I'm a believer in global warming and climate change, but those of us who do believe don't often go beyond thinking of endangered species, deforestation, and pollution. Jeremy, the protagonist of Kinship of Clover, has a strong connection to plants due to family trauma suffered as a child. He feels a kinship with, and a need to save, plants that have become extinct, or are becoming extinct.

But this book is not just about environmental activism. It's a story about family. About the connections that make and break us. It's about how families choose to live can affect the children, and how secrets kept can cause a lot of heartache, and yet, lead to redemption in the end.

I loved every single character in this book. The author did a great job of illustrating a unique family dynamic and it really shines through. And, as a supporter of (peaceful) political activism, this book also spoke to me, especially considering the times and the events in which we are currently living. Some find books with a message off-putting. Not me. I like a story with a message. Even better if the message does not overwhelm the story. The balance is beautiful here.

Kinship of Clover is a book for those who like characters they can fall in love with, and for those who believe in fighting for what's right in the world. I highly recommend it.


I received this book free of charge from the author or publisher. ( )

Ellen Meeropol's Kinship of Clover is a book that is far more than the blurb (cited above) reveals. Told from a variety of characters' points of view, this book touches on complex real topics. Kinship of Clover is a deep and moving narrative that engages the reader from start to finish.

Jeremy, the character described in the blurb, is only one of several main characters. There is Zoe, a 17-year old girl tied to her wheelchair due to her spina bifida, whose intellect and passion infuses the pages. Then there is Flo, Zoe's former activist grandmother, who is struggling with the terrifying experience of losing her memories, her freedom, and her life to her rapidly progressing Alzheimer's. And there is Zoe's father, Sam, who is coming to terms with his mother's declining health while watching his only child fall in love and dealing with his own pervasive loneliness.

The strengths of this novel are twofold. First, the character development is truly masterful. Meeropol draws the reader into the lives and minds of not just one character but a whole cast. One can't help relating to the heartbreak of Flo's memory loss and declining health or the excitement of Zoe's first romance. If the book just stopped at a cast of well developed characters, it would be good but would not come close to the depth Kinship of Clover reaches. The second successful ingredient that makes this book outstanding is Meeropol's willingness to touch on rarely discussed topics, especially when put together in one text. The real challenges of mental illness, environmentalism, living with a complex disability, dementia, activism, interracial relationships, parenting, and family dynamics are discussed in an authentic and powerful manner.

This was the type of book that keep you thinking long after you finish it and make you want to go back and read it again. I highly recommend it! ( )

Full review coming, I promise, but in the meantime, I think this is my favorite of Ellen Meeropol's works to date. (Disclaimer-- I've been reading her writing for several decades, but most of that has been email, professional writing, then later, poetry, short stories, and her first two novels.) One of the things I like most about her fiction is how she entwines her passion for social justice, and her expertise in health care into her novels, Kinship on Clover being no exception. (Publication date: February 3, 2017.) ( )