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Oct 01, 2017ghreads rated this title 3 out of 5 stars
I usually read non-fiction – much of it about sustainability and climate change. I heard the author in an interview discussing the fact that many people who are climate-change-deniers can’t be persuaded by facts and science. She believed that by incorporating the message into a story there was a greater chance of convincing people of the reality. I read this book because I was curious to see how effective this strategy would be. The protagonist is a young woman, Dellarobia, trapped in a bleak marriage and a life of poverty, both material and intellectual, in Appalachia. She discovers a miracle of nature – masses of Monarch butterflies in the woods on her farm. These are butterflies that should normally be wintering in Mexico. This specific premise is fictional but is a plausible result of climate change. Much of the novel describes the dreary tedium of Dellarobia’s daily life. Interwoven, is the story of how the news of the butterflies gradually spreads, eventually attracting a famous scientist who specializes in studying the Monarch butterflies and the effects of climate change. Dellarobia works with the scientist and his team, learning about the reality of climate change, and experiencing the excitement of her broadening world. The book is well written but it felt to me rather contrived – that it was simply a vehicle for describing climate change and its effects and explaining the social and cultural reasons for people in areas such as rural Appalachia not accepting these facts. These aspects form only a relatively small portion of the book. The primary story is about Dellarobia and her awakening and growth. How successful is the author likely to be in achieving the goal of educating those who still deny the science? My guess is not very. If any of these people read such a book, they would likely regard it all as part of a fictional story. It is, however, worth the try – even if it results in only a few converts. I am finding it difficult to rate this book, possibly because I so seldom read novels. It is a nice story of a young woman who is brighter than those around her and whose intellect is gradually stimulated and freed. There is not a lot of action; many would find it slow-moving, especially in the first hundred pages. I will give it 3 stars.