By Wicy Wang
It is not surprising that Barbara Kingsolver majored in biology—her newest book, “Flight Behavior,” is one of many Kingsolver works that focuses on environmentalism. Here, she returns to her native Appalachia with loving detail that focuses less on plot, and more on climate change and the characters who are struggling to survive in an unstable society.
The heroine, Dellarobia Turnbow, fits the mold of many of Kingsolver’s heroines. An intelligent and ambitious 29-year-old housewife, she struggles to fit into her daily reality—sheep farming in rural Tennessee. When Dellarobia finds an enormous encampment of monarch butterflies on the mountain behind her farmhouse, the implications (and subsequent attention from scientists and reporters) steer her life in a new direction.
“Flight Behavior” is an intriguing look at climate change, covering the science behind it, the psychology of various responses to the crisis, and the social and ecological repercussions of climate change. Different people find different meanings in the monarch butterflies, and it becomes impossible to form black-and-white judgments of their points of view.
The novel earnestly warns its audience about the dangers of ignoring climate change. Kingsolver is too earnest, perhaps, since the didactic nature of some scenes and interactions detracts from the flow of the story.
Another mild detractor is the claustrophobic nature of Dellarobia’s life; her sense of being stifled is quite accurately portrayed, but the audience is left frustrated—perhaps quite on purpose—by her inability to break free.
However, there are few perfect literary works, and despite these hiccups “Flight Behavior” is a terrific and compassionate character study of people caught up in forces beyond their control, namely: climate change, politics, and class differences.
There are no villains, except perhaps the stupidity of humankind as a whole; there are no easy answers, except for soldiering on. The rushed ending holds an optimistic note, but the truly uplifting message is in body of the novel, in the trials and tribulations of the characters. “Flight Behavior” is a must-read for any Kingsolver fans, or anyone interested in climate change.
Barbara Kingsolver’s “Flight Behavior” was released on November 6, 2012.
Wicy Wang is a contributing writer. Email her at books@nyunews.com.
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