It’s more than a little disconcerting to read a book, not enjoy it, wonder what the point of it is, be unable to relate to the main protagonist, find some of it tedious and other bits distasteful, get bored and skip bits – and then look at the reviews and find the novel being consistently rated 5* with many fulsome and intelligent reviews. What did I miss? How come, even after reading the reviews, although I am better informed, I’m still unimpressed by this unusual, but for me ultimately unsatisfying novel? The book follows the fortunes and adventures of Gilda Trillim, from her beginnings on an Idaho potato farm to an orthodox convent in the Soviet Union to professional badminton player to prisoner in the Vietnam War – which is where the rats come in. It tackles themes of identity, spirituality, the meaning of life and what it means to be human and so on – but not in a way that made me want to read on. I’ve learnt that this is Mormon fiction, but I’m not informed enough to know what this really means. If I did, would I appreciate the book more? Perhaps. As it is though, this is definitely not a book for me and I remain bewildered by its acclaim.

A woman tries to find the meaning of life when she is taken prisoner of war in Vietnam. This a wonderful thought provoking conversational book. Great for book clubs. Lots to ponder and discuss. What is ge meaning of life. What are our individual choices, challenges and what does it all mean. The really great thing about the book is it has a way of making you think about really deep, intense thinking with out even realizing how deep. A real literary treat.