Barbara Kingsolver (1987)
Genre
Literary Fiction / Romance
Reading Time
360 min
Key Themes
See below
Sign in to track this book
A woman returns to her dying Arizona hometown, confronting a distant father, an environmental crisis, and a captivating Apache philosopher who challenges her to reclaim her dreams and identity.
Codi Noline, a biology teacher haunted by past failures and a recent miscarriage, flees her life in Washington and returns to Grace, Arizona, the small, isolated town where she grew up. Her father, Homer Noline, a retired doctor, is showing signs of dementia and needs care. Codi feels a deep disconnect from her past and her father, who has always been emotionally distant. She takes a job teaching biology at the local high school, where she immediately notices the town's struggle with a mysterious illness affecting the local sheep and, potentially, the people. Her return is marked by a deep sense of displacement and a search for meaning.
As Codi settles into Grace, she observes unsettling patterns. The local sheep are dying from a strange illness, and the town's fruit trees are failing. Her students also exhibit unusual health problems. Codi, with her scientific background, suspects an environmental cause. She learns about a historic abandoned copper mine upstream, the Black Mountain Mine, and the persistent rumors of contamination. She attempts to discuss her concerns with the townspeople, but many are dismissive, resigned, or too fearful to confront the powerful mining company that once dominated the region.
Codi reconnects with Loyd Peregrina, an Apache man she knew in high school. Loyd is a trainman and a man deeply connected to the land and his cultural heritage. He offers Codi a stark contrast to her own scientific, often bleak, worldview. Their relationship slowly rekindles, and Loyd introduces Codi to Apache traditions, dream interpretation, and a philosophy that emphasizes interconnectedness with nature and community. His calm wisdom and grounded presence begin to chip away at Codi's cynicism, though she initially resists his spiritual approach to life's problems.
Codi's younger sister, Emelina 'Emory' Noline, returns to Grace after years away. Emory is outgoing and dedicated to social justice, a stark contrast to Codi's introverted nature. Emory quickly becomes involved with the 'Stitch and Bitch' club, a group of local women who gather to quilt and discuss town affairs. Through this group, Codi learns more about the town's history, its struggles, and the quiet resilience of its inhabitants. The women, particularly the elder Inez, provide Codi with a sense of belonging she hasn't felt in years.
As Codi cares for her father, Homer, she sifts through his belongings and discovers old photographs and letters that reveal a hidden past. She learns that her mother was a member of the local Apache tribe, and that Homer, a white doctor, was deeply involved in the community's health struggles, particularly concerning the mine. These revelations shatter Codi's understanding of her family and herself, forcing her to confront the racial and cultural divides she had previously ignored. The truth about her heritage explains much of her father's emotional distance and her own feelings of not belonging.
Driven by the mounting evidence of illness and her own scientific curiosity, Codi, with Emory's support, investigates the Black Mountain Mine more thoroughly. They gather water samples, research historical records, and interview older residents. Their investigation confirms that the mine's tailings have been leaching heavy metals, specifically lead and arsenic, into the town's water supply for decades. This environmental contamination is the cause of the widespread health problems, including the sheep's illness and her father's dementia, which Codi realizes is lead poisoning.
Armed with proof of contamination, Codi and Emory, alongside the women of the 'Stitch and Bitch' club, decide to take action. They organize a town meeting, present their findings, and galvanize the community to demand accountability from the defunct mining company, which is now owned by a larger corporation. The women, led by Inez and Emory, demonstrate courage and solidarity, facing intimidation and skepticism from some townspeople. They plan a protest and a legal challenge, asserting their right to a healthy environment.
As Homer's health deteriorates, he has moments of lucidity where he reveals more about Codi's mother, Alice, and the tragic circumstances of her death. He confesses that Alice died in childbirth after being exposed to the mine's toxins, and that he, as a doctor, had tried to warn the company but was silenced and marginalized. He also reveals that Codi was not his biological child, but Alice's daughter from a previous relationship, and he adopted her. This final revelation about her parentage impacts Codi, solidifying her connection to Grace and its people, as well as her understanding of her father's quiet suffering and protection.
With legal avenues proving slow and difficult, and the community's health rapidly declining, the women of Grace, including Codi and Emory, take matters into their own hands. They decide to divert the contaminated river away from the town's water source, a bold and potentially illegal act of civil disobedience. This act symbolizes their collective defiance and their commitment to protecting their future. Loyd Peregrina, while not directly participating in the diversion, provides spiritual and logistical support, reinforcing the idea of community self-reliance.
Following the water diversion and Homer's passing, Codi experiences a transformation. She accepts her heritage, her role in Grace, and her love for Loyd. She decides to stay in Grace, committing herself to the community's future and to continuing her work as a teacher and advocate. Her relationship with Loyd deepens, founded on mutual respect and a shared vision for a sustainable life. Codi, once rootless and adrift, finds her place, purpose, and a renewed sense of hope, embodying the novel's themes of belonging and environmental justice.
The Protagonist
Codi transforms from a cynical, rootless individual into a woman deeply connected to her heritage, community, and the natural world, finding purpose and love.
The Love Interest / Supporting
Loyd remains steadfast in his wisdom and connection to his heritage, helping Codi find her own path while deepening their bond.
The Supporting
Homer's declining health slowly unveils his hidden past, revealing his profound love and sacrifice, ultimately providing Codi with a deeper understanding of her identity.
The Supporting
Emory's passion for justice finds a concrete outlet in Grace, solidifying her role as a community leader and strengthening her bond with Codi.
The Supporting
Inez remains a steadfast source of wisdom and strength, guiding the community through its struggles and reinforcing the power of collective action.
The Mentioned / Catalyst
Her tragic story, revealed posthumously, serves as a catalyst for Codi's understanding of her heritage and the environmental injustice in Grace.
The Supporting / Collective
The Stitch and Bitch club transforms from a social group into a formidable force for environmental justice and community empowerment.
Codi Noline's journey is a quest to understand who she is and where she belongs. Initially feeling rootless and disconnected from her family and past, she gradually uncovers her Apache heritage and her father's sacrifices. Her return to Grace forces her to confront the suppressed truths of her origins and to reconcile her scientific worldview with the spiritual and communal aspects of life. This theme is portrayed as Codi pieces together her family history through old letters and Homer's fragmented memories, finding her place within the embattled community of Grace and embracing her connection to the land and Loyd. Her acceptance of her identity is tied to her commitment to the community.
“Animals dream about the things they do in the day time just like people do. If you want sweet dreams, you've got to live a sweet life.”
The novel explores the impact of corporate negligence on vulnerable communities and the importance of environmental stewardship. The Black Mountain Mine's toxic legacy, causing illness and death in Grace, is the central conflict. Codi's scientific investigation, combined with the community's collective action, highlights the fight for clean water and a healthy environment. The theme extends to the Apache perspective, as embodied by Loyd, which emphasizes a deep, spiritual connection to and responsibility for the land. The women's act of diverting the river underscores their commitment to protecting their home from further harm.
“This place was a wound. A wound in the earth and a wound in the people.”
Despite its isolation and internal divisions, Grace demonstrates the strength of a united community. The 'Stitch and Bitch' club, initially a social gathering, transforms into a hub of resistance and activism. The women, led by Emory and supported by Codi, pool their resources, knowledge, and courage to confront a powerful corporation. This theme is evident in their collective investigation of the mine, their organized protests, and their act of diverting the river. The novel suggests that true change and survival depend on people coming together, overcoming individual fears for the greater good of their shared home.
“A community is like a quilt, all different pieces, but all sewn together.”
Codi, a trained biologist, approaches the world with a rational, scientific lens, often struggling with intangible concepts like dreams, heritage, and faith. Loyd Peregrina, deeply rooted in Apache spirituality and dream interpretation, offers a contrasting perspective that emphasizes interconnectedness, intuition, and respect for unseen forces. The novel explores the tension and eventual synthesis between these two ways of knowing. Codi's journey involves learning to integrate her scientific understanding of the environmental crisis with a more holistic, spiritual appreciation for life and her place within it, finding a richer, more complete worldview.
“Some things you can't see with a microscope, Codi. Some things you feel with your heart.”
The past casts a long shadow over the characters and the town of Grace. Codi's personal history, marked by loss and unresolved questions, directly impacts her present-day struggles. More broadly, the legacy of the Black Mountain Mine's pollution and the historical injustices faced by the Apache community represent generational trauma that continues to affect health, economy, and social fabric. Homer's silence about Alice's death and Codi's parentage is a direct consequence of past pain and attempts to protect. The novel shows how confronting and acknowledging these historical wounds is crucial for healing and moving forward, individually and collectively.
“The past isn't dead. It isn't even past.”
Non-linear narrative elements that reveal character psychology and hidden plot details.
Kingsolver uses Codi's fragmented memories and vivid dreams to gradually unveil her past traumas, her relationship with her father, and clues about her identity. Loyd's interpretations of dreams also serve as a narrative device, offering spiritual insights and foreshadowing. These elements create a sense of mystery and allow for a non-linear exploration of Codi's psychological state and the town's buried history, making the reader piece together the narrative alongside the protagonist.
A recurring setting and group that fosters community, shares information, and drives collective action.
This women's quilting circle serves multiple narrative functions. It acts as a microcosm of the Grace community, revealing its social dynamics, gossip, and collective wisdom. It's a place where information about the town's history and current struggles (like the sheep's illness) is shared. More importantly, it evolves into a hub for organizing and resistance, demonstrating the power of grassroots activism and female solidarity in the face of injustice. It symbolizes the quiet strength and resilience of the town's women.
The central external conflict and catalyst for plot and character development.
The abandoned copper mine and its ongoing pollution of Grace's water supply is not just a plot point but a pervasive force. It is the direct cause of the town's health crisis, Homer's dementia, and Alice's death, thereby driving Codi's investigation and the community's fight for justice. This device grounds the narrative in a tangible, real-world issue, creating urgency and providing a concrete external conflict that mirrors Codi's internal struggles with her own 'toxic' past and identity.
Animals, particularly the dying sheep and dreams of animals, reflect the health of the environment and human spirit.
The dying sheep are an early and potent indicator of the environmental contamination, serving as a warning sign for the human population. Loyd's philosophy and the novel's title, 'Animal Dreams,' emphasize the interconnectedness of humans with the natural world. Animals, both real and in dreams, often symbolize instinct, suppressed emotions, and the health of the ecosystem. Codi's initial detachment from nature mirrors her emotional state, while her reconnection to it signifies her healing and integration.
“The very least you can do in your life is to figure out what you hope for. And the most you can do is live inside that hope. Not admire it from a distance but live right in it, under its roof.”
— Codi's internal reflection on hope and living a meaningful life, a central theme of the novel.
“I was a scientist. I didn't believe in anything that couldn't be quantified. My life was a series of measured steps toward a predetermined goal. No wonder I was so unhappy.”
— Codi's self-assessment early in the novel, contrasting her logical approach with her emotional state.
“The world is a great library. And you, my darling, are a book waiting to be read.”
— Homer, Codi's father, offering her advice and encouragement, highlighting the potential within her.
“Love is not a place to arrive at, but a way of traveling.”
— Codi's evolving understanding of love, particularly in her relationship with Loyd.
“Sometimes you have to give up your life to save it.”
— Codi contemplating the sacrifices and changes necessary for personal growth and happiness.
“The future is a foreign country. They do things differently there.”
— Codi reflecting on the uncertainty of the future and the differences between past and present, a twist on a famous line.
“A person can get by on a lot less than you'd think, if they have to.”
— Codi observing the resilience of the people in Grace during difficult times.
“How can you tell if a man loves you? He doesn't just look at you, he sees you.”
— Codi's realization about the depth of genuine affection, specifically regarding Loyd.
“Sometimes the things you don't do are more important than the things you do.”
— Codi considering the impact of inaction and overlooked opportunities in her life.
“You can't go home again, but you can go to Grace.”
— Codi's understanding of finding a new sense of home and belonging in Grace, Arizona, after leaving her past behind.
“The greatest gift you can give someone is a story.”
— Homer's belief in the power of narrative and shared experience, especially in the context of community.
“It's not about being perfect. It's about being whole.”
— Codi's journey towards self-acceptance and integration of her past and present selves.
“Grief is a house of cards. You can't just knock one down without the others falling.”
— Codi reflecting on the interconnectedness of her various losses and emotional struggles.
“There are things you know, and things you don't know, and things you know you don't know.”
— Codi musing on the nature of knowledge and the limits of her understanding, particularly regarding the town's secrets.
Ready to see how well you understood this book? Take our interactive quiz with 10 questions.
Barbara Kingsolver is a Pulitzer Prize winning American novelist, essayist and poet. She was raised in rural Kentucky and lived briefly in the Congo in her early childhood. Kingsolver earned degrees in biology at DePauw University and the University of Arizona and worked as a freelance writer before she began writing novels. Her widely known works include The Poisonwood Bible, the tale of a missionary family in the Congo, and Animal, Vegetable, Miracle, a non-fiction account of her family's attempts to eat locally.
