Prodigal Summer

I started this book years ago and couldn't get engaged in the story. This time I listened to the audiobook and completely fell in love with it! The characters are beautiful, set within the lush wildlife of Appalachia, and I became utterly absorbed in their lives. The three central characters, Lusa, Garnett, and Deanna, have come to Zebulon Mountain from different paths and for different reasons, but each has a special connection to the environment. Southern Appalachia becomes another character weaving through each narrative. Nature is boisterously and beautifully evoked here, though I imagine the novel resonates more with readers already drawn to wilderness tales.