Prodigal Summer: A Novel

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Summary: Kingsolver is the queen bee!!
Review: I liked this book even better than the Poisonwood Bible. The subject matter appealed to me because I enjoy reading about animals, nature and conservation...and the way Kingsolver wove these subjects into the lives of her characters was nothing short of ingenious. What a great book to have characters like Deanna, Luca, Nannie and Jewel to care about and learn from at the same time...I couldn't put it down.

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Summary: Mixed feelings about this one
Review: I've read and liked all of Barbara Kingsolver's books. One might think that the subject of this one (saving one little corner of the world from pesticides and killers of endangered species) would appeal to me even more than other readers as I have chemical sensitivities, acquired, probably, from exposure to pesticides. I felt that I was being force-fed an agenda, however, and as much as I liked the characters, I resented being reminded not so subtly about the dangers of pesticides and coyote hunters. That said, Kingsolver still manages to weave the lives of three interesting people together in an intriguing way, and I was sorry when the book ended.

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Summary: Godhead of Writing!
Review: Barbara must have a direct connection to the heavens, I feel as I float through her stories, never concious that I am reading, and as a nature lover, saying, right on, the entire time. If you enjoy her work check out a book by - Curtiss De Vedrine.

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Summary: Another Kingsolver Classic
Review: As a Kingsolver fan since "Animal Dreams" and "Bean Trees" right through "Poisonwood Bible" (I even taught "Pigs in Heaven"), this latest effort seems to me to continue the evolution of one of the best contemporary American authors. This book takes us back to a setting Kingsolver thrives in, a place where people battle themselves and their environment to find peace and belonging. She draws on the Native American themes of her earlier books, and the more worldly, religious messages of her later efforts, but she raises her prose to a new level. The characters are accessible and worth caring about, and their stories are ours in the truest sense. It is a mesmerizing read.

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Summary: BARBARA KINGSOLVER OPENS UP ANOTHER CORNER OF THE WORLD
Review: I HAVE BEEN HONORED TO MEET BARBARA KINGSOLVER...HER PASSION FOR WRITING KEEPS SHINING EVERY TIME SHE WEAVES ANOTHER TALE... IN A SMALL RURAL COMMUNITY OF KENTUCKY LIVES ARE CONNECTED BY BLOOD, BY FATE, BY CIRCUMSTANCE...SEPERATE SCENARIOS PLAY OUT & EVENTUALLY INTERTWINE TO GIFT EACH OTHER ....

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Summary: her best
Review: One of those books you wish would never end, and so perfect that it doesn't --- you know what will happen later to your new favorite people.

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Summary: Sensual and compelling
Review: This audio book, read beautifully by the author, is compelling, poetic and sensual. It's a book of the senses, where we hear the katydids harsh and over-loud in the summer night, and feel the humid heat of a time of procreative fullness. The language of the place and the characters lends a rhythm to the whole, which Kingsolver's reading does justice to. The three main stories, interwoven by characters as well as theme, are complex and memorable, and she has brought us the sense of isolation and also community that all of us suffer from. A fascinating and enviable accomplishment.

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Summary: nothing prodigious here
Review: i haven't been this disappointed in a book in quite some time. there was nothing complex, nothing moving...nothing prodigious about this novel. it was a painful read...the sex trashy, the relationships for the most part underdeveloped...the most promising characters too peripheral for my tastes. it didn't feel like kingsolver at all. and the worst thing? this novel was too easy...far too transparent, maps drawn neatly across the pages as though the reader needed a forest services-esque guide to "get it". i found this book lacking in meaning, depth and breadth. i had to re-read The Poisonwood Bible, The Bean Trees, Pigs in Heaven and High Tide in Tucson just to feel better about having wasted my time.

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Summary: beautiful, serene and powerful
Review: It was a cold winter's day, it was raining cats and dogs and it was my day off, I stayed in bed and could not stop reading this beautiful book. It was all about nature, love, three amazing women and some amazing men. I loved them all. I think this is kingsolver's best. Just the right book when you want to lose yourself in another world. I was completely overtaken by the strong relationships being developed in every page. I thought the characters were so very human, with their fears and needs and thoughts. For me it was a fantastic day in bed. When I had finished the book I was teary, sad, longing, missing, smiling, full of energy, and I couldn't get the book out of my mind for days after.

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Summary: Kingsolver Pushes Her Agenda
Review: I am a long time Kingsolver fan, but found this book thoroughly disappointing. Flat, predictable characters spouting repitious environmentalist propaganda is not my idea of a good read. I'm from Kentucky farm country and believe in the cause wholeheartedly; I just didn't find the delivery interesting. If you're just getting introduced to Barbara Kingsolver, do yourself a favor and read her other books first. I gave it two stars because I finished it.