Couldn't make it past page 22. NOT my cup of tea. Its the first time I've ever not forced myself to finish a book I started. Too corny, even for me (and I like corny). Starts with a girl who secludes herself for 2 years from all people and lo/behold a handsome rugged man appears and why oh why does she feel a tingling in her loins? Could she really like this guy? Please. Sorry to Kingsolver fans, I've heard good things but for me it wasn't this one.

This novel is not so much plotted as woven, and the result is an intricate, sensual tapestry about every organism's drive to replicate itself. You may never look at a flower in quite the same light after you read this one! It's also the story of three women adapting to changes in their lives and returning to that dance of life when they thought they had left the floor. Outstanding, as Kingsolver's novels always are.

I liked just about everything about this book beginning with the setting - the farms, mountains and remote wilderness areas of southern Appalachia in the summertime. In this beautifully written novel Barbara Kingsolver writes with fascinating detail about the lushness of the natural world, providing us with one amazing fact after another about how perfectly balanced nature is in terms of the food chain, prey and predator, and the way nature keeps reproducing itself from season to season, year after year unless we human beings interfere in the process. Set against this backdrop, Prodigal Summer tells the stories of three intriguing protaganists - each of them outsiders in one way or another, who are connected to each other in different ways. Their stories unfold along side each other under three separate chapter headings (Predators, Moth Love,and Old Chestuts) that keep reappearing throughout the novel as we gradually become aware of how their lives are connected. Ultimately, this is a novel about the way all things are connected to one another and how it is that for humans love - in it's many forms - is the strongest connection of all.

Unoriginal writing and trite message. For the life of me, I cannot understand what the fuss is about this book. The stories moved slow, the writing was cumbersome and seemed like something fresh out of a writing seminar - too dense to be of any good to anyone.

The "she" is Deanna Wolfe, a wildlife biologist observing the coyotes from her isolated aerie--isolated, that is, until the arrival of a young hunter who makes her even more aware of the truth that humans are only an infinitesimal portion in the ecological balance. This truth forms the axis around which the other two narratives revolve: the story of a city girl, entomologist, and new widow and her efforts to find a place for herself; and the story of Garnett Walker and Nannie Rawley, who seem bent on thrashing out the countless intimate lessons of biology as only an irascible traditional farmer and a devotee of organic agriculture can. As Nannie lectures Garnett, "Everything alive is connected to every other by fine, invisible threads. Things you don't see can help you plenty, and things you try to control will often rear back and bite you, and that's the moral of the story."

Three stories of human love woven together within a larger tapestry of lives inhabiting the mountains and struggling small farms of southern Appalachia.

A powerful, descriptive book.

This is one of my all time favorite books! I highly recommend this for anyone who is looking for a "great escape." Barbara Kingsolver is one of the best and most descriptive writer I have ever had the pleasure to read. You will literally get lost in this book. It is beautiful.

After reading this one, I looked for others by this author and found The Poisonwood Bible. I enjoyed that one just as much, and maybe even more. It spans approximately 50 years in the lives of a family, who find themselves trying to survive in South Africa where the father has been sent as a minister. It is an incredible and emotional story that stayed with me for weeks afterwards. The story also made me rethink my values and views. If you like to read and you like to be challenged mentally, you will not be disappointed reading Barbara Kingsolver.

We read this book for our book club. I was pleasantly surprised. It was the first book that we read that everyone liked. The 3 story lines are all quite interesting. Lovely description of the local area. When the books finishes you wish there was a sequal.

This was a beautifully written, multilayered novel about the interrelatedness of all things. Through the eyes of three characters in southern Appalachia over the course of a summer, we are reminded of the rhythms of nature and of the effects that humans unwittingly have on ecological systems. The author also displays an understanding of family and community dynamics, which are often a mess of misunderstandings, love, resentment, and support all at once. Definitely recommended.

There is no one in contemporary literature quite like Barbara Kingsolver. Her dialogue sparkles with sassy wit and earthy poetry; her descriptions are rooted in daily life but are also on familiar terms with the eternal.

Read All Book Reviews of "Prodigal Summer"

Loved this book. Excellent writing style. I couldn't put the book down and looked forward to reading it constantly. Went out and bought another Kingsolver immediately after finishing. Highly recommend it!

I cannot understand why the negative reviews were shown first. This was an exquisite book. For me it was like savoring a fine meal or wine. It took me forever to read because I didn't want it to end. My reading list totals over 5,000 books. They were gleaned from many different genres in over sixty years and I can assure you this one should not be missed. Normally I am finished with a book over a few hours this book was savored over days. You owe it to yourself to read at least once.

I love the characters in this book. I love their romances. It's been a while since I read this book so that's all I can say.

Very good book....heavy, not an easy read.

Over the course of one humid summer, as the urge to procreate overtakes the countryside, these characters find their connections to one another and to the flora and fauna with whom they share a place. With the complexity that characterizes Barbara Kingsolver's finest work, Prodigal Summer embraces pure thematic originality and demonstrates a balance of narrative, drama, and ideas that render it an inspiring work of fiction.

Love this book. Well written. Lots of info about insects, coyotes, human life thrown together. A book that inspires.

I did not find this to be an easy read. However, I was engrossed by the various storylines and really enjoyed each page.

This book is a couple of different stories that all intertwine with each other. I found it to be absolutely fantastic and kept me captivated. A very good read.

Good book. Enjoyable. Interesting three story lines of characters that live close together and are loosely tied to each other.

She's an amazing author. This book really brought out the beauty of nature and our relationship to it.

Read All Book Reviews of "Prodigal Summer"