It is rare for me to read at night without falling asleep, but I was up until the wee hours last night reading The Antidote. This morning, my mind is reveling in new perceptions of history and human behavior – the connection between the trail of tears and the dust bowl; how
…more money makes evil comprehensible; the role of memory in conscience…
The Antidote informs through history and secrets revealed without being pedantic. Shifts between narrators are seamless and propel the storyline without disrupting it. History and philosophy are woven into edge-of-your-seat plots. There are villains and witches, miracles of nature, a magical camera, a sensate scarecrow and more. These devices appear so naturally in the story that they don't seem implausible: they are all part of prairie life.
Did I mention it is also very funny?
The best book I've read since North Woods. (less)
