Undergrowth: A Novel

by Nancy Burke

In this luminous novel, the all-too-human experiences of fear, love and loss become amplified with potentially disastrous consequences. In 1960s Brazil, an indigenous group is on the brink of a tragedy, the dimensions of which they are only beginning to grasp. A small band of disaffected government agents, academics and visionaries is determined to fight for their cause. Among them is James Ardmore who, along with his nephew Larry, travels to Pahquel, a village in the crosshairs of an environmental showdown. When James dies en route, Larry is left to decide: Should he attempt to escape his own personal demons by immersing himself in a completely foreign culture? Or retreat and resume his disaffected life in the U.S.? What costs will he bear if he chooses to press forward? Against a lush backdrop, the author gives voice to the complexities of social, anthropological and environmental forces. This is a page-turner of an adventure story that rests upon the deep and unsettling layers of undergrowth.

426 pages, Kindle Edition

Published September 1, 2017

Reviews

[Sophia Barsuhn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Third review of April 15, 2024: I am flabbergasted that I am still finding mistakes during my third read-through of this book, and I know for a fact that I missed some. This is atrocious proofreading. But even so, this book is so damn good.

Second review of June 3, 2022: Still finding mistakes during my second read. I can't believe this.

Original review of August 25, 2020: This book is at once wonderful and frustrating. It was one of those books that takes you somewhere new and brings you back reeling with what you witnessed. There were beautiful turns of phrases and astonishing insights into the human psyche; Larry's search for acceptance tore my heart out (especially the ending). It was beautiful.

But all of this beauty was undercut by the terrible, but terrible editing and proofreading. This book ostensibly takes place in Brazil, but oftentimes the words that were meant to be in Portuguese would be in Spanish, or would be horribly misspelled, and none of the words ever had accents. There were misplaced commas or missing quotation marks, and it was incredibly frustrating. But even with all this, I think Nancy Burke has the makings of a good author. I'm excited to see what she'll write next.

[Steve Harp · Rating 5 out of 5]

The slow, unfolding pace of this book is reminiscent of Javier Marias. It almost seems as if nothing happens (or what does happen occurs for unexplained reasons) until the reader realizes that the author has taken you so deeply into the character's psyche that conventional notions of character "development" just don't apply here. The depth of psychological awareness is truly amazing.

[Maryellie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you for the chance to go on an adventure from the safety of my armchair.

[Threasa · Rating 2 out of 5]

Undergrowth has an excellent story. But, there is absolutely no character development. Who was Larry and his uncle James? Who were the indigenous people? There was no mention of what most characters did for a living. Only in the last fourth of the book did I find out one character was a scientist. The author used words from the language of the village, but didn't explain what they meant. Were we supposed to guess? I thought I had figured out one word, but it was used in another context later. I did love the story of Larry going to the village and his life there. The other people were very interesting when you figured them out. I am sorry to be so negative, but I just couldn't keep up with who was related to whom or what relationship the characters had. It took a lot of hard work to figure it out.

[Rebecca Burgess · Rating 3 out of 5]

I wasn't sure what to expect with this book. I found it intriguing how the indigenous tribes' rituals and language was incorporated throughout the story. How the fate of the many were impacted by the few and the choices of others lead to unbelievable actions. An interesting read.

[Esther · Rating 5 out of 5]

Burke's prose is flowing and beautiful. It gives you a sense of the denseness of the Amazon rain forest. The story is captivating and has an environmental message. I loved it.

[Natalya · Rating 5 out of 5]

I absolutely loved this book, it was not something I would usually read but I’m so glad I did. I’m truly a different person after this journey and have grown in understanding myself and the power of unconscious thoughts.