop until I reach the end. This mystery is full of twists and turns and just when you're pretty sure you've figured out where she is headed, she jumps in with something unexpected. I liked The Poinsonwood Bible because of the character development, but Animal Dreams is a close 2nd in my opinion.
Own and loved it.
This book was kinda slow, but a good book.
This was a novel about many different things that goes on during life. If you were to really sit down and read this novel, you'd realize that the whole coming together of everything that happens here is just for one purpose. There is alot of Native American legends written within this novel and i personally found this book quite lovely and very intersting. Worth the time i spent with it.
A wonderful book. I have read it more than 3 times.
This was a good story and I liked how the author went from past memories to the future and tied them together.I really enjoyed many of the lines in the story that rang true. The writing was very good.
This author creates really deep characters. It was very thought provoking. I enjoyed it!
Animal Dreams centers on the Noline family, father and two daughters, but especially is the story of daughter Cody Noline. Cody returns to her hometown after growing up and finally escaping only to find out the hard way that there is no escape from life. She longs to find the meaning and purpose in her life as her sister seems to have found, but she's repressing all her memories and waiting for someone else to figure it out and tell her about it.
Cody comes to terms with her life with a little help from hometown outsiders and this book's resolution is a bit more upbeat and positive than Poisonwood Bible, although Kingsolver's style is very similar in both books so if you enjoy reading her narrative, Animal Dreams will not disappoint.
Cody comes to terms with her life with a little help from hometown outsiders and this book's resolution is a bit more upbeat and positive than Poisonwood Bible, although Kingsolver's style is very similar in both books so if you enjoy reading her narrative, Animal Dreams will not disappoint.
Animal Dreams centers on the Noline family, father and two daughters, but especially is the story of daughter Cody Noline. Cody returns to her hometown after growing up and finally escaping only to find out the hard way that there is no escape from life. She longs to find the meaning and purpose in her life as her sister seems to have found, but she's repressing all her memories and waiting for someone else to figure it out and tell her about it.
Cody comes to terms with her life with a little help from hometown outsiders and this book's resolution is a bit more upbeat and positive than Poisonwood Bible, although Kingsolver's style is very similar in both books so if you enjoy reading her narrative, Animal Dreams will not disappoint.
Cody comes to terms with her life with a little help from hometown outsiders and this book's resolution is a bit more upbeat and positive than Poisonwood Bible, although Kingsolver's style is very similar in both books so if you enjoy reading her narrative, Animal Dreams will not disappoint.
I picked up this book because of the title. It was a good book, but it had nothing to do with the title. There were only a couple references to what a dog dreams about, other than that it was a story about a young woman who goes back to the town she grew up in. It was enjoyable reading even though it turned out to be completely different than what I expected.
Animal Dreams centers on the Noline family, father and two daughters, but especially is the story of daughter Cody Noline. Cody returns to her hometown after growing up and finally escaping only to find out the hard way that there is no escape from life. She longs to find the meaning and purpose in her life as her sister seems to have found, but she's repressing all her memories and waiting for someone else to figure it out and tell her about it.
Cody comes to terms with her life with a little help from hometown outsiders and this book's resolution is a bit more upbeat and positive than Poisonwood Bible, although Kingsolver's style is very similar in both books so if you enjoy reading her narrative, Animal Dreams will not disappoint.
Cody comes to terms with her life with a little help from hometown outsiders and this book's resolution is a bit more upbeat and positive than Poisonwood Bible, although Kingsolver's style is very similar in both books so if you enjoy reading her narrative, Animal Dreams will not disappoint.
Animal Dreams centers on the Noline family, father and two daughters, but especially is the story of daughter Cody Noline. Cody returns to her hometown after growing up and finally escaping only to find out the hard way that there is no escape from life. She longs to find the meaning and purpose in her life as her sister seems to have found, but she's repressing all her memories and waiting for someone else to figure it out and tell her about it.
Cody comes to terms with her life with a little help from hometown outsiders and this book's resolution is a bit more upbeat and positive than Poisonwood Bible, although Kingsolver's style is very similar in both books so if you enjoy reading her narrative, Animal Dreams will not disappoint.
Cody comes to terms with her life with a little help from hometown outsiders and this book's resolution is a bit more upbeat and positive than Poisonwood Bible, although Kingsolver's style is very similar in both books so if you enjoy reading her narrative, Animal Dreams will not disappoint.
I love Kingsolver's gift at conveying the landscape and ecosystem at the same time as she weaves a human story.
I love Barbara Kingsolver and was hoping to love this book but I only liked it. I liked some of the ironies of the book and the characters were likebale but I found myself skimming it to get through it quicker.
"Animals dream about the thins they do in the daytime, just like people do. If you want sweet dreams, you've got to live a sweet life." So says Loyd Peregrina, a handsome Apache trainman and latter-day philosopher. But when Codi Noline returns to her hometown, Loyd's advice is painfully out of her reach. Dreamless and at the end of her rope, Codi comes back to Grace, Arizona, to confront her past and face her ailing, distant father. What she finds is a town threatened by a silent environmental catastrophe, some startling clues to her own identity, and a man whose view of the world could change the course of her life. Blending flashbacks, dreams, and Native American legends, Animal Dreams is a suspenseful love story and a moving exploration of life's largest commitments. With this work, the acclaimed author of The Bean Trees and Homeland and Other Stories sustains her familiar voice while giving readers her most remarkable book yet.
Excellent tale with interesting characters that I really grew to love. Love this author's fiction work. Barbara's tales are set in magical locations in the American Southwest, but characters take us on adventures way beyond. An uplifting and beautiful story. Recommend!
4 out of 5. I liked it enough to re-read it. Intriguing story line with political background.
I love Barbara Kingsolver's books. This is a book full of pain and love.
Great book. Has a lot to say about how we treat our world.
This was my second read by Kingsolver and it made me want to read more!
If you've read any of Barbara Kingsolver's books, you'll enjoy this one as well. A story of a search for family, friendship, and meaning of life. A good read.
Animal Dreams centers on the Noline family, father and two daughters, but especially is the story of daughter Cody Noline. Cody returns to her hometown after growing up and finally escaping only to find out the hard way that there is no escape from life. She longs to find the meaning and purpose in her life as her sister seems to have found, but she's repressing all her memories and waiting for someone else to figure it out and tell her about it.
Cody comes to terms with her life with a little help from hometown outsiders and this book's resolution is a bit more upbeat and positive than Poisonwood Bible, although Kingsolver's style is very similar in both books so if you enjoy reading her narrative, Animal Dreams will not disappoint.
Cody comes to terms with her life with a little help from hometown outsiders and this book's resolution is a bit more upbeat and positive than Poisonwood Bible, although Kingsolver's style is very similar in both books so if you enjoy reading her narrative, Animal Dreams will not disappoint.
Interesting read.
Codi Nolina is a young woman who knows no roots. She never felt like she belonged in the town in which she grew up. She never felt accepted. The only dates she had she felt were not deserved and when she became pregnant she concealed it as best she could. And, she told no one about the baby when she had a miscarriage.
The best thing about her life was her sister, Hallie, with whom she could share almost everything. When she could move away she did and entered medical school to be a doctor like her father. However, almost through that process she quit and began wandering. She lived many places including Crete.
When her father became sick she returned to that small town where she was born. A friend found Codi a job as a teacher. Of course, she had never been a teacher but she would try. Surprisingly, Codi was good at it. The students loved her unorthodox, honest and direct way of teaching. But, hey, it was only a one year contract after which she could leave. Right? Just one little hitch. She began dating the man who as an adolescent had impregnated her. She found an emotion that she wasn't sure was love. At least, this feeling wasn't enough to make her stay or was it?
The best thing about her life was her sister, Hallie, with whom she could share almost everything. When she could move away she did and entered medical school to be a doctor like her father. However, almost through that process she quit and began wandering. She lived many places including Crete.
When her father became sick she returned to that small town where she was born. A friend found Codi a job as a teacher. Of course, she had never been a teacher but she would try. Surprisingly, Codi was good at it. The students loved her unorthodox, honest and direct way of teaching. But, hey, it was only a one year contract after which she could leave. Right? Just one little hitch. She began dating the man who as an adolescent had impregnated her. She found an emotion that she wasn't sure was love. At least, this feeling wasn't enough to make her stay or was it?
Barbara Kingsolver is a great storyteller! I love the characters, the places and situations, and the substantive insight and wisdom that is conveyed through her novels. The characters in this story deal with life situations and feelings we all deal with. So much insight into our own lives and those of the people we know is illuminated through this story. We all have dealt with: family secrets, issues growing up, escape from and return to our hometown, life purpose and calling, love in all its forms whether real, imagined, or superficial, political, economic, and social powers overwhelmingly large, yet still conquerable. This is a wonderful story with 3D characters to care about and love, with many twists and turns, and in the end, leaving us with HOPE.
One of Ms. Kingsolver's earlier, but very good book
Good book
This book, by the author of THE BEAN TREES, just grabs you and doesn't let you go.
"Animals dream about the things they do in the daytime, just like people do. If you want sweet dreams, you've got to live a sweet life." So says Loyd Peregrina, a handsome Apache trainman and latter-day philosopher. But when Cody Noline returns to her hometown, Loyd's advice is painfully out of her reach. Dreamless and at the end of her rope, Codi returns to Grace, Arizona, to confront her past and face her ailing, distant father.
"Animals dream about the things they do in the daytime, just like people do. If you want sweet dreams, you've got to live a sweet life." So says Loyd Peregrina, a handsome Apache trainman and latter-day philosopher. But when Cody Noline returns to her hometown, Loyd's advice is painfully out of her reach. Dreamless and at the end of her rope, Codi returns to Grace, Arizona, to confront her past and face her ailing, distant father.
"Animals dream about the things they do in the daytime, just like people do. If the want sweet dreams, you've got to live a sweet life." So says Loyd Peregrina, a handsome Apache trainman and letter-day philosopher. But when Codi Noline returns to her hometown, Loyd's advice is painfully out of her reach. Dreamless and at the end of her rope, Codi comes back to Grace, Arizona, to confront her past and face her ailing, distant father.What she finds is a town threatened by a silent evnironmentalal catastrophe, some startling clues to her own identity, and a man whose view of the world could change the course of her life.
I have never read this book so I can't provide a review of the content, but I did immensely enjoy "Prodigal Summer," which was also written by Barbara Kingsolver.
after reading this, i tried to read all the books kingsolver had written, but that's been ages ago so can't honestly remember it.
Great book- somehow I ended up with 2 copies (??).
LOVE LOVE LOVE THIS BOOK!!!! This is the 1991 release. Still in awesome condition, the pages are just a bit yellowed.
