THE NEW NOVEL FROM ORANGE PRIZE WINNER AND INTERNATIONAL BESTSELLER BARBARA KINGSOLVER

2016 Vineland Meet Willa Knox, a woman who stands braced against an upended world that seems to hold no mercy for her shattered life and family - or the crumbling house that contains her.

1871 Vineland Thatcher Greenwood, the new science teacher, is a fervent advocate of the work of Charles Darwin, and he is keen to communicate his ideas to his students. But those in power in Thatcher's small town have no desire for a new world order. Thatcher and his teachings are not welcome.

Both Willa and Thatcher resist the prevailing logic. Both are asked to pay a high price for their courage. But both also find inspiration -- and an unlikely kindred spirit -- in Mary Treat, a scientist, adventurer and anachronism.

A testament to both the resilience and persistent myopia of the human condition, Unsheltered explores the foundations we build in life, spanning time and place to give us all a clearer look at those around us, and perhaps ourselves. It is a novel that speaks truly to our times.


'Unsheltered is a beautiful, stirring novel about the dangers of clinging to old assumptions . . . Kingsolver emerges as a sort of Steinbeck of the precariat, and she may have produced the first great political novel of the Trump era.' (The Times)

Kingsolver's meticulously observed, elegantly structured novel unites social commentary with gripping storytelling.Containing both a rich story and a provocative depiction of times that shake the shelter of familiar beliefs, this novel shows Kingsolver at the top of her game. (Publishers Weekly (Starred review))

Unsheltered might just be Barbara Kingsolver's greatest novel since her bestselling Poisonwood Bible. (VOGUE)

It's a truly marvellous book . . . Kingsolver has always had a singular ability to weave history, science and storytelling into a seamless and compelling whole . . . What is wonderful about Kingsolver's work is her ability to convey optimism in even the most difficult situations - without ever sugar-coating anything . . . Kingsolver is a writer to treasure, to read and reread: she sees the world as it is, but believes, always, in the possibility of change. (Erica Wagner Harper's Bazaar)

'Kingsolver's power lies in her ability to expound big ideas without losing sight of life's pulsing minutiae . . . a wise message for turbulent times.' (Sunday Times)

As always, Kingsolver gives readers plenty to think about. Her warm humanism coupled with an unabashed point of view make her a fine 21st-century exponent of the honorable tradition of politically engaged fiction. (Kirkus (Starred review))

'Her gift for creating engaging, flesh-and-blood characters means she's produced some of the best-loved books of the past 20 years . . . a distinctly uncosy snapshot of everyday middle-class life, vibrant with domestic nitty-gritty.' (Metro)

A warm, absorbing novel about survival in the face of change. (Woman & Home)

Exceptionally involving and rewarding.There is much to delight in and think about while reveling in Kingsolver's vital characters, quicksilver dialogue, intimate moments, dramatic showdowns, and lushly realized milieus.An enveloping, tender, witty, and awakening novel of love and trauma, family and survival, moral dilemmas and intellectual challenges. (Booklist (Starred review))

It's hard not to leave Unsheltered without questioning our own expectations and why we're so afraid to amend them. (Buzzfeed, The Best Books of Fall 2018)