Prodigal Summer

[Momo]

Barbara Kingsolver - Prodigal Summer - 2001Synopsis
Three interwoven love stories set in the Appalachian farmlands, US. The first - involving a reclusive wildlife ranger and a young hunter, the second, a young widow taking over her husbands farm, and the third - between two old cantankerous farmers, one a traditional farmer and the other organic. As always with Kingsolver, nature and the environment rule!So far, I have liked all of Barbara Kingsolver's books that I've read. I like her style, the way her characters come alive. It involves a lot of family history, the different people in the book all seem to have some links to each other, but there is also quite a bit about nature protection which I liked a lot but others have found a little "too much".
Anyway, if you are a fan of Barbara Kingsolver and similar writers, you will like this one, as well. A book that gives you a nice feeling.

(thread first started 24.03.06)

[Momo]

Rescued thread:25th April 2006, 05:47 PM
Volvican
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Join Date: Apr 2006
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The Poisonwood Bible is one of my all-time favourites and I was looking forward to reading something else of hers. I do enjoy how she writes her woman characters and I did enjoy the book overall, but I felt it didn't reach the heights that Poisonwood did.25th April 2006, 07:41 PM
megustaleer
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Poisonwood Bible thread here (http://www.bookgrouponline.com/forum/showthread.html?p=23695&posted=1#post23695)26th April 2006, 04:45 PM
Viccie
Member
Join Date: Mar 2005
Posts: 65

I loved this, it was the first of Kingsolver's books I'd read and I picked it up in a hurry in a charity shop to take back to France so when i started it I had no pre-conceptions at all. I was blown away by the energy of her writing and couldn't put it down and will never see coyotes in the same light again.

It's far from faultless but a book I'd reccomend to anyone.

[FirelightSpirit]

Just finished this.

I loved how all the characters related to each other in the end and the discussions about preservation, but I did feel that parts of it moved very slowly, particularly the early sections about Garnett and Nannie. I just thought they became more vibrant characters when they were face to face, rather than when he was just watching her.

I love the way Kingsolver writes women. Deanna and Lusa are such powerful characters, but even the men surrounding them have their interest for me. Kingsolver is very good at writing interactions between men and women, and you can picture what she doesn't say just as easily as what she does.

Prodigal Summer is a very sensual book. The setting comes alive through the descriptions and discussions of all the insects, animals and the stories of the lives of the characters.

I do think The Poisonwood Bible is better, but I just love Kingsolver's writing.

[Ang]

Based on this, I think I'll try The Poisonwood Bible. I loved Prodigal Summer, but I didn't like Animal Dreams at all, so I wasn't sure whether to try it.

[Momo]

I love the way Kingsolver writes women. Deanna and Lusa are such powerful characters, but even the men surrounding them have their interest for me. Kingsolver is very good at writing interactions between men and women, and you can picture what she doesn't say just as easily as what she does.True, she is just such a good writer, she can describe any character so well.Based on this, I think I'll try The Poisonwood Bible. I loved Prodigal Summer, but I didn't like Animal Dreams at all, so I wasn't sure whether to try it.Oh, do, if you loved Prodigal Summer you're bound to love The Poisonwood Bible, too.