Lauren O. (LoMel) - , reviewed on 12/30/2014 + 134 more book reviews

Helpful Score: 6

As an academic in the social sciences, this book grabbed me in a way it might not others, but wow did it hang on tight. I absolutely tore through it, got to the end, and wanted to start all over again. Beautifully written. The academic side of anthropology isn't given the main focus in this story but is weaved throughout, and I loved the thoughts on subjectivity and the role of the anthropologist instead of just the typical "academics in the jungle" story I feel we usually get. Focusing more on the characters also allows the story to skirt some of the more questionable ethical aspects of anthropological field work; I'd like to see a discussion of those issues more in literature, but as more of a character study this probably wasn't the best place for it. This book really surprised me; it's highly deserving of all the end-of-year praise it's receiving.

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