Prodigal Summer

De: Barbara Kingsolver

Narrado por: Barbara Kingsolver

National Bestseller

“A blend of breathtaking artistry, encyclopedic knowledge of the natural world. . . and ardent commitment to the supremacy of nature.” — San Francisco Chronicle

In this beautiful novel, Barbara Kingsolver, acclaimed author of The Poisonwood Bible and the Pulitzer-Prize winning Demon Copperhead, and recipient of the National Book Foundation's Medal for Distinguish Contribution to American Letters, weaves together three stories of human love within a larger tapestry of lives inhabiting the forested mountains and struggling small farms of southern Appalachia.

Over the course of one humid summer, as the urge to procreate overtakes the lush countryside, this novel's intriguing protagonists—a reclusive wildlife biologist, a young farmer's wife marooned far from home, and a pair of elderly, feuding neighbors—face disparate predicaments but find connections to one another and to the flora and fauna with whom they necessarily share a place. Their discoveries are embedded inside countless intimate lessons of biology, the realities of small farming, and the final, urgent truth that humans are only one piece of life on earth.

Prodigal Summer is a hymn to wildness that celebrates the prodigal spirit of human nature, and of nature itself.

The Bird Tweets Ruined It

I love Barbara Kingsover, so when I saw she, herself, was reading this one, I was excited. It took me a second to get used to her accents, but once I did, I really enjoyed her soft, southern voice. HOWEVER!!!! Someone thought they were being creative or something and added the wretched bird cheeps and tweets at the end and beginning of each chapter. It wouldn't be a big deal, except the volume on about four of them is so much higher than anything else, it practically blows out my eardrum. I ave to wear headphones, so these loud cheeps are physically painful. About Chapter 3, I realized I was going to have to turn down the sound, wait for the four loud squawks, and then turn the volume up again. That totally screws up the flow. I enjoyed the book, but the bird sounds ruined it for me. And my ears. :/

wonderful

A wonderful book which should have won the Orange Prize read very well.

my favorite

I'm a fan of all of Kingsolver's work, but this delicious novel remains my favorite. beautifully written and read by the author. a jewel

Actually thought of quitting after the 1st hour!

Decided to trust my original decision to read it and then couldn’t put it down.
Oh, I hope for a sequel now! Please please please!

Fun but weird

If you could sum up Prodigal Summer in three words, what would they be?

Great for nature lovers!

Who was your favorite character and why?

Lusa. I like who she becomes after the situation with her husband. I like how she talks to people.

What about Barbara Kingsolver’s performance did you like?

I think she did a good job. Some reviewers did not like her voice, but I thought it was fine.

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

Garnet. He's a loser for ignoring his grandchildren all these years! He needs someone to kick him in the behind. If grandparents think that grandchildren are responsible for the relationship they are mistaken and will be sorely disappointed.

Any additional comments?

Spoiler. Lots of sex. Mostly "extra marital," with detailed descriptions, which I find unnecessary. I like to know these things when I choose a book. Not much bad language. I like to know that too. I found the author to be a little over the edge with her apparent obsession with large age difference relationships - including an aunt/nephew thing. Weird.