Tropic of Kansas is a timely dystopian trip through an imagined but imaginable future that is dark and violent in the extreme, yet sort of hopeful in a messy, realistic way. The book traces an underground revolutionary movement against an entrenched system that is part kleptocracy, part fascist, part redneck crazy. The plot revolves around two narratives about two players in the events: Sig, child of the revolution who is a kind of Rambo mixed with "swamp rat" and Tania, a government security employee who slips into a confusing under-cover mission in an attempt to free her mother from imprisonment and connect with Sig, who is her foster "brother" who she hadn't seen for many years. The revolution is played out through the eyes and actions of both characters. Although there is a propensity for "deus ex machina" escapes by Sig, and some ping-pong effect in the shortest chapters, all-in-all, the book works well and is both disquieting, thought-provoking and timely. And yes, hopeful at a time in American history when hope sometimes feels in short supply.
For a review of the book by NPR, click here:http://www.npr.org/2017/07/09/534768934/tropic-of-kansas-rips-dystopia-from-the-headlines
For a review of the book by NPR, click here:http://www.npr.org/2017/07/09/534768934/tropic-of-kansas-rips-dystopia-from-the-headlines
