"A majestic and brave new novel...both intimate and enormous." is what the New Your Times Book Review said about Barbara Kingsolver's recent novel Flight Behavior. It is not about airplanes but about the migration of Monarch Butterflies, those interesting insects, some of whom winter in Mexico.
Mixed in with the story of the Monarchs is a fascinating story of family dynamics. Set in the mountains of Tennessee the locals who are quite impoverished, get caught up in the unusual behavior of the Monarchs. Their interactions with those who come to study the butterflies is revealing.
Of particular interest to me is the clash and misunderstanding between the locals and the scientists. Kingsolver's delineation of the gap between scientist and non-scientist on the subject of climate change is particularly astute. Her perception of the failure of scientists to effectively communicate seems spot on to me.
Our book club read it and it led to a scintillating discussion. If you've read it I'd like to know what you think. If you haven't read it I think you'll find it worthwhile.
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