"Covered Bridges" by Barbara Kingsolver

This short story by Barbara Kingsolver was one that I enjoyed. It’s premise is simple but surprisingly emotionally complex, following a wife and husband as they ponder their place in the procreation cycle. I am not someone who desires or rejects the idea of children at some point in time and I felt like I could relate to this fictitious couple in their hesitations to bring life into this world.
The author provides witty dialog, like considering whether or not dogs can be retarded, and has a very fluid way of describing the surroundings of the countryside and the natural elements, like the produce, that make up the scene of the festival. “Against the backdrop of harvested fields and roadside tangles of poison ivy and goldenrod, tables were piled high with local produce: handwoven baskets and corn-husk dolls, clear jars of clover honey, giant pyramids of pumpkins” (Kingsolver, p.5). I liked the alliteration in that passage and all this description makes you feel comfortable in this small town setting. I felt a vibe within the writing as they explore around the bridge and as he speaks of his gardening that, just as the character mentions, reflects those such as Thoreau, and to me Emerson, who took great personal meaning as well as spiritual stock from their surroundings. "...All natural objects make a kindred impression, when the mind is open to their influence. Nature never wears a mean appearance. Neither does the wisest man extort her secret, and lose his curiosity by finding out all her perfection. Nature never became a toy to a wise spirit. The flowers, the animals, the mountains, reflected the wisdom of his best hour, as much as they had delighted the simplicity of his childhood" (Nature, Emerson).
“Covered Bridges” was also relishable because its storyline abruptly threw me off, from being content with the situation to being caught off guard by a sudden happening. “Then she stood up suddenly, gazed at me with a look of intent misery, and spat out something that twitched on the grass. Ursula and I both leaned forward to look. It was a hornet” (Kingsolver p.9). My heart skipped a beat with the sudden transition of a happy picnic into a life and death situation. The author set me up to experience a frequent occurrence in reality, commonly known as having the rug pulled out from underneath you. I appreciated this aspect of the text more than anything. A real point was conveyed by the author through the entire plot concerning the decisions one makes for ones future in life and the reality of the unpredictability that inevitably just screws those plans. When Lena was appreciating the wonder of a caterpillar and making wishes, the situation of her existence and the beauty around her seemed pure and sound. Shortly after this happy moment however, an encounter with winged chance brought about a perception that took into stock the reality of her mortality. This reality took precedence over the societal and intuition based expectations of having a child.
Kingsolver has woven a story that entertains two aspects of the world that can be individually and personally felt, invoking a thoughtful reflection on your own universe and what you choose to fill it with. I appreciated this story and its charm.