Flight Behavior

By: Barbara Kingsolver

Narrated by: Barbara Kingsolver

Length: 16 hrs and 56 mins

Publisher's summary

New York Times best seller

Indie best seller

Barnes & Noble best seller

National best seller

Amazon Best Book of the Month

Indie Next Pick

Best book of the year: New York Times Notable, Washington Post Notable, Amazon Editor’s Choice, USA Today’s Top Ten (#1), St. Louis Post-Dispatch, Kansas City Star

Prize-winning author: Pulitzer Prize Finalist, Dayton Literary Peace Prize (Richard C. Holbrooke Distinguished Achievement Award), Orange Prize for Fiction

Prize-winning author: National Humanities Medal, Pulitzer Prize Finalist, Orange Prize for Fiction, Dayton Literary Peace Prize (Richard C. Holbrooke Distinguished Achievement Award)

"Kingsolver is a gifted magician of words." (Time)

The extraordinary New York Times best-selling author of The Lacuna (winner of the Orange Prize), The Poisonwood Bible (nominated for the Pulitzer Prize), and Animal, Vegetable, Miracle, Barbara Kingsolver returns with a truly stunning and unforgettable work.

Flight Behavior is a brilliant and suspenseful novel set in present day Appalachia; a breathtaking parable of catastrophe and denial that explores how the complexities we inevitably encounter in life lead us to believe in our particular chosen truths. Kingsolver's riveting story concerns a young wife and mother on a failing farm in rural Tennessee who experiences something she cannot explain, and how her discovery energizes various competing factions - religious leaders, climate scientists, environmentalists, politicians - trapping her in the center of the conflict and ultimately opening up her world.

Flight Behavior is arguably Kingsolver's most thrilling and accessible novel to date, and like so many other of her acclaimed works, represents contemporary American fiction at its finest.

©2012 Barbara Kingsolver (P)2012 HarperCollins Publishers

Wonderful storytelling

I loved the simple yet profoundly human story of this family and its struggles. The dialogue is spot on. Great narration. Great book.

Thought provoking novel by a gifted author.

This book, by an author I was happy to find again after reading The Bean Trees in college, has given me pause. Though at times there was more detail than I wanted or felt I needed, it was a wonderful story that has caused me to stop and think about how I live in the world.

She's done it again!

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

Kingsolver has outdone herself with the narrative of this book. I had the characters voice in my head for days after finishing.

What did you like best about this story?

The introspection of the main character and how easily we all misinterpret each other.

Which character – as performed by Barbara Kingsolver – was your favorite?

Dellarubia was my personal favourite, but she gave all the characters appeal that you could relate to.

If you could take any character from Flight Behavior out to dinner, who would it be and why?

Dellarubia and her husband, I'd like to get to know both of them and maybe Ovid too so I could watch the interaction.

Another wonderful book from Barbara Kingsolver

I have loved Barbara Kingsolver’s writing for years, so was excited about this new novel. As always, her characters are as engaging as the plot is riveting. This book also has messages that are timely and timeless.

Review

I didn't like Dellarobia. But the main character doesn't always have to be the good guy. Hood story!

A beautiful, unforgetable work of art.

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

Absolutely. Barbara Kingsolver's book is an eyeopener. A wonderful story with detail, observation and insight. A cast of characters thrown together because of a beautiful, yet foreboding aberration of nature. As you move through the story with Dellarobia, you see her understanding of her life and the world shift.

What did you like best about this story?

I love the way the story is written; the way the sentences are put together is like poetry. The observations and descriptions are startling. She goes from capturing the day to day life of a mother with young children to describing the work of a field biologist seamlessly.

What about Barbara Kingsolver’s performance did you like?

At first, I felt frustrated by the pace of the reading, but after a while, I enjoyed the way she read each sentence in a way that lets you really appreciate the her style of writing. I also like how her accent gives the book a sense of place; not only does the dialog sound Southern, but the descriptions do as well.

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

A couple of them: When she is in the dollar store with her husband trying to find something they can afford for their kids and with Hester in the car near the end of the book. Also, when she realizes the idea that the butterflies are more than a collection of individuals, they are an entire species, dependent on each other. They can't be saved one at a time.

No spoilers.

Any additional comments?

It is hard to move on to another book after this one. I felt the same way about Poisonwood Bible. Even after listening to this, I am planning to buy the book so I can reread it and keep it.

Kingsolver

Would you listen to Flight Behavior again? Why?

No, I don't feel like I would need to listen to it again. I rarely re-read books unless I feel like there were a lot of layers or details I may not have picked up the first time. At the speed Kingsolver read, it was hard to miss anything. But I would definitely recommend it.

What was one of the most memorable moments of Flight Behavior?

There are too many to count. Kingsolver does an amazing job (as always) vividly describing beautiful and important moments.

Which character – as performed by Barbara Kingsolver – was your favorite?

Josephina. I am not a Spanish speaker, so to the untrained ear, I was impressed by her accent.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

Not necessarily. I savored it, but I found myself wanting to see what happened next.

Any additional comments?

The story was great. But it was a little slow. From the books I've read of hers, she tends to steer towards unraveling details a little slowly. I found myself being impatient, wanting her to get to the point. That being said, she does unravel the details in a very intentional and elegant way. That would be my only reason for giving it a 4 out of 5.

Lessons Learned

in unexpected, remarkable ways, from family dynamics to the environment, mothering babies to Mother Earth - a worthwhile lesson on life

A 2012 book that remains even more relevant today

I am a Barbara Kingsovler fan, but I came to her late in the game. As a result I've done a lot of reading just to get somewhat caught up. I love how no matter what topic, her thoughts and writing never cease to be relevant to what is currently happening in our lives! I absolutely love the science of this book and her magic ability to weave science in between human emotions and relationships! It's a long read, but listening to the author's narrative, as always, seems to bring the book to an end sooner than wanted!!

Deep and full of meaning.

This book is fabulous. Of course, I love Barbara Kingsolver. She makes it impossible to read other lesser authors. I put her in the same class as Steinbeck and Anthony Doerr. The symbolism, the visualization of the countryside--everything is beautifully written.