51 pages • 1 hour read
The Lacuna
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Summary and Study Guide
Overview
The Lacuna (2009) is Barbara Kingsolver’s sixth novel. This work of historical fiction was a New York Times bestseller and winner of the 2010 Women’s Prize for Fiction. The novel traces the life of Mexican American Harrison Shepherd from the 1920s to the 1950s. The son of a dissolute flapper who chases rich men, Shepherd begins to make his way by landing a job working for the famous Mexican visual artists Frida Kahlo and Diego Rivera and later Communist leader Leon Trotsky. After Trotsky’s assassination, Shepherd moves to Asheville, North Carolina, where he becomes a celebrated novelist of potboiler historical fiction novels about ancient and early modern Mexico. When the Communist ties of his youth come to light during the Red Scare, Shepherd finds himself at the center of controversy.
Kingsolver is the author of several bestselling novels, including award-winning historical fiction The Poisonwood Bible (1998). She often sets her books in her home region of Appalachia, such as her 2012 novel Flight Behavior. The Lacuna explores themes of The Complex Relationship Between Art and Politics, The Role of the Media in Shaping Public Perception and Creating Panic, and Unlock all 51 pages of this Study Guide Plus, gain access to 8,900+ more expert-written Study Guides. Including features:
Related Titles
By Barbara Kingsolver
