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The second book for the Book Buddy read. Prodigal Summer by Barbara Kingsolver There will be spoilers anyone is welcome to make a contribution to the discussion

Well I have just begun. I am keen for a discussion. My first impressions are as follows. I should warn you, I am currently training for the city-2-surf (a 14 km fun run, on 8 August) so I am not reading quite much as I usually do.

* I love mountains. I am half way through chapter 1. I can feel the crisp cool air, smell and feel the damp, decaying, lush forest. Feel the spring & the expectations that spring brings to nature. I am reading with anticipation. I have read The Lacuna, which I really loved, I am sure this will be equally as rewarding.

You know, Gail, I felt the same way. I could feel the setting she describes and almost smell the lush foliage and trees. I too read The Lacuna and really liked it too. I had studied Diego Rivera and Freida Kahlo in an art appreciation class I took at Lincoln Center so it was so cool reading and seeing them in a different perspective. Continue to enjoy the book. How do you like Deanna Wolfe?

I love the humour in Kingsolver’s books she has made me laugh several times already & I am only up to chapter two.
I like what I have read about Deanna Wolfe so far, I was bemused by the fact that her hormones were racing so furiously that it was only after they had ... that she thought about who he might be, possibly a wanted criminal. He had to ask her name after the event.

I am up to the second chapter & am now finding out about Lusa, I find her very amusing also.
eg 'The former National Science Foundation scholar with the most coveted postgraduate fellowship in her department now wields her influence on the world through acts of vengeful cooking' I like how they are able to laugh at themselves.

I agree with you. Lusa is a wonderful character who seems to be wasted living on a farm. Kingsolver presents her as a great mind but then relegates her to being a farmer's wife and living with his family of sisters who seem to resent her intelligence. She seems to be in a place not suited to her.

Deanna and her paramour are so cute together. She needs a man in her life and when he comes along she "jumps" on the chance not knowing anything about him. He does become a more important character.

It sounds like you like it so far. I know I did.

PS I love how the author is writing about strong woman who know their own minds.

I love this book. Unfortunally I have been on a three day long weekend. I have done a lot of reading but not any updates. I love how each character has their own passion they follow, but are blind to the passions of each other. All the characters are extremely likeable in their own different way. All have their faults. All are a bit quirky. They all make me smile. I love the strength of the women as well.

Facinating that now Cole is dead Lusa is finally able to start to understand how his family interacts & functions. It is like the blinkers have finally come off and she is now able to live.

Garnett Walker is a classic, there was a quote from the book I wanted to put in here from him, but I have read so far I haven't been able to find it again. I will dig it up later.

The hormones are still running hot. The animals the insects the people. The expectation is a population explosion at the end of this summer. :)

Yep you got that right, Gail. I wonder if Cole tries to protect Lusa from his family. Perhaps he thought they were too much for her. You know my husband did the same with me as he came from a family of five siblings, parents and Swedish and German grandparents. All together they were a heady bunch.

Garnett did make me smile often. He is such an old codger, and is so set in his ways that he is often funny even though he doesn't mean to be.

I am not sure whether he was trying to protect her or not, you may be right. Cole & Lusa where fighting quite a bit towards the end. The only thing they seemed to have in common was their physical attraction. She is also able to get to know him more now that he's dead. That really is very sad, as they had a lot more in common then she realised. I guess it's hard to look past what is right in front of you sometimes.

This is a much better book for a buddy read. It is a pitty we didn't start with this one.

I agree, Gail. I really do like the way she writes. I do think that we do so often miss what is right in front of your face. I wonder if they would have gotten a divorce if Cole had lived. I also can't help but think that perhaps the family dynamics had something to do with their not getting along.

I found the quote I was looking for from Garnett regarding different farming techniques & their relative success or failure.

" ...the Amish weren't in debt up to their ears on chemicals and equipment -- which gave them an unfair advantage..."

You can only laugh.

Hi Gail,

Don't you just love Deanna and Eddie's relationship? I find the two of them so intensely romantic even though they don't seem to be. (does that make any sense??) I love the name of the chapters Old Chestnuts and Moth Love. Nannie Rawley is surely a hoot as she takes on Garnett. One quote so typical of her is The source of Japanese beetles seems to be you brush piles, Miss Rawley. To which she replied, "Mr. Walker, the source of Japanese beetles is Japan." I loved it when he calls her compost heaps "Laziness lots" and "stacks of sloth"

This is such a great book. I bought it for one of my daughters and I think I will send a copy to the rest of them!

Just requested this book from the library because of all of your wonderful comments and thoughts. Looking forward to reading it, thanks.

Marialyce I understand fully what you mean about their relationship being romantic with out seeming to be. I also love the names of the chapters.

I am now coming to the final chapters and am not going to reveal any more of the story. I love this book, I am glad I own it. There are certain books that are worth rereading, this is one of them. Thank you for sharing the read with me.

I am giving it 5 stars.

Shay wrote: "Just requested this book from the library because of all of your wonderful comments and thoughts. Looking forward to reading it, thanks."

Shay, I am sure you will love this book. When you start reading it if you would like to chat and add your own thoughts to the discussion, I and I am sure Marialyce would be happy to continue the discussion.

Shay wrote: "Just requested this book from the library because of all of your wonderful comments and thoughts. Looking forward to reading it, thanks."

Absolutely, Shay!

Gail, I am so glad that you so enjoyed it. I felt the same way as you. Want to buddy read again?? :)

I would love to, do you have something in mind?

My librarian recommended Mudbound by Hillary Jordan. I don't know too much about the content, but I have heard a lot of people say they liked it. I also have heard good things about The Sugar Queen by Sarah Addison Allen. Either of those two sound like something you would like to read? I am open to anything.

Mudbound was the winner of the 2006 Bellwether Prize. The "The Bellwether Prize is unique; no other major North American endowment or prize for the arts specifically seeks to support a literature of social responsibility. Its intent is to advocate serious literary fiction that addresses issues of social justice and the impact of culture and politics on human relationships. The prize is awarded to a previously unpublished novel representing excellence in this genre.

Previous prizes have been awarded to:

* Donna Gershten, 2000, Kissing The Virgin's Mouth (HarperCollins, 2001)

* Gayle Brandeis, 2002, The Book of Dead Birds (HarperCollins, 2003)

* Marjorie Kowalski Cole (1953-2009), 2004, Correcting the Landscape (HarperCollins, 2005)

* Hillary Jordan, 2006, Mudbound (Algonquin, 2008)

* Heidi Durrow , 2008, The Girl Who Fell From the Sky (Algonquin, February 2010)

* Naomi Benaron, Running the Rift (Algonquin, TBA)

The Bellwether Prize was founded and is fully funded by Barbara Kingsolver." ()

So, it would seem that your librarian made an excellent recommendation in Mudbound.

Thank you, Shay, for this. I would be happy to buddy up with you on either book or both of them. Gail can't join us for a while. Let me know. (or even if you would want to read something else together) :)

I think Mudbound is in keeping with the "theme" of this thread. Want to read that, to start?

I would love to. I am just finishing up The Passage, I don't have the book yet, but can get a copy whenever you are ready.

I requested Mudbound from the library. Should have it within a week. Let me know when you want to start. Hopefully some other people will chime in that they want to read it too.

I am picking it up today so whenever you get it let me know. Looking forward to it.

Hi Marialyce, my library had a copy today, so I picked one up. Let me know when you finish The Passage and we can start anytime.

I should have it by the end of today. (Saturday) Perhaps we can start on Monday. How does that sound?

Monday is great.

Perfect!

Would you girls like a new thread started? While I won't be participating this time round I will be keeping an eye on things.

Sure, Gail, thank you, that would be great. Hope you are doing well.

what a wonderful book sharing thread!!
I am so pleased that you are enjoying sharing your thoughts with each other!
Love all the posts!!
Rick