Swamplandia

I like books about nature, biology, ecology and relationships.  Karen Russell put all that and more into Swamplandia.  This is her first novel.  The 13 year old character Ava Bigtree narrates part of the story and her 17 year old brother, Kiwi Bigtree narrates the rest.  Ava's older sister, Osceola, her mother Hilola, her father Chief Bigtree, and her grandfather, Sawtooth Bigtree are all in the story.  The Bigtree clan run a alligator theme park on an island in southwest Florida.  They wrestle alligators for the tourists.  The Bigtrees also have a museum, a gift shop, and a cafe for the customers who must take a ferry boat to get there.  Things fall apart when Hilola Bigtree, the main attraction, is out of the picture.  Ava, the youngest in the family, is left trying to keep the family together which is a big responsibility for a 13 year old girl.  When Kiwi talks he sounds like a pragmatic home schooled kid.  He mispronounces words and lacks social skills on the mainland of Florida where he goes to make a living.  When Ava talks she sounds at times extremely naive and at times mature beyond her years but always poetic.  This was a great story. I enjoyed every chapter.  If HBO does make it into a half hour television series, I would definitely watch it.