Why do you think Kingsolver used articles from real news sources along with fictional ones in the novel?.As you read, did you find yourself thinking of modern occasions of media 'howlers' purveying gossip, fear, and injurious misquotes? Why does this industry persist? Has an increasingly rapid news cycle changed its power? The opening paragraph of the novel promises: 'In the beginning were the howlers,' and suggests they will always be with us.

Given the unusual presentation of the novel, as diary entries written by a person who does not want to be known, how did you come to know Harrison Shepherd? Which of his passions or dreads evoked a connection for you?.Several characters repeat the phrase: 'The most important part of a story is the piece of it you don't know.' What does this mean to you, in terms of both public and private life? Are you likely to give this consideration more weight, since reading the novel?.What are some of the lacunae in this novel? The word 'lacuna' means many things: a missing piece of a manuscript, a gap in history or knowledge, a tunnel or passage leading from one place to another.The Lacuna is the poignant story of a man pulled between two nations as well as an unforgettable portrait of the artistand of art itself. In this powerfully imagined, provocative novel, Barbara Kingsolver takes us on an epic journey from the Mexico of artists Diego Rivera and Frida Kahlo to the America of Pearl Harbor, FDR, and J.

The lacuna book