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Flight Behavior: A Novel Audiobook
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(3.77) - 44 listener ratings
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Plot Summary
Having abandoned her dreams when she unintentionally became impregnated at seventeen years old, Dellarobia Turnbow is continuously restless in her life of domesticity on a failing farm.
Now, all that banal living may become much more exciting than what Dellarobia is ready for when she suddenly stumbles upon a scene that shocks her: a wooded valley full of what appears to be a fiery lake.
Her mind cannot grasp this phenomenon outside of a cautionary miracle, but soon she is flooded by a host of explanations from the media, scientists, and religious leaders.
As her community besets her in judgment, Dellarobia must confront her beliefs, and the people of the world, to find the truth.
With dexterity and empathy, author Kingsolver dissects one of the most contentious subjects of our time: climate change and the beliefs and denials that perpetuate its conflict.
Barbara Kingsolver was born in 1955 and was raised in both Kentucky and the former Republic of Congo. She was a freelance writer before becoming a novelist. Her work is well known for advocating social change, and it covers topics such as biodiversity, social justice, and the landscape of human and environmental interaction. Her degrees are in ecology and evolutionary biology, which inspired her science writing career. Shortly after winning a story contest in a local paper, she began to write more fiction. Her novel The Poisonwood Bible was shortlisted for the Pulitzer Prize, and each of her novels since 1993 has been on the New York Times best seller list.
"I thoroughly enjoyed this book, even if it was a bit heavy on the ecology lessons. I found the characters as compelling as Kingsolver characters always are and would like to have gotten to know some of them better. Had the author devoted more time to that as opposed to the science lessons I would have rated this one 5 stars instead."
— Bxrlover (4 out of 5 stars)
Publisher Summary
New York Times Bestseller
""An intricate story that entwines considerations of faith and faithlessness, inquiry, denial, fear and survival in gorgeously conceived metaphor. Kingsolver has constructed a deeply affecting microcosm of a phenomenon that is manifesting in many different tragic ways, in communities and ecosystems all around the globe.” — Seattle Times
A truly stunning and unforgettable work from the extraordinary New York Times bestselling author of The Lacuna (winner of the Orange Prize), The Poisonwood Bible (nominated for the Pulitzer Prize), and Animal, Vegetable, Miracle
Flight Behavior is a brilliant and suspenseful novel set in present day Appalachia; a breathtaking parable of catastrophe and denial that explores how the complexities we inevitably encounter in life lead us to believe in our particular chosen truths. Kingsolver's riveting story concerns a young wife and mother on a failing farm in rural Tennessee who experiences something she cannot explain, and how her discovery energizes various competing factions—religious leaders, climate scientists, environmentalists, politicians—trapping her in the center of the conflict and ultimately opening up her world. Flight Behavior represents contemporary American fiction at its finest.
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Quotes
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“A dazzling page-turner.”
— Elle -
“Enthralling…Dellarobia is appealingly complex as a smart, curious, warmhearted woman desperate to—no resisting the metaphor here—trade her cocoon for wings.”
— Oprah.com -
“May be the first novel to realistically imagine the near-term impact of ‘global weirding’…[Kingsolver’s] concept of family encompasses all living beings, however ephemeral, and Flight Behavior gracefully, urgently contributes to the dialogue of survival on this swiftly tilting planet.”
— Amazon.com -
“With her powerful new novel, Kingsolver delivers literary fiction that conveys an urgent social message…A clarion call about climate change, too lucid and vivid for even skeptics to ignore.”
— Publishers Weekly (starred review) -
“Drawing on both her Appalachian roots and her background in biology, Kingsolver delivers a passionate novel on the effects of global warming.”
— Booklist (starred review)
Awards
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An Amazon Best Book of the Month, November 2012
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Selection for the November 2012 Indie Next List
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A New York Times bestseller
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A USA Today bestseller
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A Kirkus Reviews “New and Notable Title”, November 2012
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A Publishers Weekly bestseller
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A 2012 Washington Post Notable Book for Fiction
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A 2012 Kansas City Star Top 100 Book for Fiction
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An 2012 Amazon Top 100 Book for Fiction
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A 2012 Booklist Editors’ Choice Selection for Fiction
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A #1 San Francisco Chronicle bestseller
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A 2012 USA Today Best Book of Fiction
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Finalist for the 2013 Women's Prize for Fiction
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One of the 2012 New York Times Book Review 100 Notable Books for Fiction
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A London Guardian Pick of the Top 10 Books of Eco-Fiction
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A BookPage Best Book of the Year in Readers' Choices
Flight Behavior Listener Reviews
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" Even after a careful, slow slog through Barbara Kingsolver's newest novel, I am still not convinced on the global warming issue... Too much science and a preachy tone left me cold on this book; a huge disappointment, since I have been a Kingsolver fan since Bean Trees. "
— Ellen, 2/19/2014 -
" She always writes such deep books. This one had a little too much scientific info for me,but the comparison of the butterflies to Dellarobia's life were good ones. "
— Dana, 2/14/2014 -
" Whether or not you agree there is global warming, you will find that the author presents the facts of science along with a compelling novel in which the main character begins to find her way in the world. "
— Beth, 2/12/2014 -
" The beginning was slow and somewhat boring. The middle was faster paced and the story line unfolded nicely . I felt the ending was the weakest part. It was like she ran out of steam and just wrote a fast ending. Wanted to know more about some relationships . Good but not great. "
— Sally, 2/7/2014 -
" I just loved this book. A well written story with lots of interesting and easily digestible facts on environmental changes and kingbilles "
— Andrea, 1/26/2014 -
" Even though I"m not finished yet (almost), and this is a novel, I think it comes at a very opportune time. Just the other night I heard about the decrease in Monarch Butterfly populations! The characters are very different from what I normally read, but that's the beauty of book clubs. This is the first selection of this round in our little 4 person book club. Several of us weren't liking this book at first, but it sort of grows on you. "
— Lesley, 1/20/2014 -
" I liked it well enough, but I couldn't completely buy some of the narrator's choices (or statements) at times. I had high hopes for the book (I've always been fascinated by the migration of the monarchs and I do like Kingsolver's work), but it was just OK. "
— Sma, 1/19/2014 -
" Global warming is not exactly a topic you would choose to read a novel about- but Barbara Kingsolver has written with sympathy and understanding of the human side of it all, whilst at the same time not shying away from the serious issues. I thoroughly enjoyed reading this novel. "
— Betty, 1/19/2014 -
" Great story and wonderful characters. "
— Kevin, 1/14/2014 -
" So I usually like Barbara Kingsolver and I was ready to love this book and I liked it. Liked it enough to finish it, but didn't love it. "
— JB, 1/5/2014 -
" Full of despair, full of hope; heartache and heartease. Kingsolver tells a story well. "
— blmagm, 11/1/2013 -
" This is not Barbara Kingsolver's best book. The heroine isn't immediately (or eventually) likable and the setting is bleak and dreary. I didn't find the ending very satisfying either. That said, it's an easy read and wasn't painful to get through! "
— Erinisfantastic, 10/31/2013 -
" Pretty good. Lots of climate change preaching - but interesting "
— Kathy, 10/29/2013 -
" The themes in this book span through poverty and classicism, religion and science, marriage and heartbreak, and global warming. It is beautiful and difficult and worth reading. "
— Terri, 9/20/2013 -
" I've been waiting awhile for a new novel from Barbara Kingsolver so I was thrilled to find this one. Love how she has so much going on in this book. She brings up a lot of good points regarding climate change and society's attitudes toward complex scientific theories and facts. "
— Jennifer, 9/9/2013 -
" Wonderful! Dellarobia is an engaging, endearing character. Love her frank and often humorous look at life. "
— Hilary, 8/23/2013 -
" Typical Barbara Kinsolver: cerebral, scientific and full of real-world angst. "
— Margherita, 8/9/2013 -
" Such a good writer, but the tend towards preachiness lately just gets old. And the story is slow and . . . dare I admit it? I got bored. Almost didn't finish. Liked the character development and the beautiful descriptions, but it just wasn't my favorite. "
— Jodi, 6/7/2013 -
" Loved it! Kingsolver never disappoints! "
— Amanda, 5/5/2013 -
" Covers many important topics of the day from many angles woven into a riveting story beautifully told. "
— Su, 4/16/2013 -
" As a Barbara Kingsolver fan, I have no complaints. The book was wonderful. She does tend to use a similar character in many of her books: strong, intelligent female who is out of sync with her cohort (way smarter, way more astute). But I'm ok with that. Great book, great themes. "
— V., 3/15/2013
About Barbara Kingsolver
Barbara Kingsolver is the author of more than ten New York Times bestsellers, including works of fiction, poetry, essays, and creative nonfiction. Her work has earned literary awards, including the National Humanities Medal, our country’s highest honor for service through the arts, as well as the prestigious Dayton Literary Peace Prize for her body of work. She is the founder of the PEN/Bellwether Prize.