Such novels as The Poisonwood Bible and The Lacuna, set in the fairly recent past, have sometimes led to Barbara Kingsolver being characterised as a writer of ‘historical fiction’, an absurd label as her magnificent new book, which is both set in the present and has enormous contemporary relevance, amply demonstrates. Dellarobia is a young mother caught in a loveless marriage on a poor farm in the Tennessee mountains, and the sheer grinding hopelessness of her life precipitates an attempt to flee it. But her flight is aborted by what at first seems a vision, a ‘lake of fire’ that shakes her back to her family responsibilities. The awesome sight actually proves to be an invasion by millions of orange butterflies, mysteriously diverted to this area from their usual migration path. Dellarobia is less inclined than her neighbours to see God’s hand in this ‘miracle’, and becomes fascinated by the scientists who arrive to study the phenomenon. In helping with their research, she is introduced to a different world, though it is not a reassuring one since these butterflies, virtually the whole species, seem destined to die in the cold mountain climate, while their aberrant behaviour is attributed to climate change, which itself the scientists believe to be irreversible, with dire implications for the human species. Kingsolver’s compelling powers of narration and description drive this story forward as she interweaves the local with the global. Her characters are real and flawed human beings struggling to give security to their lives in difficult circumstances, and she probes the tensions and affections between them with empathy and insight. In this small mountain community faith in tradition is challenged by scientific knowledge, as the competing ‘tribes’ that constitute American society come to be arrayed against one another, in a process complicated by the invasive and self-interested attention of the media. Her new experiences eventually empower Dellarobia to take charge of her own life in a world that she nonetheless comes to see as uncertain. This brilliant novel is both the affecting the story of a restless Appalachian women and a scarifying analysis of a great contemporary issue, and only a writer of Kingsolver’s talent could have blended the two so flawlessly.

This is a wonderful book that interweaves the lives of people in a small rural community in the Appalachians with the increasing influences of the outside world and particular the threat of climate change caused by global warming. The main character, Delarobia, feels trapped by early marriage and children, farm life and lack of education and, until she witness the ‘miracle’ in the forest above her house, is about to leave with a man she hardly knows but sees as the only way to escape her unfulfilling life. The ‘miracle’ transforms her life and opens it and the community increasingly to outside influences. Traditional ways of living and working and religious beliefs are challenged particularly by outsiders with scientific knowledge. There is a feeling that the traditional way of life is changing but the farmers battling to survive the unusual weather conditions want only to take what will be a short term solution to their problems and choose not see that this will eventually cause immense harm to the environment and therefore their way of life. Barbara Kingsolver’s portrayal of family life with young children, its practicalities and emotional ties and strains, is told with humour and understanding as is the depiction of relationships within the wider family and community with all their complexities and dependencies. The way of life is under threat but is supported by family, friendship and community ties and particularly by the church. Overall is shown the far greater threat of climate change and its effect not just on this one community but on the earth as a whole.

Kingsolver’s storytelling is extraordinary. This is not a book full of scientific terms and global warming doom-mongering; instead it subtly reveals the small everyday impacts of real climate change, things that each on their own may not seem like a global catastrophe, but when added to the whole, show an entirely new picture. This is a book about hard-working people, the lives they lead, and the judgments they - and we - make. Dellarobia is a young mother trapped into her life by a series of poor choices and bad luck. This is the Bible belt, the farming belt; hicktown, the people at the bottom of the pile. Every day is jeopardy in her life, her farm is failing, her marriage is failing; it’s an economic showdown. It almost seems like kismet, then, when she discovers what appears to be a miracle on her mountainside. The moment of its discovery is enough to save her from another bad decision; perhaps it will be enough to save the farm too? But this ‘beautiful and terrible marvel of nature’ is tragically representative of greater, worldwide issues. Climate change was already in Dellarobia’s backyard in the shape of storms and torrential rains eating away at the farmland and her family’s traditional farming practices; they just didn’t know that that was what it was. The ‘miracle on the mountain’, though, introduces the idea with a certainty that makes it inescapable. Equal parts social study and middle finger to climate skeptics, Flight Behaviour touches on consumerism, greens, politics, soft racism. Some might say Kingsolver tries too much, but I think she has gotten the balance just right. Through Dellarobia’s eyes the absurdity of many modern lifestyles and attitudes are highlighted, whilst Ovid, the scientist who turns up to study Dellarobia’s miracle, uses quiet language and clever metaphors to demystify media and skeptic-generated global warming confusion. Throughout, Kingsolver weaves together her different strands into a carefully considered tapestry, before winding up her story and then - wham, hits us with a dramatic and mind-reeling end that serves to make us question everything the future has to hold.

When a young mother experiences an unusual marvel of nature in the Appalachian mountains, a whole series of life changing events are set in motion. This utterly engaging novel ties the minutiae of everyday life and the demands of motherhood with major global issues of the day. Barbara Kingsolver, who is a scientist herself, opens up the debate between science and religion and sets the reality of evidence against the prejudice of belief in a detailed and poignant portrayal of a struggling small town community who find themselves faced with the consequences of climate change. She sets church against science, education against tradition, husbands against wives. Beyond the political debate, this is a beautifully crafted novel and a moving portrayal of a marriage in difficulty. It is also an exploration of the thwarted dreams of a young woman whose circumstances denied her an education, and her hopes for the future. It is an unsentimental and heartwarming portrayal of modern motherhood, loyalty and love. Despite the serious theme, the book left me feeling uplifted. At its heart, Flight Behaviour is a love song to the earth, and a message of hope for the future.

This is the first Barbara Kingsolver novel which I've read, and to be truthful, I found it difficult initially to get into and engage with.However, I kept reading, and became more and more drawn in by the compelling plot, wonderful imagery and beautiful prose. The storyline is very moving; one young mother's impoverished life on a dirt-poor farm in America. Her marriage is rocky, and she dreams about having affairs and leaving her husband, and the down-trodden life she has. The 'miracle' she discovers on her land transforms her life. As the central character,Dellarobia is extremely appealing. She undergoes a personal metamorphosis following the arrival of the sscientists onto the farm, and we see her curiosity and thirst for knowledge developing. The themes of exploring scientific methodology and the nature of belief are prominent throughout this book. Interestingly, the author acknowledges how important it is that scientists explain their findings in simple human terms, and this is achieved in the discussions between Dellarobia and the scientist, Ovid. This novel weaves many issues into the story, including the differences between religion and science, along with differences between rural and urban communities. Even media exploitation is touched upon. Throughout this work, a very important message is conveyed about climate change and how we cannot ignore it. It is an extremely good thought-provoking book.