Flight Behavior
by Barbara Kingsolver
Narrated by Barbara Kingsolver
Genre: Contemporary Fiction
Publisher: HarperAudio
Publish Date: November 6, 2012
Format: Audio, 16 hours | 56 minutes
Audio Listening Level: Easy
Rating: 5 of 5
Dellarobia’s plans for college were ruined when she got pregnant and married at 17; she miscarried but stayed with her husband and eventually had two children. Now 10 years later the family farm is failing, she feels disconnected from her husband and is contemplating an affair with a younger man. While walking up a mountain road to meet with her potential lover she sees a brilliant explosion of orange and thinks she is seeing fire, a sign to return back home.
What Dellarobia actually saw were thousands of Monarch Butterflies, butterflies that should be wintering on a mountain in Mexico, not in Appalachia, where Dellarobia lives. Scientists and the media descend upon the small town. Dellarobia takes a job assisting one of the scientists, Dr. Byron, with his research. Spending time in the research lab awakens her desire for knowledge and as the story progresses we observe her own personal growth and increase in self-confidence.
I loved this book. The story is written in an engaging style with beautifully descriptive prose and a touch of humor. Dellarobia’s character was well-developed and, although I am far removed from her circumstances, I had much empathy for her situation. The author’s opinions are evident as she contrasts the local folks poverty vs the wealth of the outside visitors, the city vs country, science vs religion and the value of education. Some may find it preachy but my innate interest in nature, ecology and our planet in general caused me to look at it in an educational light. Yes, the butterfly migration is fiction, but much of the science discussed is fact.
I listened to the audio version and at almost 17 hours I was surprised at how fast I finished; the time flew past. The author did the narration giving a nice performance with perfect Appalachian accents and a very believable Virgin Island accent for Dr. Byron. Changes in characters voices were easy to follow making this an audiobook that I would recommend to listeners new and experienced. I am not always a fan of author’s narrating their own books, but Kingsolver is one of the exceptions (my other being Neil Gaiman, for those who need to know).
In the recent past, the ecology movement was a cause most people supported; clean air, water and protection for our planet. Today, climate change and global warming has become a political football that many don’t want to touch. Kingsolver has never shied away from writing about controversial subjects. Flight Behavior is a beautiful story set against the backdrop of thousands of Monarch Butterflies appearing in Appalachia instead of their customary winter roosting grounds in Mexico, but it’s also an important message about caring for the world we live in and leaving it a better place.
A well-researched, thoughtful book that I highly recommend.
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Source: Review copy from HarperAudio.
© 2012 Under My Apple Tree. All rights reserved.
Almost wordless: Photo taken in July a few years ago. The cactus is currently hibernating in the laundry room. Once it gets warm I move it outside and it blooms all summer long.
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More Wordless Wednesday. © 2012 Under My Apple Tree. All rights reserved.
Thank you to everyone that stopped by to enter the giveaway for 7 Years Younger.
(Winner selected by random.org)
7 Years Younger
by The Editors of Good Housekeeping
Winner: Ashley
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© 2012 Under My Apple Tree. All rights reserved.
Mailbox Monday was created by The Printed Page. It is the gathering place for readers to share the books that came into their home last week.
Mailbox Monday is currently on tour, hosted by a different blog each month. The January host is Lori’s Reading Corner.
This was an unexpectedly busy week in book arrivals. I was only expecting one review book but instead received a few surprises.
Three new print books, two for review and one win:
A Drop of the Hard Stuff by Lawrence Block
A win from Mulholland Paperbacks. I love this series and haven’t read the last few installments yet so I’m excited to have won this.
A Possible Life: A Novel in Five Parts by Sebastian Faulks
For review from AmazonVine.
The Hope Factory by Lavanya Sankaran
For review from The Dial Press.
For review from Penguin Audio:
Kinsey and Me: Stories by Sue Grafton
The Last Runaway by Tracy Chevalier
Insane City by Dave Barry
Collateral Damage by Stuart Woods
To Sell Is Human: The Surprising Truth About Moving Others by Daniel H. Pink
What are you reading?
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© 2012 Under My Apple Tree. All rights reserved.
Winter is the slow season for bird-watching. The migrants have headed south leaving us folks in the north with the year-round residents and the winter migrants.
At times there is more bird activity in my backyard than I see while walking on the nature trails.
The peanut feeder is very popular and receives a lot of visitors. The woodpeckers and the aptly named nuthatches are very fond of peanuts. The little nuthatch, above, can always be counted on to pause for a moment and pose for a photo.
One of my favorite backyard birds is the Red-bellied Woodpecker. He does have a red belly but you can’t see it in this photo. He is in my yard everyday and stashes peanuts in crevices in the trees. I always wonder how he remembers where he put them.
The little Downy Woodpeckers, below, are also daily visitors at the peanut feeder.
As you can see my peanut feeder is a little banged up. Besides getting a lot of use from the birds, the Fox Squirrels love to jump up on it and attempt to break in. Even with the squirrel deterrent cone on the pole they occasionally manage to get up there. And I know when they’ve been there because they pull the metal perch out in frustration when they can’t get to the peanuts.
The Gray Squirrels, below, are content to eat nuts and seeds that fall to the ground.
I took these photos in November but we still don’t have any snow, just a little frost on the now brownish colored grass.
Saturday Snapshot is hosted by Alyce at At Home With Books. Visit her blog to see more great photos or add your own.
© 2012 Under My Apple Tree. All rights reserved.
Gathering Strength
Conversations with Afghan Women
by Peggy Kelsey
Genre: Non-Fiction
Publisher: Pomegranate Grove Press
Publish Date: October 1, 2012
Format: Paperback | 392 pages
Author and photographer Peggy Kelsey traveled to Afghanistan in 2003 and 2010 to photograph and interview a wide variety of women. Her goal was to look beyond the media stereotypes and experience the reality of these women’s lives. The conversations presented in her book allow each woman to tell her story and share her concerns.
Her subjects were a diverse group. They ranged in age from young to old, spanned educational and income levels and social classes. They came from large cities and small villages, others had lived outside the county from a number of years due to war and violence and returned when it was safe to do so. They are doctors, lawyers, teachers, politicians, artists, farm workers and even prisoners to name only a few. The women were eager to tell their stories and most didn’t mind being photographed.
The book begins with a brief history of Afghanistan and some background information on the author and the creation of the Afghan Women’s Project. The author strives to present a balanced and fair view although she acknowledges the influence that living in a Western culture has on her writing. Each chapter introduces a group of women of a similar occupation or situation, such as Artists or Educators or Politicians. There is background information and a photo of each followed by a series of questions and answers. The author also provides text to clarify when necessary. The photographs of the women add a personal touch and made them more real to me.
The women’s stories are at times heartbreaking and shocking but always inspiration and hopeful. The conversations with women in prison were especially disturbing. Their crimes were often acts committed by others. I was surprised at the high number of women subjected to domestic abuse but now have a better understanding of why they feel it necessary to tolerate their situation. Divorce is difficult for these women and child custody laws favor the husband. Many of the women risk their lives by doing work that will ultimately improve the situation in their country, displaying courage and conviction that most of us can only imagine.
To understand the women’s stories it’s necessary to learn more about and understand their culture. Change comes slowly, one step at a time, and this important and necessary book leads the way. The strength and optimism of these women provides inspiration for us all. Highly Recommended.
About the Author
Peggy Kelsey received degrees in social work and education before undertaking extensive world travels. A professional photographer and resident of the Austin area since 1980, Peggy was privileged to meet with a delegation of 14 Afghan women who passed through Austin, Texas in the fall of 2002. The strength, humor and resiliency of the women she met was contrary to the media image (at the time) of Afghan women as helpless victims. This dichotomy inspired Peggy to create the Afghan Women’s project and in August and September of 2003, Peggy spent 6 weeks in Afghanistan and returned with portraits and stories of 40 Afghan women.
More Information:
Afghan Women’s Project Facebook Page
Visit the webpage for the author and the book.
Giveaway Details
The author has generously offered a copy for giveaway to one of my readers. The giveaway is open to anyone age 18 or older with a US mailing address. To enter, fill out the form below on or before midnight, January14, 2013 (CST). For an extra entry leave a comment. Winner will be chosen by random.org and notified by email. Winner must respond within 48 hours with a US mailing address.
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Source: Review copy.
© 2012 Under My Apple Tree. All rights reserved.
Resonance
by A.J. Scudiere
Narrated by: Multicast Performance
Genre: Speculative Fiction
Publisher: Griffyn Ink/ Skyboat Productions
Publish Date: October 21, 2008
Format: Audio, 16 hours | 25 minutes
Audio Listening Level: Intermediate
Something is causing disturbing changes across the planet Earth. A geologist discovers evidence of a magnetic shift at the poles, two doctors from the CDC are investigating a flu-like killer disease and a biologist finds mutated frogs and other oddities in the animal world. What do these seemingly unrelated events have in common? Each is occurring in a hotspot, a pocket of reverse polarity. The polar shift, a reversal of earth’s north and south pole’s magnet field, has already begun.
The plot shifts between the hotspots as each of the characters works to determine the cause of the strange occurences. Eventually their stories merge and it appears the mystery of what has been happening is solved. But no, the author throws us a curve and we get a twist at the end that I didn’t see coming.
I enjoy my science fiction intertwined with science fact, and this story does not disappoint. The plot is filled with interesting science both real and hypothetical. I found the detailed analysis to be both intelligent and thought-provoking, but never so complicated that the reader would be lost in the science. While I consider this mainly science fiction, it is a mix of genres: part mystery, thriller and suspense with a little romance all in an apocalyptic setting.
I listened to the audio version and, at over 16 hours, at times it felt a little long. (But that’s my opinion. I find 12 to 14 hours to be optimal for most books.) The audio was easy to follow once I got all the characters and places straight in my mind. The production was an AudioMovie, which was a little different from most audiobooks available today.
What is an Audiomovie? Instead of one narrator, it contains a complete cast with a different actor for each character. It also has a soundtrack with music and sound effects. For example, a phone would ring and the listener hears the ringing in the background; the voice of the caller would have that tinny telephone sound. If someone was hammering, we would hear a pounding sound effect. Some scenes had background music which faded in and out usually at the beginning or end of a chapter.
What did I think of the AudioMovie? It was quite different, but once I became acclimated to the production it was an engaging experience. I enjoyed the full cast narration. One of my pet peeves is a narrator that can’t perform the voice of the opposite sex. I would rather hear multiple actors, especially when there are a lot of characters. The sound effects were distracting at first but after a few hours I wasn’t started when I heard a ring or a bang in the background and they became a part of the story. The music was a little loud and made me think of the old daytime soap operas; for me music wasn’t necessary.
Overall a good piece of speculative fiction with interesting characters that will appeal to a wide range of readers. Those who enjoy Crichton-like thrillers should definitely give this a try.
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Source: Review copy.
© 2012 Under My Apple Tree. All rights reserved.
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