A review by ovenbird_reads
The Republic Of Dirt by Susan Juby

3.0

I liked this, but not as much as the Woefield Poultry Collective. I think I got a bit upset by the portrayal of a mother in this story who is deeply depressed, unable to pursue her dreams, and as a result of these things, resentful and neglectful of her daughter. The woman is cast as a horrible and unfit mother by the book's protagonists and while she does do a number of questionable things I think my own experience with depression made me feel like there should have been more sympathy extended. This woman obviously needed serious help and wasn't receiving it. The emphasis was placed on neglect of the daughter, which was warranted, but it seems to me that the mother was also neglected and not given any chance to thrive or live well. Though this was only one aspect of the story it coloured my entire experience and made me a bit resistant to the book.