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

One of the finest books I've ever read.

This book appeals to me as a mother, a citizen of the earth, and a lover of fine literature. I've read it once and listened to it twice.......more to come I'm sure.

Global warming and young mother coming of age.

What made the experience of listening to Flight Behavior the most enjoyable?

The biology of the butterfly's and the main character coming of age story.

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

The scientist explanation of the effects of global warming.

What three words best describe Barbara Kingsolver’s performance?

Effects of global warming.

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

No but I did think she tried to do to much - global warming; the evolution of a shot gun wedding and the coping with poverty.

Any additional comments?

It is a good story but it really could be at least two books.

Barbara Kingsolver as narrator

What about Barbara Kingsolver’s performance did you like?

I loved Barbara Kingsolver as narrator. Her Appalachian twang, intonation, and emotion were perfect. I must admit I listened at 1.25 speed which helped immensely.

Any additional comments?

There was more to the book than just a plot. The author clearly researched her subject and it was an interesting learning experience,

Another Kingsolver classic

I listened to the audible edition of this book and love the way Kingsolver reads her own works. She is a master that holds the listener with "rapt attention." It is a real treat to hear her narrate.

After reading two previous novels by Kingsolver, as well as two volumes of her essays and Animal, Vegetable, Miracle, I feel that her writing portrays a depth of thinking and passion unlike many popular writers. Her ability to weave a story that contains an important message and realistic characters facing realistic circumstance is to be admired. As I’ve said before in other reviews, I do not always agree with Kingsolver’s position on certain political points but I admire the way she thinks. She brings intelligence and emotion into the perfect, most delicate balance and truly shows the sensibilities of a strong, loving woman, mother and wife.
Flight Behavior kept me engaged from start to finish. The story of Dellarobia Turnbow honestly portrays a certain type of person who in one way doesn’t seem to be real but in the other is the woman who just lives right down the road here in southern Appalachia. Dellarobia’s complicated life and even more complicated family turmoil carries the story forward and has the reader cheering for her along the way but we are never sure until the end how Dellarobia is changed by the “miracle” she witnesses.
I was sad to see the book end and sad, yet satisfied with the ending of the book. While I don’t agree 100 percent with all of Kingsolver’s ideologies, she communicates what she feels important in the most eloquent of ways through her well-written, emotional prose that carries the reader along the lines with a real purpose in her prose.

My new favorite

What about Barbara Kingsolver’s performance did you like?

I liked the reading by the author.

Any additional comments?

I enjoyed the contemporary subject matter and technology. Thank you to Barbara Kingsolver for the research she did to put together this story in a believable way. Besides the science, she talked about scientists in a respectful way. I also liked her story of the family.

Best when read by author

Would you consider the audio edition of Flight Behavior to be better than the print version?

Better might be difficult to discern. I might have read it with a Tennessee accent in my mind if reading, but Barbara wrote the words so the full intent of the phrasing came through beautifully.

What other book might you compare Flight Behavior to and why?

The Language of Flowers. The main characters in both books had troubling childhoods with little parental supervision hence they had to work much harder at making the relationships in their lives work.

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

Hester was a favorite because her sarcasm gave her just the right piss and vinager to make her personal confession near the end seem real and sincere.

Who was the most memorable character of Flight Behavior and why?

Ovid was to me the figure who stood out. An educator, devoted to his "flocks of subjects" was so very dedicated to his work and wife that he never even noticed that he was the source of much adulation.

Any additional comments?

Loved having this book read to me by the author. I would love it if more authors has the voice to do it.

Worth it

Kingsolver explores human nature in this novel in more thorough and sadly fascinating way than anyone else I have ever read.

Lovely!

What made the experience of listening to Flight Behavior the most enjoyable?

I loved the main character, how she evolves, and how she reconciles her reality and dreams.

What about Barbara Kingsolver’s performance did you like?

Her voice is very sweet and pretty. She paced the reading well.

Any additional comments?

I love this author. Her stories and characters are complex and easy to to relate to.

Probably better in print than audio

The story was very engaging. I find it disappointing how Christianity takes a hit with some mocking of the faith. Not all Christians ignore global warming. I did have to listen to it at 1.25x speed. While Kingsolver's narration is pleasant, and her voice is appealing, she annunciates every syllable to a maddening degree. Most of the time it seemed at normal pace while listening at 1.25x speed.

Beautifully written book, beautifully delivered.

If you could sum up Flight Behavior in three words, what would they be?

illuminates the process of widening one's life

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

All of the passages about Dellarobbia's children are so authentic, believable and sweet.

Have you listened to any of Barbara Kingsolver’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

I have not listened to any of Barbara Kingsolver's books, but I have read them. This one was not as funny and readable as The Bean Trees or Pigs in Heaven, but is wonderful in its own way.