Prodigal Summer by Barbara Kingsolver

 I have read this book multiple times because I enjoy it so much. Each time I find new clues that foreshadow events coming up. There are delightful little nuances that crop up as I read slowly and carefully. Kingsolver's prose and characters are worth savoring. Now that I know the story so well, I can read slowly and not be impatient to know what happens next. 

I can't believe I haven't written about this book here before. It's definitely one of my top ten favorites of all time... I love the characters, I love the setting, I love the story, and I love how the characters evolve and change as the story unfolds. I have read it at least five times now, and enjoyed it again earlier this summer.

There's such a reverence for life here and much to admire as the characters face adversity. I am saddened every time I note the slight bitterness in Nanny's feelings about her daughter's birth defect and death. She is a practical woman who brings such goodness into the world, but will not acknowledge God's hand or existence. Deanna and Luza are also fascinating characters with colorful backgrounds that are slowly revealed. I love learning about nature through their conversations and thoughts, and I love the thought of the two of them becoming friends in the future; something only hinted at in this book. This is one of those nuances that I only noticed on the second reading.

The wicked sisters in law and Garrett are also great characters, and their development is also realistic and revealing. The author goes beyond the stereotypes to reveal the pain, the suffering, and the goodness that exists.

I also believe in the healing powers of nature and this book is a beautiful example of the many complex systems in nature and how one cog in the system affects other parts. It ought to be required reading for any aspiring farmer or biologist.

The Persian Pickle Club by Sandra Dallas

Leonard got me this book. He can't recall where he got it, or who recommended it, but he gave it to me just prior to my Boomers' trip to San Diego so I would have an enjoyable reading surprise on my flights. The title and cover were sweet and unassuming, so I had low expectations, but was open to whatever it offered. I started it before I left, so I could see if it was worth schlepping along. I wasn't very far into it, but each page brought more respect for the unfolding story and for the interesting characters. It was enjoyable from beginning to end!

It's a subtle, unfolding mystery. It's wrapped in sweet mystery. It caught me by surprise. And the courage and strength of the women in the Pickle Club were revealed gradually. There were also some wonderful analogies to life in the quilting...and in the fabric, and the feel of the fabric which I could totally relate to. The narrator of the story, Queenie, is a very sympathetic and interesting character. It's a simple book, on the surface, with simple and sweet people. But underneath there is more, and it's intriguing to have it revealed.

This book also perfectly captures the sweetness of sisterhood. How it made the very hard, depression-era life bearable. But it's a story that applies to any time, where good friends and support and a hobby can bring people together. My plan is to send it to my friend Lona, who is a quilter, and will definitely relate to all levels of this little powerhouse of a book.