Barbara Kingsolver‘s Prodigal Summer (2000) is a lovely book. But it’s Kingsolver: we expect no less. There are three adjacent plot lines throughout the book: each chapter, save one, is titled Predators, Old Chestnuts, or Moth Love, and while the characters are either related or known to each other, the storylines never truly overlap.
The characters are compelling, and the depth of emotional insight that Kingsolver displays is remarkable; again, we expect no less. This is also very much a novel of place: the single mountain and valley in Tennessee that holds the action is as much a character as any of the humans, as are the animals, especially the moths and a wayward pack of coyotes.
The strength of the novel is its exploration of relationship–of a love that is lost, of one that may be gained, and of one that surprises; and it is there–in the emotions and the reactions of its characters, especially the women–that Kingsolver’s skill shines through brightest. If that sounds interesting, Prodigal Summer is very highly recommended. It’s not The Poisonwood Bible, but it’s damn fine fiction.
#WhatIWishICouldDo
Capture a place with the elegance and evocative skill that Kingsolver demonstrates. It’s not just that nature is highly present, but that a specific location is made so real. That adds a level of world-building that deepens the environment around the characters significantly.