Nature Literature discussion

Please add your comments about Prodigal Summer (by Barbara Kingsolver) here.

Here is my review. No spoilers.

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1...

I'm about half-way through the audio version of this right now (read by Kingsolver herself). Unfortunately, listening to books is not really my thing, I guess - I'm so tired at the end of the day, I either fall asleep listening or I don't even bother plugging in.

I do have to note that I'm really enjoying the descriptions and the storyline of Lusa especially - I can so relate to being a part of a rural family / small-town perspective where everyone offers their opinions about everything! (Or maybe it's just the perception that everyone is judging you???)

I will persevere!

I read Prodigal Summer last year and thoroughly enjoyed it. I really loved how rich each of the storylines was, and that Kingsolver managed to squeeze in so many topics, from predator management to pesticides, goat farming, chestnut blight, and even religion. And I loved that even though the book has a strong nature focus, the human element is definitely not lost; it doesn’t shy away from the messy realities of human relationships and really digs into the complicated emotions of the characters. Bonus points for having two women scientists as main characters!

I'd encourage you not judge the book by its audio--or audiobooks by this version. The narrator makes a HUGE difference. Sometimes having the author as narrator can work well, especially for memoirs. But more often, I find books narrated by their authors to be a disappointing experience. Professional narration is a really talent. I love audiobooks (about 1/2-2/3 of books I consume) and typically love Kingsolver's fiction, but I think her writing is the type that's best enjoyed slowly with the words in front of you.