Beth's Reviews > The Necessary Beggar

This was a buddy read, and as often happens with those, I'm kind of talked out/"thinked out" about the book by review time.

The Necessary Beggar is a kind of hybrid SF or magical realism, though leaning more toward the latter. Its central family come from another dimension and are exiled to the U.S.--near Reno, Nevada specifically. They quickly have to come to terms with its culture in whatever way they can. They also have to deal with a couple of ghosts who came with them from their home country.

The story has a lot to say about America's cold cruelty when it comes to refugees or the homeless or others who haven't "pulled themselves up by their bootstraps." The characters are a believable mix of sweethearts and people with terrible flaws who cause pain and havoc for those who love them.