Prodigal Summer

by Barbara Kingsolver

Sarah's take

I recommend *Prodigal Summer* for its beautiful intertwining of lives and the way it celebrates the strength of women navigating love, loss, and the natural world. Kingsolver’s lyrical prose not only immerses you in the lush Appalachian landscape but also invites deep reflection on our connection to each other and the environment, making it perfect for readers seeking stories rich in emotional complexity and the exploration of identity.

About the book

Three interconnected stories unfold across one transformative summer in rural Appalachia, where a reclusive wildlife biologist studying coyotes, two elderly neighbors locked in a bitter farming dispute, and a young widow discovering unexpected love each grapple with nature's complex web of predator and prey. Kingsolver weaves their narratives into a luminous meditation on how human lives mirror the natural world's cycles of loss, renewal, and fierce interdependence.

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