What Kind of Paradise by Janelle Brown (2025), 368 pages
I am always intrigued by living
off the land stories, especially involving homesteading from scratch. A part of
me would love to opt out of the world and be left to my own devises and live
life how I want. This is a cautionary tale on that. Jane's father has moved
them to an isolated area of Montana to escape the modern world and the rise of
the internet age. As many parents try to do, he feels his purpose is to shield
her from this corruption and raise her with his radical ideals. As often
happens, children become curious and start questioning their parent’s beliefs.
This does not always end well.
I enjoyed the novel and
appreciate Brown's attempt to delve into the tension between progress and the
loss of traditional ways. There is a reason living as a hermit or in an echo
chamber is mentally unhealthy. Human's need a challenge or counter-balance to
their internal thoughts. I would have loved for Brown to expand upon this. I
feel the book is just the beginning to a larger story.
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