Flight behavior
Thought provoking
Original
Vibrant

Flight behavior a novel

Flight Behavior transfixes from its opening scene, when a young woman's narrow experience of life is thrown wide with the force of a raging fire. In the lyrical language of her native Appalachia, Barbara Kingsolver bares the rich, tarnished humanity of her novel's inhabitants and unearths the modern complexities of rural existence. Characters and reader alike are quickly carried beyond familiar territory here, into the unsettled ground of science, faith, and everyday truces between reason and conviction. Dellarobia Turnbow is a restless farm wife who gave up her own plans when she accidentally became pregnant at seventeen. Now, after a decade of domestic disharmony on a failing farm, she has settled for permanent disappointment but seeks momentary escape through an obsessive flirtation with a younger man. As she hikes up a mountain road behind her house to a secret tryst, she encounters a shocking sight: a silent, forested valley filled with what looks like a lake of fire. She can only understand it as a cautionary miracle, but it sparks a raft of other explanations from scientists, religious leaders, and the media. The bewildering emergency draws rural farmers into unexpected acquaintance with urbane journalists, opportunists, sightseers, and a striking biologist with his own stake in the outcome. As the community lines up to judge the woman and her miracle, Dellarobia confronts her family, her church, her town, and a larger world, in a flight toward truth that could undo all she has ever believed. Flight Behavior takes on one of the most contentious subjects of our time: climate change. With a deft and versatile empathy Kingsolver dissects the motives that drive denial and belief in a precarious world.
Sign up to use

Reviews

Photo of Stephanie Honour
Stephanie Honour@stephonour
5 stars
Nov 4, 2022
Photo of Jonah Kohei Foss
Jonah Kohei Foss@jonah
3.5 stars
Sep 25, 2022
Unique
Vibrant
Original
Thought provoking
Photo of Melody Izard
Melody Izard@mizard
4 stars
Jan 10, 2022
Photo of Megan McMorran
Megan McMorran@meganlee
3.5 stars
Oct 15, 2021
Photo of Paige Wanner
Paige Wanner@turntopaige22
4.5 stars
Sep 11, 2022
Photo of Gigi V
Gigi V@barksandvino
2 stars
May 2, 2024
Photo of Olivia
Olivia@owalsh2
4 stars
Jan 4, 2024
Photo of Amy
Amy@amywhoisawesome
4 stars
Jan 3, 2024
Photo of Lisa
Lisa@frowzled
3 stars
Aug 13, 2023
Photo of shelby mosel
shelby mosel@shelbymosel
4 stars
Jun 28, 2023
Photo of Martin Ackerfors
Martin Ackerfors@ackerfors
5 stars
Sep 13, 2022
Photo of Edward Steel
Edward Steel@eddsteel
3 stars
Sep 1, 2022
Photo of Shay Henrion
Shay Henrion@shaysbookshelf
5 stars
Aug 28, 2022
Photo of Melissa
Melissa@melissapaaboel
4 stars
Aug 24, 2022
Photo of Pratul
Pratul@pratul
4 stars
Aug 19, 2022
Photo of Neta Steingart
Neta Steingart@neta_shin
5 stars
Aug 12, 2022
Photo of Rebecca Henry
Rebecca Henry@rebekker
4 stars
May 14, 2022
Photo of Amanda S
Amanda S@amandas
4 stars
May 11, 2022
Photo of Cindy Lieberman
Cindy Lieberman@chicindy
3 stars
Mar 26, 2022
Photo of Roger Amundsen
Roger Amundsen@gododger
4 stars
Mar 8, 2022
Photo of Stephanie Cox
Stephanie Cox@perstephani
4 stars
Feb 22, 2022
Photo of Carina Marshall
Carina Marshall@carinarynn
3 stars
Feb 10, 2022
Photo of Jane McCullough
Jane McCullough@janemccullough
3 stars
Feb 8, 2022
Photo of Jaime McLean
Jaime McLean@jme76
4 stars
Jan 17, 2022