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Title: Even better the second time
Review: I was probably too young to appreciate this novel the first time I read it. But I recently picked it up again after a pilgrimage of sorts through the astonishing beauty of the Southwest and its peoples, and found it to be, not only true to the setting, but achingly accurate in its portrayal of the protagonist's despair, struggle, and ultimate redemption. Readers who are tempted to abandon the book early on because they find Codi whiny, self-pitying, and insecure when she first returns to Grace should recognize that epiphany requires the illumination of initial darkness. Kingsolver's exquisite imagery and strong sense of social responsibility only enhance my appreciation of her unlikely heroine's journey to forgiveness, intimacy, and self-reliance.
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