Hi all,
Barbara Kingsolver is one of my favorite authors and I’m looking to add another book of hers into my collection.
So far I have read The Poisonwood Bible, The Bean Trees, Pigs in Heaven, and Small Wonder. My favorites have been the Bean Trees and Small Wonder. I found the Poisonwood Bible a bit hard to get through due to its subject matter, though I do think it’s an incredible book. I have a pretty big number of books I need to read already, otherwise I’d buy and read all of her books so I’ve decided to limit it to just one. Please recommend to me one of your favorite books by her! I will buy and read the recommended book with the most upvotes!
by NewAd5794
8 Comments
Demon Copperhead.
*The Poisonwood Bible* was the first of hers I read, and just loved it to bits! Fab book… I followed it with *The Lacuna*, after which I knew she wasn’t just a one hit wonder but a true great. Then read *Flight Behavior* – again, superb. That’s all I’ve read of hers so far, but I think you could just pick any of her books at random and be onto a winner! (Everyone always recommends *Demon Copperfield*, but somehow I’ve never felt drawn to it. One day…)
Her books (from the three I’ve read) can require a little patience to “get into”, but are so, so worth it once you do.
Excited to follow this thread. I read The Poisonwood Bible and loved it. Then read Demon Copperhead years later, and also loved it. I definitely need more from this author!
I loved Demon Copperhead and Prodigal Summer!
Apologies for the earlier inconvenience. Here are two Barbara Kingsolver book recommendations with updated links:
[**Flight Behavior**](https://amzn.to/4hQNJsX) – This novel follows Dellarobia Turnbow, a young wife and mother on a failing farm in rural Tennessee, who discovers a valley filled with millions of monarch butterflies. This phenomenon sparks a clash between religion, science, and environmentalism, leading her to question her life and beliefs.
[**Prodigal Summer**](https://amzn.to/3CJeocp) – Set in southern Appalachia, this novel weaves together three stories: a reclusive wildlife biologist, a young widow, and two elderly, feuding neighbors. Through their interconnected lives, the narrative explores themes of ecology, love, and the interconnectedness of nature and humanity.
I attached the links in the titles above to their Amazon pages for you to check them out. Enjoy!
I read Flight Behavior last summer, and it was nothing like The Poisonwood Bible. You might like it as it is a contemporary setting that deals a lot more with domestic situations and politics and environmental issues. Personally, Poisonwood is my favorite work of hers, but you might enjoy Flight Behavior if you’re already a fan.
My favorites of hers are Prodigal Summer and Unsheltered.
They’re more complex than Bean Trees or Pigs in Heaven, more happens than in Animal Dreams, and they’re more relatable than Poisonwood Bible or The Lacuna. I didn’t really care for Demon Copperhead, but that may be because I don’t like homage novels. If I want Dickens or Shakespeare, I go right to the source.
Animal Dreams! My favorite!