The stories is Natural History have the quietly relaxing and optimistic feel of Andrea Barrett's previous books, but most of them lack a clear narrative purpose. Over the years Barrett has become increasingly interested in building a shared universe for her work, with recurring characters and themes –– Natural History has an appendix with an extensive family tree diagram and a statement of purpose from the author. These stories felt to me like studies sketching in details for small corners of a larger canvas. Barrett counts on the reader being aware of the whole picture to feel the meaning of the events.
With the exception of the title story, Natural History takes place in Crooked Lake, New York in the period between the Civil War and the First World War (inclusive). This roughly corresponds to the lifetime of Henrietta Atkins, and the stories center on her and her sister's children. The title story takes place in 2018 and features Rose Marburg, a descendant of that family and a character in Barrett stories since 1994.
My favorite story was the first, "Wonders of the Shore." It felt most like a self-contained narrative, meaningful even to someone who hasn't read any other Barrett books. It's also the oldest story in the book, from 2016, which reinforces my sense that Barrett is now filling in the gaps in her shared universe rather than expanding it.
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