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4.07 AVERAGE
4.07 AVERAGE
I started this book years ago and couldn't get engaged in the story. This time I listened to the audiobook and completely fell in love with it! The characters are beautiful, set within the lush wildlife of Appalachia, and I became utterly absorbed in their lives. The three central characters, Lusa, Garnett, and Deanna, have come to Zebulon Mountain from different paths and for different reasons, but each has a special connection to the environment. Southern Appalachia becomes another character weaving through each narrative. Nature is boisterously and beautifully evoked here, though I imagine the novel resonates more with readers already drawn to wilderness tales.
The book tells the tale of three people over the course of one summer in the Appalachians: Deanna, a woman who after the dissolution of her marriage becomes a hermit-like wildlife ranger on a mountain outside her hometown; Lusa, a highly-educated woman who finds herself feeling lost as a farmer's wife; and Garnett, a crusty old farmer who is constantly in conflict with his neighbor.
I loved Kingsolver's descriptions of nature. They are the best part of the novel. I also like how observant she is about human relationships, especially in complicated families.
She has a very heavy environmental agenda in the book, and while I relate to where she's coming from, I felt the book got preachy in a few spots, and the pace bogged down in those spots as well, as she tried to shoehorn her message into the dialogue between characters. Aside from that, I really did like this book and enjoy Kingsolver as a writer in general. I'll be reading more of her novels.
I loved Kingsolver's descriptions of nature. They are the best part of the novel. I also like how observant she is about human relationships, especially in complicated families.
She has a very heavy environmental agenda in the book, and while I relate to where she's coming from, I felt the book got preachy in a few spots, and the pace bogged down in those spots as well, as she tried to shoehorn her message into the dialogue between characters. Aside from that, I really did like this book and enjoy Kingsolver as a writer in general. I'll be reading more of her novels.
emotional
funny
reflective
relaxing
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Another winner here from a woman who is fast becoming a personal favorite of mine. This one takes its time to build up its narrative and that is what I loved the most about it. Kingsolver is such an authentic writer and here, I could really tell that she was taking her time with the characters and allowing the reader to get fully absorbed into their stories. By the end, I genuinely cared about each and every character in this book and wanted to see them happy. The end of the book was absolutely beautiful and did a great job of tying all the threads together without seeming implausible or ridiculous. After I finished this book, I felt such a profound sense of sadness that it was over and that I would never get to read about these characters ever again. That, to me, is the mark of a great work of literature. Kingsolver has crafted another masterpiece and one that will stay with me for a long time to come. This is a beautiful, lyrical, haunting story.
Intriguing stories that end up intertwined in unexpected ways. The book includes subtle lessons on respecting Mother Nature without being too "earthy crunchy". Another great read from Barbara Kingsolver!
Barbara Kingsolver is so good at writing female characters
emotional
hopeful
reflective
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
emotional
hopeful
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
sad
medium-paced