I’m here today to encourage you to . . . Read With Us . . . this fall.

Bonny, Carole, and I have selected Partita, Barbara Kingsolver’s newest novel, for our fall read.

When my daughter was first born, she didn’t like to sleep unless I was holding her . . . so for a time, I sat for long periods of time in a rocking chair, just watching her sleep. Eventually it occurred to me that I could actually read while she slept in my arms! I read my first Barbara Kingsolver novel (The Bean Trees) that way. Since then, whenever Barbara Kingsolver had a new novel, I treated it like An Occasion! I’ve read all her books (10 novels, 2 collections of poetry, a memoir, and at least one essay collection I can remember) and I’ve liked all of them . . . some more than others, any many I count among my favorite books.

Barbara Kingsolver writes really great characters . . . living in places that loom large in her novels. She often uses social justice or eco-consciousness themes to move her plots along, and family interactions (both biological and found families) often serve as a framework to hold everything together. I always learn something when I read a Kingsolver novel.

Her latest offering, Partita, follows in that usual Kingsolver mold. Main character Livia Cable was a promising classical pianist in her last year at a musical conservatory when her life is upended by love . . . and a terrible accident. She returns home to the Appalachian farmcountry of her family and begins anew. It’s a story of passion, resilience, memory, and grief. Kingsolver structures this novel around classical piano music  . . . but don’t let that keep you from diving into this beautiful novel. Musical terms and descriptions are simply pillars of Livia’s world and are not placed as barriers to understanding or enjoying the story. And for your further enjoyment, Kingsolver has created a “listening list” to accompany this lovely story. (I’ve included a link to Kingsolver’s Spotify playlist for Partita at the end of this post.)

Partita is currently available in most bookstores (if you’re lucky enough to have one nearby), or on Amazon in hardback ($22.40), Kindle ($15.99), and audio (Audible $24.95 or 1 credit). The book and audiobook are generally available through local libraries and Libby, too, although availability and wait times vary (and may be quite long, actually, due to the popularity of this book).

Our book discussion day for Partita is Tuesday, January 12, 2027. Bonny, Carole, and I will each post discussion questions on our blogs that day, and then – later in the evening (7:00 pm Eastern time zone) – we’ll be hosting a live book discussion/meet-up on Zoom. If you’d like to join the Zoom (and we’d really love it if you do) please let me know in the comments or send me an email with your confirmation (there will soon be a link in sidebar and on the Read With Us page, too).

So.
Grab a copy of the book and experience the wonder of Barbara Kingsolver.
C’mon along . . .
Read With Us!