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Prodigal Summer

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Prodigal Summer

By: Barbara Kingsolver
Narrated by: Barbara Kingsolver
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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.

 Classics Fiction Genre Fiction Literary Fiction Political Psychological Small Town & Rural
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Such a beautiful interwoven trio of stories set in Appalachia. Both perfectly written and narrated by Barbara Kingsolver. Her voice is so calming and sweet. Some parts were a bit horrible in terms of animal nature and destruction but it’s obvious she has carefully researched these topics.

Brilliant Barbara

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I love this book. I agree with BK, I really wanted Wile E. Coyote to get Road Runner. Thanks for beautiful writing!!

Coyote

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Beautifully descriptive as always with Barbara. Definitely a great read for the nature lover and those interested in ecology.

An Enjoyable Read

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This is a story that I keep going back to. Love the narration and characters.

One of my favourites

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From the first paragraph Barbara Kingsolver draws us into the mesmerising natural world of the Appalachian Mountains, and the finely observed relationships of various land holders.

Reading herself, Kingsolver nails the idiosyncratic turns of phrase, subtle humour and speech rhythms of hillbilly tobacco farmers and wildlife rangers.

I loved the birdsong recordings at the start of each chapter and all the meditations on the interconnected web of nature, the special place of apex predators and the harm indiscriminate pesticides wreak.

Anyone who loves to read about strong, smart women and who lives nature will be swept away.

Lyrical thoroughly engrossing

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