The Necessary Beggar

Our characters have been exiled from their universe due to the crime of one member, and wind up as refugees in our universe. I loved the detailed evocation of their culture and beliefs, and the resonance between those and the new culture and beliefs they are exposed to their new life in America. I am not a religious person, but I enjoyed the exploration of the theme of forgiveness and charity in the two universes. Some of the ideas are a bit of a stretch, in particular the ability of the dead to influence the living but on the whole it was a satisfying and heart-warming story.

This was beautifully written. A lovely story, about refugees from another dimension who make a life for themselves in the United States. That setting makes it interesting, but mostly the story is about the characters, and about both family and chosen families.
I thought the death that started the whole thing off was quite silly, and didn't make any sense when you learn what actually happened. And the ending seemed a bit quick to me. But neither one of these things detracted from the sweetness of this book.

This book did have faults from my point of view: it made the problems faced by immigrants, and alcoholics, and the uninsured ill seem a bit too easily solved, especially with the ending which wrapped up everything too quickly and tidily. (I'd actually have preferred the necessary beggar to be someone else; it would have been better thematically, and the news of it could still have inspired the requisite happy ending, and it would have added a little touch of realistic randomness which isn't always appropriate to fiction but would have been here.)

But. A big but: this was a great read. I have to admit I'm having trouble pinpointing exactly what I loved about it, because I suppose the culture wasn't completely original or anything – but show more the philosophy of generosity suits me very well, and the balanced handling of religion (both Christian and invented), and the mode of desperate silence, and that theme: the pain and burden of forced silence and of deception by omission; and on the other side of the coin the healing power of generosity and forgiveness, which sounds so trite except... well, beetles and clowns. So I just really, really liked the book. show less

Set not too far in the future, this novel is an immigration story with a difference. A family has been ousted from Lemabantunk, a world where the punishment for murder includes the entire extended family of the perpetrator. Placed behind wire in an interment camp, the family members cope in different ways, reminding us how varied outsiders' responses can be. Unable to divulge their origins and need for asylum, their reactions vary from suicide to anger to acceptance. In Lemabantunk the society is based on the concept of necessary beggars, who offer the opportunity to display generosity and redemption, but the newcomers to earth must find new paths to acceptance.

Brilliant. Language, world-building, suspense, and charm. Engaging characters, even if just a little too simplistic. Themes not subtle - but still interesting & provocative. More like Literature than traditional SF, and yet not a difficult read at all. I would think it would be more widely enjoyed than the number of shelvings here indicates - and I will be looking for more by Palwick. I have already enjoyed her short stories in [b:The Fate of Mice|768119|The Fate of Mice|Susan Palwick|http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1328840317s/768119.jpg|754183].

This book is a slipstream-paranormal romance. Do not be deceived, as I was, by the science fiction tags on LT and the comparisons on the jacket to The Dispossessed and Stranger in a Strange Land. As romances go, this is a very good one. There is a well-built alien culture, a lot of interesting characters, and a great deal about what it's like to be refugees. I was certainly interested while I was reading it and didn't realize it was a romance until close to the end. Since I generally don't like romances, that alone would give the book high marks. However, I found the end very disappointing, and I would not recommend this book to science fiction fans or folks who are looking for a new Le Guin.

Really interesting and unique story. Themes about forgiveness, how differing perspectives on what happened between people can alter how they respond later, immigration to another very different place, how fear of hurting others can lead us to withhold valuable information that would actually allow healing.