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Reviewed by K.C. Finn for Readers' Favorite
Before We Arrived: Three Families. Seven Goats. One Spinning World by Jodie Pine is a work of literary fiction about three individuals, haunted by loss, who seek solace in unexpected places. Henry Carter, a Black landscape designer, is reeling from a family tragedy and finds a glimmer of healing while working with rescued farm animals. Rivka Solomon, a Jewish social worker, carries the weight of her traumatic past while managing the sanctuary. Jayce King, an Indigenous American archaeologist, guards his heart from further pain, knowing he cannot endure another loss. Their lives intersect in a moving exploration of grief, resilience, and unexpected human connections. Spanning New England to Vietnam, this poignant novel reveals how love, in all its forms, can help people find light even in the darkest times.
Author Jodie Pine has a beautiful way of setting a scene and placing her characters into it with the perfect match of mood and emotion. Her lyrical prose captures the raw beauty of grief and healing with an emotional authenticity that hits readers from the opening pages. I was impressed by the way these themes and detailed emotional histories are embedded in the characters. This diverse cast brings depth and richness to the themes of loss and renewal through dialogue and thoughts that make them leap off the page. As someone very passionate about social justice myself, the animal sanctuary was a particularly powerful metaphor for compassion and redemption that struck me. Pine’s sensitive exploration of racial and cultural identity was delivered with research, empathy, and intelligence behind it. Overall, Before We Arrived is a highly recommended read for fans of emotive, inspirational, and immersive literary fiction.
