I Cheerfully Refuse

I picked up this book after reading glowing reviews and was not disappointed. Leif Enger writes beautifully and elegantly. I Cheerfully Refuse is set in a dystopian world that has seen pandemics, climate change, power plays by those with extreme wealth, and the lack of fresh food. It’s a hard world, but Rainy, a musician has found love with Lark, a book seller. When Lark invites a young man to rent out their attic, Rainy suffers heartbreaking loss. He flees in his boat and the journey he goes on takes him from one dangerous situation to the next. Along the way, a young girl hides in his boat……

I had both the book and the audiobook versions of this book which made for a wonderful reading experience. I do think this book works best in the written form. I did enjoy the narrator, but the writing is so beautiful that I enjoyed reading more than listening to it. IThis book touches on the ugliness in people, the feral drive to survive, and lawlessness of a broken society. I also found this book to be emotional, hopeful, sad, thought provoking and beautifully written. It explores love, connection, hope, loss, desperation, resiliency, courage, and kindness.

Beautifully written, thought provoking, and evoking emotion.

Thank you to Grove Atlantic | Grove Press, RB Media | Recorded Books, and NetGalley who provided me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All the thoughts and opinions are my own.