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Prodigal Summer

Fiction | Novel | Adult | Published in 2000

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Book Brief

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Barbara Kingsolver

Prodigal Summer

Fiction | Novel | Adult | Published in 2000
Book Details
Pages

464

Format

Novel • Fiction

Setting

Appalachian Mountains • 1990s

Publication Year

2000

Audience

Adult

Recommended Reading Age

18+ years

Lexile Level

870L

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Super Short Summary

Prodigal Summer intertwines three stories set in rural Appalachia over a single summer: Deanna Wolfe, a wildlife biologist, navigates her passion for coyotes and a complicated relationship with a younger hunter; Lusa Maluf Landowski, a widow, struggles to keep her deceased husband's farm; and elderly Garnett Walker III aims to revive the American chestnut, clashing with his progressive neighbor, Nannie Rawley. This book includes sensitive topics such as terminal illness and the death of a child.

Contemplative

Serene

Emotional

Mysterious

Reviews & Readership

4.2

124,678 ratings

75%

Loved it

19%

Mixed feelings

6%

Not a fan

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Review Roundup

Reviews of Barbara Kingsolver's Prodigal Summer are generally favorable, highlighting its lush prose and strong ecological themes. Readers appreciate Kingsolver's character development and the intertwining narratives. However, some critics note that the pacing can be slow and the eco-centric messages occasionally overbearing. Overall, it's praised for its vivid storytelling and thematic depth.

Who should read this

Who Should Read Prodigal Summer?

Readers who enjoy nature, intricate character studies, and interconnected narratives would relish Barbara Kingsolver's Prodigal Summer. Fans of Annie Proulx’s The Shipping News or Isabel Allende’s The House of the Spirits will appreciate its lyrical prose and themes of ecological interconnectedness and personal growth.

4.2

124,678 ratings

75%

Loved it

19%

Mixed feelings

6%

Not a fan

Book Details
Pages

464

Format

Novel • Fiction

Setting

Appalachian Mountains • 1990s

Publication Year

2000

Audience

Adult

Recommended Reading Age

18+ years

Lexile Level

870L

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