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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This is truly a phenomenal book. The musings are thought provoking and beautifully written. I was consumed by the profound sadness of stories as told by the mother and each of the four girls about how they saw life in Africa and in general. I would highly recommend this book to anyone.
Kingsolver is so thorough with her research. Plus she turns a stereotype of a character into someone whose existence is believable though not at all endearing. Still I found myself feeling somewhat sorry for him at various points because of his troubling past. Her detail and transitions between several locations was amazing, as well as her ability …
Captivating read and historically informative! Well written.
This is one of the best written, most interesting books I have ever read. The irony of Catholic priest who has fallen away from his vows and the gentle goodness he shows to the native population compared to the dedicated missionary why and the arrogance with which he meets the native population is thought provoking. The voice that the author …
This is one of my favorite books of all time. Written from the alternating points of view of the women in a family whose husband and father has taken them to the Belgian Congo in the 50’s on a foolish Christian mission to convert the “heartens”. The story is how this experience impacts each of these women.
This book is on my all-time favorites list. The characters stayed with me for a very long time after I finished and the descriptions of mission work in Africa were so vivid. There were no easy answers and the pitfalls of “moral certainty” were brilliantly portrayed.
Loved this book
Taught me so much
Beautifully written and very moving
I loved this book. It’s been a while since I read it and it still resonates with me. The author writes very well and doesn’t “talk down” to her audience. I resisted reading it for awhile because it said it was about missionaries and I didn’t think I’d like it. Was I wrong! It’s so much mor than that! It’s main characters are the wife and …
Fantastic book. Covers some deep issues around family, religion and colonialism. The story is told through different characters which I really enjoyed. It is a long book that lost steam towards that last quarter but still a very interesting read.
It’s been a while since I read this but it still remains on my defiantly worth reading list.
One of my favorite books of all time
Points if view of females in the book we’re very inspiring and insightful. Opossing observations of the same incident are revealingly current.
This will be another book I will read repeatedly. There aren’t many which alter my perspective with each passing. Worth the time.
Thought provoking. I read it a long time ago but it is one of those books that stays with you and you want to revisit after a few years.
This is one of my favorite books of all time. Africa, the DARK CONTINENT; Sure does turn out to be an accurate description. That poor family.
What a story!! Am in the middle of it and learning history and the Congolese mindset. Definitely recommend!
I’m a big fan. One of my favorites!!!!
An unusual book from Kingsolver, but one of her best!
My favorite Kingsolver book – by far – and not because I didn’t like her others, either!
Truly, one of the best books of all time.