Friday, April 12, 2013

Blogging A to Z: K is for Barbara Kingsolver

Welcome to the Blogging From A to Z Challenge!


My theme for 2013 is Influential Women Authors.

My definition of influential is any author, classic or modern, who has inspired writers, readers, or the larger scope of culture. Some are personal favorites, or have special meaning to me.

What this list is not: a list of the most influential writers of all time. Rather, this is a collection of influential writers, corresponding with each day's letter.

For the full list of participating blogs, click here.

K: Barbara Kingsolver
image: Goodreads

This author is most known for the Pulitzer Prize-nominated book The Poisonwood Bible about an American missionary family sent to the Congo in the 1960s. But the book that drew me in to her writing is her memoir Animal, Vegetable, Miracle, where she and her family decided to eat locally, mainly growing their own food for a year.

The memoir goes far beyond a gimmick; Kingsolver also goes into Fast Food Nation territory exposing dirty secrets of the processed food industry that make it hard to keep on consuming packaged crap without a second thought. She shows us both the difficulty in eating locally, and how small changes in our thinking can spur lasting change. Plus, in this book, her adult-aged daughter shares recipes!

Whether fiction or non-fiction, her writing is beautiful, honest, and funny. She is topical, using her characters to compel readers to think beyond simply stories, but the world beyond, and how we each affect our surroundings.

Have you read any of Barbara Kingsolver's books?

7 comments:

  1. Yes. THE POISONWOOD BIBLE; it's such a great book. I read it twice.

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  2. I never finished "The Poisonwood Bible". I really enjoyed her earlier books "The Bean Trees", "Animal Dreams", and "Pigs in Heaven".

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  3. Hello, Stephanie! My theme is authors, too! I featured Sue Monk Kidd today. Barbara Kingsolver is excellent for K! I really enjoyed The Poisonwood Bible. I haven't read her other books yet, but she's a wonderful writer.

    Happy A to Z-ing! from Laura Marcella @ Wavy Lines

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  4. I have never read anything by Barbara Kingsolver. I will have to request her from the library.
    Thank you for the recommendation.
    Peanut Butter and Whine

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  5. It is hard to eat locally. We have farmer's markets in the summer and I do my own garden and can. Now and then will split a cow or pig with someone. Yeah, we're rural. :) but to get fresh food in the store is always priced higher than the crap we shouldn't eat.

    History Sleuth's Writings A to Z

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  6. Definitely one of the MOST influential women writers -- good choice! I've read Poisonwood Bible, Prodigal Summer, Animal Dreams and Pigs in Heaven. I have some catching up to do with Kingsolver. :)

    Sherrey at Healing by Writing

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    Replies
    1. I've only scratched the surface with her books, but she's a wonderful writer.

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