Prodigal Summer by Barbara Kingsolver: fertility and harmony
From The Novel Tea by Neha & Shruti
May 21, 2026 · 1h 2m · Season 7 · Episode 8
About this episode
Neha and Shruti discuss the themes and characters in Barbara Kingsolver's Prodigal Summer.
Shruti and Neha discuss Barbara Kingsolver's Prodigal Summer, a novel of three stories that unfold over the course of one Appalachian summer. We discuss themes of female desire, fertility, familial love, and harmony. We also make connections between characters and their symbolic representations, discover a new critical lens to read through, and question the veracity of 'moon cycles.' Shelf Discovery: The Bean Trees by Barbara Kingsolver Lincoln Highway by Amor Towles The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood The White Book by Han Kang If you would like to get additional recommendations, analyses, and behind-the-scenes content related to this and all of our episodes, subscribe to our free email newsletter on Substack. We love to hear from listeners about the books we discuss - you can connect with us on Instagram or by emailing us at thenovelteapod@gmail.com. This episode description contains links to Bookshop.org, a website that supports independent bookstores. If you use these links we may earn a small commission at no additional cost to you. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
People in this episode
Hosts: Neha, Shruti
Topics covered
- female desire
- fertility
- familial love
- harmony
- symbolic representations
- critical lens
- moon cycles
Keywords
- Prodigal Summer
- Barbara Kingsolver
- female desire
- fertility
- familial love
- harmony
- moon cycles
- literary analysis
- symbolism
- Appalachian summer
Mentioned in this episode
Organizations: Bookshop.org, Substack, Acast
Books & works: Prodigal Summer, The Bean Trees, Lincoln Highway, The Handmaid's Tale, The White Book
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