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Prodigal Summer

By: Barbara Kingsolver
Narrated by: Barbara Kingsolver
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Publisher's summary

Prodigal Summer weaves together three stories of human love within a larger tapestry of lives in southern Appalachia. At the heart of these intertwined narratives is a den of coyotes that have recently migrated into the region. Deanna Wolfe, a reclusive wildlife biologist, watches them from an isolated mountain cabin where she is caught off-guard by Eddie Bondo, a young hunter who comes to invade her most private spaces and her solitary life.

Down the mountain, another web of lives unfolds as Lusa Maluf Landowski, a bookish city girl turned farmer's wife, finds herself in a strange place where she must declare or lose her attachment to the land that has become her own. And a few more miles down the road, a pair of elderly, feuding neighbors tend their respective farms and wrangle about God, pesticides, and the possibilities the future holds.

Over the course of one long summer, these characters find connections to one another, and to the land, and the final, urgent truth that humans are only one piece of life on earth.

©2000 Barbara Kingsolver (P)2000 HarperCollins Publishers, Inc.
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Critic reviews

"Readers will be seduced by [Kingsolver's] effortless prose." (Publishers Weekly)

What listeners say about Prodigal Summer

Average customer ratings
Overall
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars
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    2,736
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Story
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  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars

Grounding

I read Prodigal Summmer right after 9/11 and found it extremely grounding in an unsettling time. I now listen to it when I feel that I've lost my focus on what's important in life. As with most of Kingsolver's work, this is an extremely grounding novel that brings into focus what's important in life.

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3 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Heartbroken to have it end

I could listen to Kingsolver read her own work FOREVER. Finishing this book is like leaving Eden. More more more.

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2 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    4 out of 5 stars

Totally enjoyed this book - but not for everyone!

What did you love best about Prodigal Summer?

I loved the three ongoing stories and I loved Garnet. What a prude.

What about Barbara Kingsolver’s performance did you like?

I thought Ms. Kingsolver did a great job with the narration. I really enjoyed her inflection and her southern accent.

Any additional comments?

I have to say that I was hoping for a different ending. Each story line wrapped up - sort of - but not completely. I almost feel like Ms. Kingslover needed to just finish the book and I thought it could have gone on a little longer and wrapped up a little better.

This book is not for everyone. You need an appreciation of nature. Ms. Kingslover had to do an incredible amount of research to write this book. I learned a lot. I really enjoyed this book and I'm sure I'll listen to it again.

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1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Did not want this story to end!

What made the experience of listening to Prodigal Summer the most enjoyable?

Listening to authors read is usually not as satisfying as listening to a trained reader, but Barbara's voice and natural regional accents were perfect.

What did you like best about this story?

The strong female characters and accurate up-to-date scientific information about predators and ecology presented in an entertaining way.

What about Barbara Kingsolver’s performance did you like?

I loved the leisurely way she read, and her use of authentic regional accents.

If you could rename Prodigal Summer, what would you call it?

Coyotes Are Not the Devil!

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  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    4 out of 5 stars

Fast paced intriguing story.

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

Yes. You will be a better person for having read it.

What did you like best about this story?

The writing. The perfectly painted portrait of love, loss, and love amid a sea of cool imagery and strong characters.

Have you listened to any of Barbara Kingsolver’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

I have not.

If you could take any character from Prodigal Summer out to dinner, who would it be and why?

The old guy so I could ring his neck and then kiss his cheek.

Any additional comments?

I loved it.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars

Excellent Story

This book started out a bit slow for me, but since I enjoyed the author's other book, The Poisonwood Bible, I stuck it out. I'm glad I did. Once the story got rolling, it was a great listen. Not riveting, like a who-done-it, but thoughtful, well written, well read, and ecologically and environmentally thought provoking.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Unforgettable

What made the experience of listening to Prodigal Summer the most enjoyable?

Barbara Kingsolver's voice

What did you like best about this story?

The way the three stories blended together

What about Barbara Kingsolver’s performance did you like?

Her intimacy with the story. She mad each character come alive in a way the written story could not.

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

I have read and listened to the book a dozen times and I laugh and cry each and every time.

Any additional comments?

My all time favorite author.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

An amazing journey I did not want to end

I don't know exactly why I cried when this story ended. I was not saddened by any means, but rather deeply moved. Barbara K is an amazing narrator as well as writer. I imagine she has that special insight from living the story as the writer. I want to live on that mountain, and chase goats on the farm. Barbara has that magic that has you living the moments and sitting down with the characters. I would love to read how these lives progress. I beg for a sequel pleas!

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

My favorite Barbara Kingsolver book so far!

Each storyline is captivating and I had a hard time turning this audio book off. I love Barbara's characters, words and her narration.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

fantastic and authentic

an accurate portrayal of modern rural appalachia. love this narrative voice and the complexi relationships.

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