May Books & Banter Fiction Book Club: The Antidote by Karen Russell
May 27 @ 6:30 pm – 8:00 pm
As always, our book clubs are free and open to all, and the book club pick is 10% off the regular price. You bring the conversation, we’ll provide the treats!
This month’s pick is The Antidote by Karen Russell
$30.00 Book club price: $27.00 Hardcover, 432 pp
Karen Russell’s The Antidote is a stunning exploration of a town haunted by its past and battered by a catastrophic dust storm, a story Swampliania author laughingly calls, “Dry-Landia.”
Set in the fictional town of Uz, Nebraska, during the Great Depression, this Dust Bowl epic weaves together the lives of five unforgettable characters: a Prairie Witch who safeguards memories, a Polish farmer grappling with loss, his grieving niece, a sentient scarecrow, and a photographer with a mysterious, time-bending camera.
Through their interconnected stories, Russell examines the ways in which history, secrets, and the environment shape lives. Rich with symbolism and lyrical prose, the novel echoes the urgency of our current climate crisis while delving into universal themes of memory, identity, and resilience.
Perfect for fans of Swamplandia! and Grapes of Wrath, The Antidote offers a deeply atmospheric and thought-provoking read. Book clubs will revel in the layered storytelling, the blend of magical realism and historical fiction, and the pressing questions it raises about the choices we make for ourselves and our world.