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Flight Behavior  By  cover art

Flight Behavior

By: Barbara Kingsolver
Narrated by: Barbara Kingsolver
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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

Featured Article: The 20 Best Audiobooks Read by the Author


There’s an undeniable authenticity in a listen that’s told by the very person who penned it. From iconic memoirs to far-out fantasies, these immersive audio performances are uniquely genuine, all performed in the author’s own voice. If you want to experience how special it can be to listen to a narrative exactly the way it was intended, check out our list of the 20 best audiobooks read by their authors.

What listeners say about Flight Behavior

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

A poignant literary work of art.

I'll admit, I was a bit worried when I started this book. I was afraid that this story would not measure up to Kingsolver's other book, one of my favorites, "The Poisonwood Bible" and I did not, from the get go, like the narration.But somehow, before I knew it, I was mesmerized by the narration AND the story. Kingsolver not only delivers a beautiful and poignant story, but her literary finesse always captivates me! This is NOT a fast-actioned book or even a romance novel, so if you do not like long books that are subtle and slower-paced, this is NOT the book for you. However, if, like me, you enjoy books that get "inside" of you and leave you empty when you 'turn' the last page, then this is the book for you.

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124 people found this helpful

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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
  • mj
  • 11-28-12

Tough Message Delivered in Silk

This book is a compelling story that ties in so beautifully with the human condition and natural world dilemma. Kingsolver bridges the gap of communication between social, political and academic cultures in this country through the eyes of a truly remarkable Kingsolverian character. She paints with words a world so precious and so precarious that I'm torn in two listening to it.

Kingsolver herself narrates this wonder like she's been on stage her entire life. Who but she would know these people so spectacularly well but how often does an author live up to the challenge? This was one of the best books I've ever read.

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82 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars

What if that Butterfly is Mothra?

The Butterfly Effect, aka The Chaos Theory; the flapping of a delicate butterfly wing changes the course of a hurricane--Kingsolver amps it up throwing Man into the equation creating a fictional scenario of climate change and global chaos (based on actual recent events) that asks again whether or not we grasp our world and our 'sensitive dependence'.

Kingsolver, her writing as lovely as ever, seems to have settled on her mission to be a bellwether for social justice and perserving our ecology (her books could be stacked and become a worthy pulpit for her to deliver her message). This story is heavy with metaphors as the butterflies go through their life cycle and antagonist Dellarobia experiences her own metamorphosis. Kingsolver's moralizing fits in conveniently as Dellarobia questions not only "the end of the world", but her "911 Christian" status, the class system in her small town, and her own stifling marriage.

I'll always read anything by Kingsolver and I admire her choice to use her art for a cause, but I would selfishly love another Poisonwood Bible--something lighter on the moralizing--along the lines of Requiem for a Species meets Cat's Cradle or The Year of the Flood--then back to tackling politics, biodiversity, social injustice. Flight Behavior wasn't my favorite, it would have been just as interesting with about half the butterfly facts, (and I think I could now midwife a lamb), but it has a message that can't be shouted loud enough, and it was time well spent.




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56 people found this helpful

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    3 out of 5 stars
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    2 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars

Why must the author also read?

Would you say that listening to this book was time well-spent? Why or why not?

I love Kingsolver's books, but I wish she would let an actor read them. She is a fantastic writer, but aside from her memoir, why not let the stories be even more enhanced by a professional reader? Someone who can do male/female, young/old; someone who can transport and allow the listener to get completely transported into the story. I found myself often distracted by this; especially the attempts to do the Caribbean accent. I mean, she is fine, but why not have a great actor read a great book?

What did you like best about this story?

Issues of class, culture, the environment.

What didn’t you like about Barbara Kingsolver’s performance?

She isn't a professional reader; I wish she would let others read her books. It is fine to hear at a reading in a bookstore, but her voice just really bugged me. I only finished because I became wrapped up in the story, she is a great writer.

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54 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
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    1 out of 5 stars
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    3 out of 5 stars

Authors should write. Narrators should read.

Barbara Kingsolver is one of the great writers of her generation. Why does she insist on recording her own audiobooks?! Her voice is monotonous and causes the reader (or at least this one) to loose the thread of what is almost always an engaging storyline.

Each time I download a new Kingsolver book I hope I will have a more positive response to her narration. Instead I find these are great narrations for easing me into my Sunday afternoon nap.

We should all play to our strengths, and allow others play to theirs. Dear Ms. Kingsolver please spend your valuable time writing more books, and allow narrators and actors to record them.

Sincerely,
A fan of your writing.

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44 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

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.

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42 people found this helpful

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    4 out of 5 stars
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Another great Kingsolver story

Let me start by saying that I am a Kingsolver fan. I'm not bothered by her liberal leanings and tendency to tackle social issues - in fact, it is part of what I love about her writing. Kingsolver is able to articulate some of the most important issues of our day in ways that are multifaceted. Furthermore, she explores them through characters we come to care about, that give the issues relevancy to lives, not just abstract theoretical value.

So, does this book hammer home the need to pay attention to and try to do something to address and ameliorate the effects of climate change? Yes. But it is done in a way that calls up deep societal divides and differences regarding what that means - the cultural territories staked out by various sides - with empathy for the passion and urgencies of each faction.

More importantly, it is a good story with compelling characters that pushes the reader/listener to reflect on her/his own position in the cultural ecology.

I love listening to Kingsolver read her own work. I think her voice is perfect for the main character - although I think the few characters that required unusual accents stretched her skills a bit. It was not enough of a problem to distract me from the story.

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36 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
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    3 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

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.

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  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars
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More Beautiful Storytelling From Kingsolver

I've read everything in print from Kingsolver. The biggest knock I've had on BK is that her writing is as good as it gets, but her stories (with the exception of Poisonwood Bible) typically do not have a lot of content and are not all that interesting. Beautiful to read - just not always that interesting.

Flight is typical of BK in that it is beautiful to read - but different in the sense that her main character is very well developed (a young, married mother of two young children, who wants more out of life), she shares a lot of insights about life (especially about young, mismatched newlyweds and the aspirations of young mothers who put their dreams on hold to raise children), and she draws attention to the risk of ecological disaster (in this case using the conceit of stranded Monarch butterflies).

Although this book was never a page turner - I always looked forward to reading it and never felt bored or restless. She is simply too beautiful and insightful of a writer to leave you uninterested.

Surprisingly, BK disproved the usual rule that authors should not narrate their own books. Although she does not have the chops of a professional narrator, she did an above average job of narrating and she had the obvious advantage of knowing exactly how she wanted each character to sound.

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32 people found this helpful

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    5 out of 5 stars
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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.

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