Flight Behavior

By: Barbara Kingsolver

Narrated by: Barbara Kingsolver

New York Times Bestseller

""An intricate story that entwines considerations of faith and faithlessness, inquiry, denial, fear and survival in gorgeously conceived metaphor. Kingsolver has constructed a deeply affecting microcosm of a phenomenon that is manifesting in many different tragic ways, in communities and ecosystems all around the globe.” — Seattle Times

A truly stunning and unforgettable work from the extraordinary New York Times bestselling author of The Lacuna (winner of the Orange Prize), The Poisonwood Bible (nominated for the Pulitzer Prize), and Animal, Vegetable, Miracle

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 represents contemporary American fiction at its finest.

Kingsolver's best yet

Would you listen to Flight Behavior again? Why?

I have already listened to sections repeatedly. Kingsolver's style is lyrical and transfixing (especially her description of butterflys/distant wild fire).
Her plot is involved and meaty, this one with a heavy dose of science. As always, Kingsolver shares a deep comitment to current environmental concerns, while detailing the limitations of the farm life and sharing insights into individuals, especially people with limited opportunities.

Who was your favorite character and why?

The heroine was truly that, a complex, tormented woman you cared about as she struggled to understand herself and her choices.

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

This is her best yet. It combines her lyrical style and solid science.

If you could rename Flight Behavior, what would you call it?

It's the perfect title, because the heroine is struggling against temptations to flee and humans are denying scientific reality, so flight behaviors abound.

Any additional comments?

Kingsolver's lyricism and deft insights make her one of America's finest writers.

Another homerun for Barbara Kingsolver!

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

Surprisingly fiction, captivating.

What did you like best about this story?

Barbara Kingsolver crafts yet another amazing and compelling story which is simultaneously complex and incredibly simple. The most shocking component is her ability to craft a work of fiction within the construct of an environmental and biological reality. The growth and arc of the main character is well worth the ride! As with all of her books, I was sad to have it end.

What three words best describe Barbara Kingsolver’s performance?

Word-by-word reading...

If you could rename Flight Behavior, what would you call it?

Funny, but I couldn't keep the title in my head...I kept calling it Flight Risk.

Any additional comments?

Barbara Kingsolver has a wonderful voice, but can be painful to listen to due to her clearly innunciating each word and very slow reading speed. Her reading style was too staccatoed and too intentional with each word painfully articulated and spoken. Each word was read one at a time rather than in a fluid and flowing natural style. In one respect, I loved her reading her own book because I knew I would hear how each word was intended to be heard. However, I think a voice actor would have been much more capitivating. I found her narration so disturbing to listen to from the get-go that I almost considered not listening to it. The story was AMAZING...it's narration was not. Her voices for the different characters were limited and often even slower than the rest of the story, but her voice of Dr. Ovid Byron was fantastic! It is a story I will think about often.

I was surprised

I expected unchained liberalism and had no hope for an author reading her own work. However, she gave a very balanced and perceptive point a view to a very difficult subject. Her reading was excellent. She has a very pleasant voice didn't over dramatize her favorite parts. It was very visual and could make a great movie.

This book should be a wake up call.

What did you love best about Flight Behavior?

I have found this book riveting. Barbara Kingsolve really brings home the effects of global warming. It also demonstrates how our domestic economic policy places struggling farm families between a moral rock and a hard place.

What does Barbara Kingsolver bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

I love being read to in the author's voice.

Amazing writing but not narration

What did you like best about this story?

Luminous writing pulls you in from the beginning. I just wish there was a better narrator than the author.

What three words best describe Barbara Kingsolver’s voice?

She should stick to her day job as a writer and leave the narration to the professionals. I hope Audible will re-record this book with someone else. She did a poor job distinguishing between the character's voice and her accents for Ovid Byron was not convincing.