Prodigal Summer
This spring, the SciFri Book Club will revisit a classic from Barbara Kingsolver set amongst the mountains and farms of southern Appalachia.
Welcome to the SciFri Book Club page about Barbara Kingsolver’s Prodigal Summer. There’s lots of ways to participate: Read the book, join our community space, attend an event, read an excerpt, sign up for our email newsletter, or send us a message via our contact page.
This March, the SciFri Book Club is reading Prodigal Summer by Barbara Kingsolver. This novel takes place over the course of one humid summer, as the urge to procreate overtakes the lush countryside. The protagonists—a reclusive wildlife biologist, a young farmer’s wife marooned far from home, and a pair of elderly, feuding neighbors—face disparate predicaments but find connections to one another and to the flora and fauna that surround them. Their discoveries highlight the intimate lessons of the natural world, and the interconnectedness of living things.
Prodigal Summer brings together a range of topics, including biology, ecology, climate science, agriculture, earth science, and more—and we’ll touch on these ideas throughout this Book Club season. You can get your copy from your local bookstore or on Bookshop.org.
This Book Club season kicks off Saturday, March 1, and you can read along with us! We’ll be (loosely) following this schedule, but all our readers are welcome to join us at their own pace:
- March 1-9: Chapters 1-9
- March 10-16: Chapters 10-15
- March 17-23: Chapters 16-20
- March 24-31: Chapters 21-31 + Final thoughts
Plus, we’ll be hosting events throughout the month! Keep an eye out on our website or join our Events newsletter to be the first to know.
There are so many ways to dive in and participate! You can grab a copy of the book (and support the author and SciFri), join the discussion in our online Book Club community, sign up for our email newsletter, or RSVP for our upcoming Book Club events. Check out all the details below.
Grab Your Own Copy
If you’d like to purchase a physical copy, we encourage you to start local! Check out the SciFri Book Club partner bookstores and libraries—if you’re in the area, consider supporting your local bookseller or public library (plus, mention our Book Club for a percentage off your purchase at participating shops!).
Want more ways to read? This book is available in a few formats via online retailers, your local library, or elsewhere:
Your local library may not currently have Prodigal Summer in its catalog, but many branches offer ways for patrons like you to submit book suggestions to librarians. Look for ways to suggest new titles via the Libby or OverDrive app, a form submission on your library’s website, or a suggestion box at your local branch!
Save The Date(s): SciFri Book Club Events
Prodigal Summer: Livestream and Q&A with Barbara Kingsolver
Join acclaimed author Barbara Kingsolver for a conversation about her masterful work that bridges scientific understanding with the poetry of the natural world, Prodigal Summer. Delve into the intricate connections between ecology and human nature as three intertwining stories unfold in the mountains of Appalachia.
Join us online for a livestream all about the science topics featured in the SciFri Book Club pick for March 2025. Come with your queries and wonderings—we’ll be taking your questions in the livestream comments!
SciFri Book Club March community meeting
Want to meet other SciFri Book Club members, talk about the book selection, and find more resources for deeper learning—all without leaving your home? Our community meeting is the place for you!
This discussion meeting will focus on themes and topics featured in Prodigal Summer. You’re welcome to join us no matter your reading progress—come chat with other science-interested folks about biology, ecology, climate science, agriculture, earth science, and more.
Join Our Community Space
And as you start reading, join us on our online community space: the SciFri Book Club is on Mighty Networks, a platform where we can gather, read and discuss science books together. We’ve built this community space to create a better way for readers to stay connected with other Book Clubbers, and we hope you’ll join us there!
Sign Up For Our Newsletter
Subscribe to SciFri Book Club emails to stay updated on our monthly read sand join us for community discussions. We’ll send emails a few times per week.