Review: Mineral Palace

It is hard to believe that The Mineral Palace is the first book that Heidi Julavits has ever written. Though the reviews on Amazon.com are not that favorable (but who reads that nonsense anyway!), I found the book to be everything that I look for in a novel.

The story is set in Colorado in the 1930s during the dust bowl. I was a bit hestiant to read this novel at first because I tend to shy away from novels set during the Depression, but I am so glad that I took a chance on this. Though the dust bowl is present, Julavits using as an atmospheric device as opposed to a historical period. The action in the book is dark and the characters are fatally flawed and then the dust clouds roll in and blanket the town in grim. It is perfectly fitting! The plot is not complex, a woman follows her husband from the north into the undeveloped state of Colorado in the south. They bring with them their child and marriage that is hanging on by a thread. Once in Colorado, her husband gets a job at a clinic and she decides to write for the local newspaper. The story is really about the people that she meets in this town and the emotional rollercoaster that they bring her own. There are the wealthy and snobbish well to do, as well as the poor and down on their luck prostitutes and drunkards. In the middle of this destitution, the woman's baby falls ill and no one believes her. This is a heartbreaking tale from all aspects.

Though the plot is simple, the characters are extremely complex and beautifully developed. As the novel is progressing, the reader knows that it is barreling towards some horrible conclusion. However, it is still a surprise even once it arrives. What I found most interesting was that even once I had finished the book, I still felt haunted by the characters. I still often think about them and the choices that they made and I feel as if the book hasn't truly finished for me because I am still trying to understand their characters. This is not a weakness of the book, but instead a strength. It is very rare that I find a book that continues to haunt me after I return it to the library.

I recommend this book to anyone who enjoyed Sherwood Anderson's Winesburg, Ohio or Michael Lesy's Wisconsin Death Trip. Basically, if you enjoy reading about the trials and tribulations in small-town America...this is the book for you!

-DLP