Unsheltered is about having a secure place to live; the physical and psychological comfort that can provide, and the psychological distress that arises when your home is unsafe and worth next to nothing financially.
”Without shelter, we stand in daylight. Without shelter, we feel ourselves likely to die.”
Willa Knox, living in modern America with her extended family in an inherited, ramshackle house that needs demolishing, is permanently stressed. Her very ill and very objectionable father-in-law lives with Willa and her husband, plus her strong willed, judgemental daughter and the infant child of their son, whose mother has recently committed suicide. Willa frets about keeping them all sheltered, physically and emotionally, while gallantly attempting to keep things in perspective;
“Her heartbreak was.. [for the] fact that taking all the right turns had led her family to the wrong place, moneyless and a few storms away from homelessness. Also, the fact that she couldn’t legitimately feel this sorry for herself while carrying a Gucci diaper bag. Probably made by Asian children more moneyless and homeless than herself…”
In the novel’s other storyline it’s 1871, and science teacher Thatcher Greenwood lives in the same house. He also feels the shame of being an inadequate provider, unable to afford necessary repairs to the house he lives in with his lovely, thoughtless wife or the things she feels she needs to reflect her standing in society. He struggles with the conservatism of their home town but finds a kindred spirit in his next door neighbour, scientist Mary Treat.
The story set in 1871 is the less successful of the two threads. The platonic relationship between Treat and Thatcher is beautifully portrayed but the endless speeches about Darwinism versus religion fail to captivate, and the SPOILER ALERT murder -which should be shocking- fails to resonate.
The narrative of Willa Knox and the “heart enlargening earthquake” of her family life is far more compelling. Particularly impressive is the portrayal of Willa’s daughter, Tig, who has ‘the temperament of the fire eyed little shih tzu at the dog park that takes on the Rottweilers with zero sense of disadvantage.” Willa is simultaneously bewildered by Tig and in awe of her capabilities. Tig fixes cars, she knits, she does the hard and horrible bits of caring for her abrasive grandfather with dignity and good humour. The only person Tig is really hard on is her mother, and they share an uncomfortable dynamic. All of the family relationships are well drawn and believable, even if Willa’s adoration of her still-sexy husband does occasionally get a tad boring.
Willa’s terror and anxiety at the situation she and her family find themselves in – roofs collapsing, all the family camped in the one heated room during winter- speaks to us. There but for the grace of God go us all. The novel is a warning against the assumptions of middle class America (and Australia); your education and your long held belief that you and your children will be secure in your jobs and homes and lives will no longer protect you. We are all at risk of becoming unsheltered.
Kingsolver will forever be tagged with the line “author of The Poisonwood Bible”. Like the vast majority of people, I loved that book but nothing Kingsolver has written since has engaged me at all. Unsheltered does. Read it and worry.
