Play Book Tag discussion

I spent a good portion of a rainy day yesterday in Feathertown, TN with Dellarobia et al. I am still thinking about the book today and how much I enjoyed it. I especially enjoyed the portrayal of these characters navigating a hard life in southern Appalachia. I think Kingsolver did a wonderful job portraying the vast gap between the haves and the have-nots, and the lack of opportunities to find a way to a better place. I felt Dellarobia's loss of hope and how she viewed the walls of her life. I know many found the 2 shopping scenes as unnecessary or too long, but I thought they were brilliant. They offered a sharp direct view into her small life. That was in contrast to the happiness of her children, who like most young children growing up in poverty, have no idea that they have so little. Then, nothing short of a miracle, and she is given the chance to see more, to see beyond the walls, and in my opinion, the path she must take, for herself and her children.

The miracle in this book is a deep crack in the world's ecology which has caused millions of migrating monarch butterflies to settle on the mountain above her husband's family's farm instead of a mountain in Mexico. Of course the scientists see this "miracle" as a measure of the destruction caused by climate change. Then the church gets involved, the media shows up followed by the logging company, the tourists and the tree huggers. Kingsolver's perspective on this issue is never in doubt. She uses the story to paint a picture of climate change and educate the reader about the dire consequences down to the very last page.

This book did have many similar feels and threads as Prodigal Summer. And that book is probably in my forever Top 10. For this reason, I am going with 4 stars right now. But if it stays with me, I might have to bump it up to 5.

AND.... Kingsolver is coming to Asheville in October for a reading from her new and not-yet-released book, Demon Copperhead. I already have my ticket!

I liked this one, too- Kingsolver always chooses interesting subjects for her books, and her viewpoints are very clear!
Have fun at he the reading- I’m so jealous!

Shelly wrote: "I spent a good portion of a rainy day yesterday in Feathertown, TN with Dellarobia et al. I am still thinking about the book today and how much I enjoyed it. I especially enjoyed the portrayal of t..."

Ooh, I'm jealous too! I've always liked her and I like her even more having read her memoirs. I wouldn't normally pick up a non-fiction book about growing food and raising chickens in Appalachia! I loved it, and I truly like and admire her as a person.

I read Flight Behavior when it first came out and it's one of my favorites. I've learned something interesting from every Kingsolver book I read, and enjoyed the process. I never view it as preaching. It's teaching. Though I'm reluctant to read Unsheltered based on the reviews by PBTers who otherwise like her.

Tracy wrote: "I liked this one, too- Kingsolver always chooses interesting subjects for her books, and her viewpoints are very clear!
Have fun at he the reading- I’m so jealous!"

I attended her reading and interview on publication day of Unsheltered - a ticketed event in NYC. It was wonderful - completely recognizable as the person who wrote those books, approachable and interesting.

You will have a wonderful time!