Prodigal Summer

Encourage readers to connect the book’s themes and characters with their personal experiences.

1. Deanna Wolfe finds solace and purpose in her isolation on Zebulon Mountain. Have you ever sought solitude in nature, and if so, what impact did it have on your perspective?

2. Which character’s connection to nature resonated with you most: Deanna’s connection with coyotes, Lusa’s with moths, or Garnett’s with chestnut trees?

3. When have you felt like an outsider in a close-knit community, similar to Lusa’s experience with the Widener family?

4. The concept of ghosts appears throughout the novel. Lusa defines ghosts as “people who have lost things” (257) and “certain kinds of love you can’t see” (357). Using Lusa’s definition, how have ghosts influenced your life?

5. Throughout the novel, characters wrestle with the tension between traditional knowledge and new scientific understanding. Where have you observed this tension in your own experiences?

Examine the book’s relevance to societal issues, historical events, or cultural themes.

1. What stereotypes about rural Appalachian communities does the novel challenge or reinforce?

2. Several female characters in the novel defy traditional gender expectations for their time and place. What resistance to such progress do you still see in contemporary society?

3.Which ecological debates from the novel seem particularly relevant or have evolved since its publication in 2000?

Dive into the book’s structure, characters, themes, and symbolism.

1. What does the coyote symbolize for various characters throughout the novel?

2. The novel presents several romantic relationships, from Deanna and Eddie’s passionate summer affair to the tentative connection between elderly neighbors Garnett and Nannie. What insights about human connection do these various pairings offer?

3. What does the recurring motif of ghosts suggest about the relationship between past and present throughout the novel?

4. What role does the American chestnut play as both a literal tree and a symbol in Garnett Walker’s storyline?

5. The characters of Deanna, Lusa, and Nannie all represent unconventional women who challenge societal expectations. What techniques does Kingsolver use to develop these characters beyond potential stereotypes?

6. Consider the novel’s three primary settings: Deanna’s forest cabin, Lusa’s farm, and Garnett’s property. How does each environment shape the character who inhabits it?