Living In Times of Epochal Change

 I don't do book reviews, because even if I had the talent, it would need a lot of honing before I could write reviews of an acceptable standard. But, this is more of a book rave than a review. Unsheltered by Barbara Kingsolver is based around an derelict house in New Jersey and the narrative alternates between the earliest and the present-day inhabitants. It deals with the two issues that touch the lives of most young people living in the West: the climate crisis and the housing crisis. It is also offers some advice for living in times of epochal change, when as, Gramsci said "the old world is dying and the new world is struggling to be born. yes, now is the time of monsters". Many young people feel like a successful and fulfilling life as defined by the old rules is both unachievable and undesirable. Having a house by age 30 is neigh impossible without parental help, dating apps make the search for a partner a fraught exercise, bringing kids into this world riven by  climate change and a right-wing resurgence feels scary, and material success simply means a larger carbon footprint and the guilt associated with it. To put it shortly, the fear of the being unhoused or badly housed and climate change are the two things that are mostly likely keeping young, left-leaning people up at night. The first plotline is set in the late 19th century when Darwin's theory of evolution was threatening to upend centuries of received dogma about the origins of humans. It was a scary and exhilarating time for Darwin's disciples and some of them had to pay for their beliefs with their jobs. Our own times seem more scary and less exhilarating but the common theme is we too are living in times of epochal change. The advice: don't be afraid to throw away the old rules even if most people around you seem to be unfazed by the state of the world and continue to play according to the old rule book. Reset you expectations of having a home that is your castle and rethink what it means to be sheltered. I will leave you with one exchange between the two main characters: Without a roof over your head, it kind of feels like you might die." "Yeah, but you might not. For sure you wont' find your way out of the mess if you keep picking up the bricks and stuffing them in your pockets. What you have to do is to look for the blue sky."