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4.07 AVERAGE
4.07 AVERAGE
I couldn't even get through this book (somehow made it halfway). It's a cheap romance that I'd expect to find in the dollar bin. Never been so disappointed in something I really wanted to enjoy. Trust me, read just the first chapter and you'll see what this is all about. The beauty of the nature that the author tries to describe is lost in all the awkward romance. Eddie Bondo, Eddie Bondo, Eddie Bondo. Why does his name have to be said like that over and over? Cant he just be EDDIE or ED! I'm fair to all books, but i'm sorry, this is just plain bad.
This is one of my favorite reads of all time. I think reading it now, in a liminal state, unsure of my future, made me connect with the characters in a more personal way. I highly recommend this book for any nature lovers or for someone trying to figure out their place and purpose in this world. The last paragraph of the book is one that brought me to tears, and one I'll often revisit.
challenging
emotional
funny
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
I loved the way that the story expertly and naturally taught about predators, eco systems, and ethics as part of a beautiful story. The characters were fully fleshed out & each was quirky and lovely in their own way. I love thinking about the continuation of the story: Deanna & Lucca becoming friends and Crystal & Lowell getting to know their grandfather and Nana…The eventual success in breeding American Chestnuts that are blight resistant…. This story will stay with me. Barbara Kingsolver has done it again.
The thoughts of the main characters on things like the interconnectedness of nature, invasive species, natural pest control, etc. echo a lot of my own opinions and made me realize how little I get to have these types of conversations in my daily life now that I am no longer a biology teacher. The themes of the book, combined with likable characters and an overall hopeful tone, really made this one resonate with me in a way I wasn't expecting.
I also wasn’t expecting to love coyotes as much as I do now!
I also wasn’t expecting to love coyotes as much as I do now!
Usually, I don’t read novels twice, but I honestly couldn’t remember if I’d read this one. Once I started, I couldn’t put it down — even though I knew the general shape of the story. Its themes are prescient and even more important these days and oh, so beautifully written. Highly recommend!
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.