Flight Behavior: A Novel (edition 2012)

Want to read some propaganda? This will work. I might have liked the story if she had just told the story and let me draw my own conclusions over what it might mean in the wider picture. She had an agenda that might have been spurred by the left wing political machine. I had more respect for Kingsolver, having read so many of her previous works, than to expect this.

I have also never thought I was out of sync with her regarding a main character, but I found Dellarobia unlikable, snobbish and self-important. There are too many caricatures of people here and not enough people. I didn't relate to anyone of them until we got a glimpse inside Hester at the end. That was, indeed, too late to care.

Why finish? Because Kingsolver has a literary style and a use of prose that is wonderful. She is a writer worth reading most of the time. I wish I could say that about this endeavor. ( )

I really liked the main character, Dellarobia. She is seriously flawed and human, which is an instant draw for me. Barabara always has very believeable characters who are complex and full. Dellarobia is a small-town mountain girl who was once wild and yet was sucked into a life that was not her choosing but consequences of actions that seemed right at the time. The book and story itself seemed unneccessarily long, but I learned a lot about the plight of butterflies! A little soap boxish, but I was okay with that, just thought it could have been wrapped up a little more quickly. Enjoyable read. ( )

At 600 pages long, this book could have been reduced by at least a third. However, it was an interesting 3 and a half star read for me. Set in an isolated town in Tennessee, the story follows a bright woman, Dellarobia (yes) who feels trapped in a soulless marriage and unfulfilling life. An amazing discovery near her home ignites her interest in climate change and encourages her to question her life choices. ( )

Not sure how I want to review this book. Unsure if I should take the book at face value or if the author is condescending towards those in Appalachia. The protagonist, Dellarobia, is not likeable, although I can sympathize with some of her frustrations. I'm not sure that the author did a good job of connecting climate change with the overall story, although she did a good job of connecting the monarch butterfly to Appalachia. I may go back and "review" this review later when I've had time to ponder the author's purpose. 438 pages ( )