Drive Your Plow Over The Bones OF The Dead By, Olga Tokarczuk

This book won the Pulitzer and Man Booker International Prize in 2019.

The title of the book is a reference to the William Blake Poem, "Proverbs of Hell." The title, as described and interpreted means, (*)"that the dead past is not to be respected if it hinders your work. And in nature there is no instinct of revenge." I found this book to be one that I savored, its a deep read, but worth it. It is classified as an Eco Mystery, which is a new genre, the villain is an unknown ecological problem that is harming a species.

Janina, an eccentric, cranky recluse lives in a remote Polish village. She spends her days taking care of her wealthy neighbors' homes, analyzing William Blake poetry and mapping Astrology charts.
The book begins as a murder mystery, Janina's neighbor, "Big Foot" is found dead. Her neighbor "Oddball" discovers him and elicits the assistance of Janina to find the killer. As others are found dead under suspicious circumstances, the scope of the investigation widens and the close knit community unravels.

Janina takes on the role of lead investigator and assists the local police department in looking for a pattern, and a plea for others to see the atrocities in the world -through the eyes of murder-out of desperation-to be heard.. This book has so many layers and could easily be described as 'dense.' The author provides commentary on the incongruities of living a solitary life, nature and the impact humans have on it and the savagery of killing animals.

At times, I found the Autho's tidbits of wisdom poignant and worthy of writing down. Some of my favorites are as follows:

"The best conversations are with yourself.At least there is no risk of a misunderstanding."

"Being healthy is an insecure state and does not bode well. It's better to be ill in a quiet way, then at least we know what we're going to die of."

"Perhaps there were some angels watching over him: sometimes they turn up on the wrong side."

"Perhaps that's the whole point of prayer-to think to yourself in peace, to want nothing, to ask for nothing, but simply to sort out your own mind. That should be enough."

This is a masterful tale of intrigue, which denotes the plagues of humankind and the ways in which we use and abuse the environment to the detriment of animals and the worlds ecosystem. Its a tragic tale and a warning that the author deftly describes, "we have a view of the world but animals have a sense of the world."

Other Book by Olga Tokarczuk:

Flights