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otherthanme 's review for:
A Children's Bible
by Lydia Millet
Published in April 2020, Lydia Millet's novel, A Children's Bible may have slipped under the radar because of all that was going on in the real world. In her fictional world, circumstances have reached biblical proportions: floods, fires, famine, and sickness - so maybe it's not so fictional after all. Additionally, the personifications and actions of the characters have their parallels in familiar bible stories: prodigal daughters, prophets, angels, sinners, and saviors are just a few examples.
The novel opens with a group of families vacationing together in a lake home. Teenager Eve narrates as she, along with her extraordinary and equally mature peers, seek to rebuild their own "Garden of Eden" while the world around them dissolves into a maelstrom. The children's generalization of their parents is rooted in the recent "OK Boomer" meme. In their eyes, the adult's ongoing selfish, thoughtless, and apathetic behavior, or lack thereof, has adversely impacted environmental, economic, and social stability and the consequences are now being reaped. In the center of the storm is Jack, Eve's young brother, who decodes a children's bible and imparts a true out-of-the-mouth-of-babes revelation. The fact that the children's bible has been passed on to Jack by a parent suggests that we already have the tools to help ourselves, we may just need to consider a fresher perspective.
Lydia Millet has written numerous fantasy, science fiction, and apocalyptic fiction novels as well as short stories for all ages. But, even if these are not genres you typical are drawn to, don't let that keep you from picking up this book. A Children's Bible reads more like a forward to an apocalyptic fiction; answering how it was in the early days and how it all began. Millet conveys her message with offbeat, stylistic writing that lends itself to the bleak, dreamy, atmospheric tone of the story much like Cormac McCarthy and Delia Owens.
Perhaps “A Children's Bible” was overlooked while we stayed at home because it actually hits a little too close to home - but you should add it to your TBR now.
The novel opens with a group of families vacationing together in a lake home. Teenager Eve narrates as she, along with her extraordinary and equally mature peers, seek to rebuild their own "Garden of Eden" while the world around them dissolves into a maelstrom. The children's generalization of their parents is rooted in the recent "OK Boomer" meme. In their eyes, the adult's ongoing selfish, thoughtless, and apathetic behavior, or lack thereof, has adversely impacted environmental, economic, and social stability and the consequences are now being reaped. In the center of the storm is Jack, Eve's young brother, who decodes a children's bible and imparts a true out-of-the-mouth-of-babes revelation. The fact that the children's bible has been passed on to Jack by a parent suggests that we already have the tools to help ourselves, we may just need to consider a fresher perspective.
Lydia Millet has written numerous fantasy, science fiction, and apocalyptic fiction novels as well as short stories for all ages. But, even if these are not genres you typical are drawn to, don't let that keep you from picking up this book. A Children's Bible reads more like a forward to an apocalyptic fiction; answering how it was in the early days and how it all began. Millet conveys her message with offbeat, stylistic writing that lends itself to the bleak, dreamy, atmospheric tone of the story much like Cormac McCarthy and Delia Owens.
Perhaps “A Children's Bible” was overlooked while we stayed at home because it actually hits a little too close to home - but you should add it to your TBR now.