Patricia K. Lichen

Rating: 3* of five

The Publisher Says: East Coast politics meet West Coast idealism when three young environmentalists kidnap the U.S. Secretary of the Interior-code-named The Lorax-and take her to the Pacific Northwest woods. Their goal is to re-educate her through tasks designed to open her eyes to the wonders of the forest, so that upon her return to Washington, DC she will be an advocate for the land. Detailed descriptions of Pacific Northwest flora and fauna.

My Review: US Secretary of the Interior Lacey Thurman is set to make a speech at a timber-industry gathering in the Benson Hotel. Plans are known to be afoot for a green group, Planet Now, to stink-bomb the conference in protest. Security is tight, a Federal official can't be left to the tender mercies of the protesters, right? Well...someone forgot that the conference has been on the Secretary's schedule for some time and therefore gave ill-wishers a chance to plant a mole in the hotel. Walden, Fern, and Tracker (not their real names) are impatient with the tomfoolery of stink-bombing a conference...what good will that do?...but they aren't above using the hijinks for their higher-risk, and they hope more effective, plan: Kidnap the Secretary and sensitize her to the plight of the forests the US Government manages for the benefit of the people...who contribute to political campaigns, THOSE people.

The plan succeeds. Sort of. The Secretary, called "The Lorax" throughout the book, is whisked in her pretty blue suit and her sensible heels to the middle of the forest, subjected to more exercise than any Federal official has ever been required to perform in modern history, and generally made cognizant of the wonders of the forest and its web of life. She and her female kidnapper, Maggie aka Fern, form a Stockholm-Syndrome-style bond. Maggie even loses a finger in her quest to re-educate this Beltway-dwelling politico on the proper place of humankind on Earth.

What ending do you suspect is coming down the pike, based on those facts? Sentimental silliness about Gaia-the-mother, bone-crushing sadness about idealism gone wrong? Nuh-uh. Lichen makes the ending real, the stakes being so high. She takes the easy, expected route, and then she says...Reality and Art can't avoid each other forever. Here it is. Live with it.

I got this book from Ms. Lichen as a Goodreads First Read. I was expecting something less professionally edited, something with a more homemade feel. I was pleasantly surprised at the level of writing ability shown in the book, and was actually involved in the story for quite a bit of the way. I was completely irritated and annoyed that the men were characterized, to use the word loosely, in such a one-dimensional and condescending way. The men's ultimate fate had a curled-lip, "feminist" feel of unsympathetic gynocentrism. As I am not at all a fan of the notion, palpably incorrect, that Woman is Superior, this factor popped me out of the story on many occasions.

But then there is the story itself: Most people can't imagine spending a night away from their gadgets, still less a night without electricity, hot running water, 911 access, a mattress...all of which middle-aged Lorax/Lacey is forced to do, reluctantly, with poor grace, but ultimately with a dawning sense of connection to the world, the *actual* world, around her. She is us...Lorax, thou art but shard of our fracturing pot. And this was for me the heart of the book, the point of the exercise: Sit in your comfy chair and read about this poor, poor lady and her travails. Sneaking in behind the story comes the grappling hook of the plight of the only world we have, and the almost desperate need of those of us like Lacey, who live in our cocoons made of pleasure and ease, to be awakened before the nightmare becomes the only reality we have.

It's nicely done. I'd recommend it to you with more enthusiasm if I didn't have the big attitudinal reservation. But I still recommend it.


This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported License.… (más)

Patricia K. Lichen’s Kidnapping the Lorax is an eco-fiction book like no other, which makes sense because Patricia Lichen herself is rather unique. Few people can say they are a true pirate- Lichen was arrested for piracy in Peru while working with Greenpeace. The story begins with Walden, Fern, and Tracker (not their real names) finalizing their plans to kidnap Lacey Thurman, the Secretary of the Interior (code name: Lorax). The trio, an independent environmental group, nabs Lacey and takes her into the great woods of the Northwest and force her to learn first-hand exactly what she’ll be destroying if she signs a bill to allow logging. They believe that if Lacey could just see how much the woods have to offer, she’ll change her mind, so they give her a list of tasks that she must complete before they release her.

The trio doesn’t take into account the fact that a woman who has clawed her way to the top of the Washington “boy’s club” isn’t going to sit back and play the role of the obedient captive. Lacey challenges them at every turn before deciding to use the experience to further her own political ambitions.

I admit, I had some misgivings about the book when I started reading it. I’m not a fan of anything that glorifies kidnapping or violence to make a point or force someone to change their mind about something, not because it disturbs me personally, but because there are too many people out there who confuse fact and fiction, and would use something like this as a how-to book. But Lichen provided a sense of balance at the end of the book, making this more of a cautionary tale than a guidebook for would-be eco-kidnappers.

Although the four main characters play a vital role in driving the story, the true star is the forest itself. Lichen does a lovely job of imparting actual knowledge about the plants and animals that live in the Northwest forest, including little nuggets of wisdom about medicinal plants. She also adds in some great hardcore camping tips through the words of her characters. Admittedly, I’ll most likely never need to know how to, uh, use the facilities, in the forest because I’m not much of a camper (I love the idea of camping, but once it comes time to go to sleep, I miss my bed), but should I find myself stranded, at least now I know two ways to prevent a bear from eating my food.

The main characters had such vastly different personalities and created an interesting conflict. Fern is sweet and seems more than a little naive. Walden is clearly the mastermind, but his personality borders on that of a radical preacher. Tracker doesn’t have a whole lot of lines, and sometimes I forgot he was there, which I think was kind of the point. It’s easier to be an expert tracker when no one knows where you are or what you’re doing. Lacey, aka the Lorax, started out as a typical over-privileged twit, but slowly redeemed herself in subtle ways throughout the story. She remained a tough lady (don’t call her fiesty!), but some of her snobbish bravado diminished as time went by.

The end of the book had me a little confused. It seemed to come on suddenly, and I’m still not exactly sure what happened. The epilogue contains what I felt was the true lesson of the story, although I wont share it because I don’t want to spoil the ending. Let’s just say that, for all the research Walden claims he’s done on Lacey, he missed one very important detail. Lichen also provides some insightful discussion questions at the end of the book for group or individual reflection. I thought that was a nice touch.… (más)

The Secretary of the Interior aka The Lorax is kidnapped by environmentalists who hope to help her see the old growth woods of the Pacific Northwest, really see it and experience it so she can truly speak for the trees in Washington D.C. Each kidnapper has their own well-developed fundamentals, opinions and perspective making them sympathetic and well-intended citizens who are saddled with a stubborn politician who also becomes likable through both her intelligence and naivety. There is no ranting or preaching unless channeled through the voice of a character. This allows for the reader to view all sides of the environmental debate, with some religious perspective, political rational, and ultimately the complexity of the situation we all face as humans when managing the Earth. The weeks spent in the woods takes the reader along on a journey of understanding and own self-discovery. Kidnapping the Lorax will make you think about what is important and examine the different concerns of individuals -- whether it is family, a fern or the need for a Big Mac and fries. There is plenty of humor to lighten the thematic weight. Patricia Lichen takes a subject that is often portrayed as radical and makes it digestible. In addition, there are some reading group questions at the end of the book that I found intriguing. This would make a great read for a reading club, class or group discussion.… (más)