The Poisonwood Bible is a story told by the wife and four daughters of Nathan Price, a fierce, evangelical Baptist who takes his family and mission to the Belgian Congo in 1959. They carry with them everything they believe they will need from home, but soon find that all of it—from garden seeds to Scripture—is calamitously transformed on African soil. What follows is a suspenseful epic of one … epic of one family’s tragic undoing and remarkable reconstruction over the course of three decades in postcolonial Africa.
The novel is set against one of the most dramatic political chronicles of the twentieth century: the Congo’s fight for independence from Belgium, the murder of its first elected prime minister, the CIA coup to install his replacement, and the insidious progress of a world economic order that robs the fledgling African nation of its autonomy. Against this backdrop, Orleanna Price reconstructs the story of her evangelist husband’s part in the Western assault on Africa, a tale indelibly darkened by her own losses and unanswerable questions about her own culpability. Also narrating the story, by turns, are her four daughters—the self-centered, teenaged Rachel; shrewd adolescent twins Leah and Adah; and Ruth May, a prescient five-year-old. These sharply observant girls, who arrive in the Congo with racial preconceptions forged in 1950s Georgia, will be marked in surprisingly different ways by their father’s intractable mission, and by Africa itself. Ultimately each must strike her own separate path to salvation. Their passionately intertwined stories become a compelling exploration of moral risk and personal responsibility.
Dancing between the dark comedy of human failings and the breathtaking possibilities of human hope, The Poisonwood Bible possesses all that has distinguished Barbara Kingsolver’s previous work, and extends this beloved writer’s vision to an entirely new level. Taking its place alongside the classic works of postcolonial literature, this ambitious novel establishes Kingsolver as one of the most thoughtful and daring of modern writers.
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Beautifully written!
Good book, enjoyed it very much
This was Kingsolver’s best book in my opinion. The characters are marooned in Africa with a fanatical missionary father. He is a tyrannical ruler in the family. This story is one of a mother’s fierce love for her children and finding ways to survive the harsh conditions of 1950s Congo. This is a wonderful tale of survival and family loyalty as …
This is one of the best books I have ever read. I have continued to read Kingsolver’s books, but this is the best of them all.
Totally entertaining and thought-provoking story about a family of missionaries in the 1960’s Congo. An eye-opener.
“To live is to be marked. To change. To acquire the words of a story.” And what a story it is. A mother and her daughters, their devoutly obsessed husband and father, and an ill-conceived mission trip to Africa. I’ve read this book three times and every time I get something new from it.
If I could give this one 6 starts, I would. I loved it! Such a moving story from multiple perspectives. Rich language; believable, flawed characters; setting is both beautiful and horrible. So good.
A glimpse into a world I had never known.
A different book but a good story
I had a difficult time getting into this one.
I had trouble getting started on this book; however, once I was about two sections in I was “hooked”! I learned a lot about Africa, missionary work, and family interactions in unusual circumstances. Kingsolver writes well; I have enjoyed many of her books, this one included.
Really liked this book – thought she nailed the missionary and his assurance that he knew what was best for the natives. Thought the last 1/4 of the book didn’t live up to the rest but well worth reading
I loved this book
I loved this book.
I loved this book. Top ten picks of books I’ve ever read. I read 3-4 books per week!
I loved this story told with a different perspective by each of its characters. It is thought provoking.
One of the best books maybe ever not so much for plot but for characters. The voices of the mother and the daughters are so finely wrought that you can tell who is speaking by the voice. The chapters are recounted by each character. Listening to a good reading of the book is a plus.
Her best novel
This was a life changing book for me. It is absolutely thought provoking.
This is the story of the Price family who went to the Congo in AFrica on a mission for the church. Nathan – the father – went against the churches wishes feeling that he needed to reach the people of Africa and bring them the word of God. So in 1959, he and his wife and their 4 young daughters find themselves in a completely different world than …