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The Poisonwood Bible

3.94 of 5 stars 3.94 · rating details · 354,632 ratings · 14,462 reviews

As any reader of The Mosquito Coast knows, men who drag their families to far-off climes in pursuit of an Idea seldom come to any good, while those familiar with At Play in the Fields of the Lord or Kalimantaan understand that the minute a missionary sets foot on the fictional stage, all hell is about to break loose. So when Barbara Kingsolver sends missionary Nathan Price...more As any reader of The Mosquito Coast knows, men who drag their families to far-off climes in pursuit of an Idea seldom come to any good, while those familiar with At Play in the Fields of the Lord or Kalimantaan understand that the minute a missionary sets foot on the fictional stage, all hell is about to break loose. So when Barbara Kingsolver sends missionary Nathan Price along with his wife and four daughters off to Africa in The Poisonwood Bible, you can be sure that salvation is the one thing they're not likely to find.

The year is 1959 and the place is the Belgian Congo. Nathan, a Baptist preacher, has come to spread the Word in a remote village reachable only by airplane. To say that he and his family are woefully unprepared would be an understatement: "We came from Bethlehem, Georgia, bearing Betty Crocker cake mixes into the jungle," says Leah, one of Nathan's daughters. But of course it isn't long before they discover that the tremendous humidity has rendered the mixes unusable, their clothes are unsuitable, and they've arrived in the middle of political upheaval as the Congolese seek to wrest independence from Belgium. In addition to poisonous snakes, dangerous animals, and the hostility of the villagers to Nathan's fiery take-no-prisoners brand of Christianity, there are also rebels in the jungle and the threat of war in the air.

The first part of The Poisonwood Bible revolves around Nathan's intransigent, bullying personality and his effect on both his family and the village to which they've come. As political instability grows in the Congo, so does the local witch doctor's animus toward the Prices, and both seem to converge with tragic consequences about halfway through the novel. From that point on, the family is dispersed and the novel follows each member's fortune across a span of more than 30 years.

The Poisonwood Bible is arguably Barbara Kingsolver's most ambitious work, and it reveals both her great strengths and her weaknesses. As Nathan Price's wife and daughters tell their stories in alternating chapters, Kingsolver does a good job of differentiating the voices. But at times they can grate - teenage Rachel's tendency towards precious malapropisms is particularly annoying. More problematic is Kingsolver's tendency to wear her politics on her sleeve; this is particularly evident in the second half of the novel, in which she uses her characters as mouthpieces to explicate the complicated and tragic history of the Belgian Congo.

Despite these weaknesses, Kingsolver's fully realized, three-dimensional characters make The Poisonwood Bible compelling, especially in the first half, when Nathan Price is still at the center of the action. And in her treatment of Africa and the Africans she is at her best, exhibiting the acute perception, moral engagement, and lyrical prose that have made her previous novels so successful. --Alix Wilber(less)

Paperback, 543 pages

Published October 1st 1999 by Harper Perennial (first published 1998)

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Jan 27, 2009 Ebookwormy rated it 1 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 2-caution, culture, world-africa

On one hand, there is nothing new here, and on this same old tirade, I disagree strongly with the author. Examples:

* Relativism. I'm sorry, I believe infanticide to be wrong for all cultures, for all times.

* Missionaries, particularly protestant missionaries to Africa were entirely the endeavor of egotistic, abusive, colonialists who were merely out to change Africa into either a western society or an exploitative factory for western society. Wrong again, read Tom Hiney's "On the Missionary Trai...more

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Apr 25, 2008 Meghan rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This book really made me think about why we adopt certain beliefs: what comes from the environment we are immersed in vs. what comes from within. I loved how Kingsolver shows the world view of an entire family who is experiencing the same basic situations in the Congo, but each member deals with these things very differently. It also brings up issues with culture differences and the obstacles in trying to persuade a culture to change. It poses the question of should they change, is the American...more This book really made me think about why we adopt certain beliefs: what comes from the environment we are immersed in vs. what comes from within. I loved how Kingsolver shows the world view of an entire family who is experiencing the same basic situations in the Congo, but each member deals with these things very differently. It also brings up issues with culture differences and the obstacles in trying to persuade a culture to change. It poses the question of should they change, is the American culture superior, is Christianity superior, is democracy superior, is wealth superior to poverty? Each character answers these questions differently. How our actions or inactions affect other people is another commentary this novel addresses. The story brings up ethical issues that arise in getting involved with other countries: do we do it because we believe we are superior or to exploit their resources or to sincerely try to help other people have a better life? Lots of interesting things to think about in this book.
Here is the synopsis from Amazon.com: As any reader of The Mosquito Coast knows, men who drag their families to far-off climes in pursuit of an Idea seldom come to any good, while those familiar with At Play in the Fields of the Lord or Kalimantaan understand that the minute a missionary sets foot on the fictional stage, all hell is about to break loose. So when Barbara Kingsolver sends missionary Nathan Price along with his wife and four daughters off to Africa in The Poisonwood Bible, you can be sure that salvation is the one thing they're not likely to find. The year is 1959 and the place is the Belgian Congo. Nathan, a Baptist preacher, has come to spread the Word in a remote village reachable only by airplane. To say that he and his family are woefully unprepared would be an understatement: "We came from Bethlehem, Georgia, bearing Betty Crocker cake mixes into the jungle," says Leah, one of Nathan's daughters. But of course it isn't long before they discover that the tremendous humidity has rendered the mixes unusable, their clothes are unsuitable, and they've arrived in the middle of political upheaval as the Congolese seek to wrest independence from Belgium. In addition to poisonous snakes, dangerous animals, and the hostility of the villagers to Nathan's fiery take-no-prisoners brand of Christianity, there are also rebels in the jungle and the threat of war in the air. Could things get any worse?
In fact they can and they do. The first part of The Poisonwood Bible revolves around Nathan's intransigent, bullying personality and his effect on both his family and the village they have come to. As political instability grows in the Congo, so does the local witch doctor's animus toward the Prices, and both seem to converge with tragic consequences about halfway through the novel. From that point on, the family is dispersed and the novel follows each member's fortune across a span of more than 30 years.(less)

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Jun 27, 2011 Paul rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: novels

Reviewing in the face of the great billows of love projected towards this novel is a hapless task, your hat blows off and your eyes get all teary and if you say one wrong thing small children run out of nowhere and stone you or just bite your calves. So I shall this one time sheathe my acid quill. But I can't resist just a couple of little points though -

1) you have to suspend great balefuls of disbelief. These kids, they're awfully highfalutin with their fancy flora and fauna and fitful forensi...more

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May 11, 2011 Alisa rated it 1 of 5 stars · review of another edition

People love this book, and I think I understand why. It's got a collection of strong characters, each chapter is written from a different character's point of view, and it's set in Africa, which is exciting. But there are a few reasons I don't think it's great literature.

The main things I expect from a good novel are: a) that the writer doesn't manipulate her characters for her agenda, b) that the characters' actions are consistent to the world the writer has created for them, c) good, tight pr...more

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Jun 24, 2008 Heidi rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: library-book

I had a hard time choosing between 2 and 3 stars -- really, it should be 2.5. I thought the prose was quite lovely; Kingsolver has a nice voice. I enjoyed reading about a part of the world of which I have no experience. The description of the clash of cultures was well done.

However. The author had an agenda and she really didn't mind continually slapping us in the face with it. Now, I don't pretend the US hasn't made mistakes and won't continue on making mistakes. But to equate one group of peo...more

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Jan 09, 2011 K.D. Oliveros rated it 4 of 5 stars

Recommended to K.D. by: 1001 Books You Must Read Before You Die (2006-2010)

Shelves: 1001-core

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. This novel is breathtakingly beautiful. It's a pity that I see copies of this book in Booksale being sold for P20 (less than 2 US cents) and people are not buying.

I have two copies. One is a mass paperback that I bought almost a couple of years back for P90 (US$2) but I decided to postpone reading it when I realized that this book is an Oprah book. Then when my good friend here in Goodreads marked this as "currently-reading" in early December (last month), I thought that we could be reading bud...more

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Jan 11, 2008 Mimi rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: Ashley

Shelves: cried-my-eyes-out

My official review "Tata Jesus is Bängala":

I finished the last 300 pages in 2 days (which is very fast for me - English books). I felt every emotion under the sky with this book. I hated Nathan Price, I hated injustice, I hated my uselessness, I hated the fact that there are no good prospects for Africa in the future. As a Geographic major I strongly believe that the closer you are to the Equator, the longer it will remain a 3rd world country. Of course the country itself is full of resources (i...more My official review "Tata Jesus is Bängala":

I finished the last 300 pages in 2 days (which is very fast for me - English books). I felt every emotion under the sky with this book. I hated Nathan Price, I hated injustice, I hated my uselessness, I hated the fact that there are no good prospects for Africa in the future. As a Geographic major I strongly believe that the closer you are to the Equator, the longer it will remain a 3rd world country. Of course the country itself is full of resources (in non-foods) that could make them rich, but nothing can feed the overpopulated cities. Politics obstruct any way of turning diamonds into food. Anyway,
I loved the fact the author talked so much about how they processed their lives and experiences in the Congo. To some degree that's how I am. I grew up poor and desolate and now live in this insane country where everything is available. I feel restless and unsettles at times. Like Orleanna who can't wear shoes in Atlanta because she needs to feel dirt between her feet I prefer to walk to church (with stroller and kids) in Minus degree weather because that's my connection to my family and culture in Germany. Nobody gets it when we arrive at church with red noses, fully aware that we have a functional car.
I love and miss Ruth May. I cried a lot about dead animal. I laughed at her timely wittiness in describing the culture clashes.

I learned one important point about African culture. The author lingered on the fact that Africans (especially villagers) can't grasp the fact of a family owning or keeping more than they need or consume at any point. When a fisherman caught a full net he immediately shares with his village. People don't ask for fish or thank for the fish. They just take. Because that's how it is. When the Prices arrived there with storage the kids came to beg at their door. Not because they were greedy or rude but that's how the village functions.

We have many African immigrants in our ward and neighborhood (sometimes I am the only white person in a store on any given day). For example when the Relief Society announces a committee meeting "With refreshments" some African women just show up. They go straight to the refreshment table (in the middle of the meeting, untouched foods and all) eat, and then go home. None has a calling but hears the call to eat the offered food. There is an abundance and they have no money for food. It's all logical to them to eat when it's available if they were invited or not. There are also many problems with African can't getting off welfare. Honorable families don't understand the reason not to take when it's for everyone to take and use. There is no thinking about the future, just filling the belly now.

One of our Book Club books this year is "A Framework for Understanding Poverty" by Ruby K Payne to help us interact better.

I loved it. It was a good book. A few flaws but easily forgivable for the beautiful philosophical writing. It was the best epic I read so far.(less)

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May 29, 2008 Rebecca rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: People interested in Congolese history

I read "The Poisonwood Bible" for two reasons: Because I've always wanted to read a Barbara Kingsolver book and I am intrigued by secular takes on Christianity in modern-day writings.

I just finished it today. It is the story of a missionary family's trek to the Congo, told through the eyes of the four daughters and their mother. The father is a misguided preacher who is trying to escape past demons by force-feeding Christ to a culture that he has neither researched nor desires to understand (the...more I read "The Poisonwood Bible" for two reasons: Because I've always wanted to read a Barbara Kingsolver book and I am intrigued by secular takes on Christianity in modern-day writings.

I just finished it today. It is the story of a missionary family's trek to the Congo, told through the eyes of the four daughters and their mother. The father is a misguided preacher who is trying to escape past demons by force-feeding Christ to a culture that he has neither researched nor desires to understand (the name of the book is a reference to his misuse of the native language -- so instead of calling the Bible something holy, he's referring to it as a poisonous tree).

All in all, I am glad I read the book -- the discussion of the Congo's tumultuous history and the commentary on how the United States and various European nations have tried and failed to control something so wild and free was very interesting. It is a theme I saw repeatedly play out in this book -- when people/nations are unwilling to take the time to understand where others are coming from (be it individuals or people groups), the result is long-running anguish, regret and the destruction of lives and families. The writing can be very good -- the death of one of the daughters (which is disclosed early in the novel, although she is not identified) had me literally weeping over this book.

That all said. There were parts of the book that dragged for me -- and the whole catalyst for why these four girls and their mother were transplanted to Africa (a highly controlling husband/father) was never completely resolved to my satisfaction (he sort of disappears in to the jungle halfway through the book, never to return).

From a Christian standpoint, I was also disappointed in how missionaries were generally portrayed -- self-seeking, greedy and Bible-thumping morons who were either frothing at the mouth or couldn't get out of the country fast enough when the going got tough. There were also doctrinal errors (I spent several years as a Baptist and I never attended a church that believed baptism was a necessary ticket in to heaven -- quite the contrary, actually).

It would have been a fascinating foil to have a truly Christ-focused, God-seeking missionary family in these people's midsts ... while I appreciate how the only "good" missionary in this book didn't completely reject God, his buffet-style approach to what he accepted/discarded about the Bible was disturbing. Yet it was clearly held up as the preferred example for the rest of characters in the book.(less)

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Oct 16, 2007 JG (The Introverted Reader) rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: fiction, read_in_2007, reviewed, 2_stars, gave_away, author_american, setting_us, setting_congo

The Poisonwood Bible is about a Southern Baptist family that decides to go be missionaries in the Congo in 1960, just before the country was supposedly granted its independence from Belgium. The Prices didn't bother with language or culture training, they just took off to spread the word about Jesus. Of course they weren't prepared for what they found, so of course they got in a lot of trouble.

I can't exactly put my finger on what I didn't like. I just know that it felt like it dragged on and on...more

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Nov 14, 2007 Caroline rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: fiction, read-in-2007

This book was fascinating for a variety of reasons for me. Not only is it set in the jungles of Congo, but the structure really sucked me in so much more than a lot of books. Barbara Kingsolver obviously spent a lot of time researching this book (according to the P.S. text, a couple of decades)--there's a huge list of references used, and the details within the text made me feel almost as if I'd actually been to a little town deep within the jungles of Congo.

Kingsolver had a very nice variety of...more This book was fascinating for a variety of reasons for me. Not only is it set in the jungles of Congo, but the structure really sucked me in so much more than a lot of books. Barbara Kingsolver obviously spent a lot of time researching this book (according to the P.S. text, a couple of decades)--there's a huge list of references used, and the details within the text made me feel almost as if I'd actually been to a little town deep within the jungles of Congo.

Kingsolver had a very nice variety of character perspectives, rather than telling the story all from one person's point-of-view. All of the daughters have very different voices, as well as the mother. Leah is the most trusting of her father's preaching, and for a good chunk of the novel spends her time doting on her father and not really realizing how wrong he was on a lot of things. Rachel gets fairly annoying at times, with how stuck-up she can be, but in the end I did like her for her honesty. Adah, the "twisted child," is very poetic and I found myself looking forward to her passages the most, with her play-on-words and general pessimistic take on the whole situation. Ruth May felt a lot like a filler character at times, although in the end I did appreciate her innocent take on everything.

I actually learned a few things about the Congo by reading this--it's not an area I knew much about (just generals that are commonly known, like the diamond trade), so it was a bit of a history lesson mixed in with a very interesting story.

I was a bit iffy of the final 150-ish pages, where it seemed like the story was over...but it kept going. In the end, I was really glad Kingsolver decided to do the rest of the story in the way she did--in those 150 pages, she covers about 30 years of the after-effects on the family. You never get the full story of what happened to certain characters, but in a time of turmoil like that you wouldn't in reality...so it works. It's pretty interesting to see how much some of the daughters changed after the horrible failure of their father's mission, and how very little one daughter changed. It turned into more than a story of a failed Baptist preacher attempting to convert the members of a little Congolese town, but a story of the long-reaching effects of one man.

Definitely a powerful book, and I'm so glad I picked it up on a whim! It was slow-going most of the time (it took me much longer to read this than I expected--more out of savoring it than it being a difficult read, because it was definitely easy yet poetic language), but it was definitely worth the effort.(less)

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Apr 03, 2007 Angela Dawn rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Riveting...We read this aloud at home and I found it to be beautifully and movingly written, by turns charming and horrifying. Her articulation of the most subtle nuances of experience, the profoundly different narrative voices she assumes like an experienced character actress, and the way she fluently plays with language, show Kingsolver's love and mastery of her craft.
Having been brought up by ultra-religious Christian parents myself, I found the children's and wife's experience strongly reson...more Riveting...We read this aloud at home and I found it to be beautifully and movingly written, by turns charming and horrifying. Her articulation of the most subtle nuances of experience, the profoundly different narrative voices she assumes like an experienced character actress, and the way she fluently plays with language, show Kingsolver's love and mastery of her craft.
Having been brought up by ultra-religious Christian parents myself, I found the children's and wife's experience strongly resonant and painfully authentic.
I think you have to have lived it to know how accurate and insightful she is in her exposition of the nature of evangelical authoritarianism, it's effect on character, the power of rigidly imposed gender roles, the monomaniacal aspects of monotheism, the not-so-subtle and pervasive racism and sexism.
I think the comparison to imperialism is smack on, and a valuable association that deserves, even needs, to be drawn, particularly in the world in which we live today, where the confluence of these two rivers of inhumanity threaten more every day to once again overflow with devastating consequences.

It cannot be too boldly stated that these twin terrors have together shaped our world for the worse, anciently and modernly.
As a victim and survivor of both, to greater or lesser extent, Ms. Kingsolver has a natural right to portray them, and does so authoritatively.
Both have an inherent dismissivness toward the dignity and value of individuals, engendering similar resentment, hopelessness, and a sense of helplessness, in their victims.
The conceit and destructiveness inherent in both clearly make them horses of the very same color. We ignore their resemblance and relationship at our peril.
It's important to know that this is Kingsolver's most autobiographical novel. She's writing from personal experience, as well as an impressively large body of knowledge about Africa and it's politics.
She knows these people and places like the back of her hand.
Like her main characters, she carries them wherever she goes.
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Jul 29, 2007 Anna rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

The Poisonwood Bible is incredibly good for many reasons. Advancing through the lives of a family of Georgian missionaries surviving in the Congo, Kingsolver twines her story with the thoughts and perspectives of each of the women. Rachel, the oldest daughter, a princess no matter her setting. Leah, middle child and twin, who is intelligent and level headed. Adah (Hada), the other twin, lopsided and backwards reading, she is far more intelligent than anyone would guess. Ruth May, youngest at 5,...more The Poisonwood Bible is incredibly good for many reasons. Advancing through the lives of a family of Georgian missionaries surviving in the Congo, Kingsolver twines her story with the thoughts and perspectives of each of the women. Rachel, the oldest daughter, a princess no matter her setting. Leah, middle child and twin, who is intelligent and level headed. Adah (Hada), the other twin, lopsided and backwards reading, she is far more intelligent than anyone would guess. Ruth May, youngest at 5, with abundant energy and golden ringlets. And last but not least, Orleana, victim in the way women have always been victims. Through their eyes we see the pain we know all to well. The pain of being the outsider. The pain of adaptation. The pain of being an American abroad.
Though the family goes through innumerable hardships, it is the simple things that stuck me most. The peace between the violence, the realization that children’s play is practice for survival, the acceptance and joy at not being included as one of “them,” the beauty of the natural surroundings, are what make this sad novel oddly joyous. It quickly turns from being about a self righteous man, so unwilling to bend that he breaks, to coming of age and disillusionment with the “peace makers of the west.”
America likes to intervene. As the women of this story grow and separate, a political reality is playing out in the background. America decides the new president is a communist, and for the good of its people has him taken out. The new leader put in his place is friendly to the U.S. government, ensuring lucrative mining deals and easy trade. All too quickly the people of the Congo begin to suffer the harshness of a tyrant; all too quickly they begin to starve.
“There is nothing about the United States I can really explain to this child of another world” (pg 441). That we should have so much and deny others what little they could hope for, is a horror for which I have not the words. A little African boy is brought to an American grocery store and is stunned by the selection. Why would you need so many different toothpastes? It’s unfathomable.
I finished this book in a bout of frustrated tears. It seems like every year I learn of another country our government has destroyed, another culture we never took the time to understand. Kingsolver does an amazing job and winding through her story overwhelming feelings of shame and displacement. She takes global politics and makes them painfully intimate, while at the same time recognizing the absurdity in that.
But then that is just one of the stories told. It is the viewpoint of just one of the daughters. Through the others you can see innocence, ignorance, and self discovery. She shows that the world is as complicated as a single family and that there is never only one perspective.
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Feb 19, 2012 Sue rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: congo, fiction, around-the-world-in-52, read-in-2012, favorites

Where to start in discussing this book. Kingsolver presents us with a family of naive Americans, pious Father, somewhat subservient mother, and four daughters, newly arrived in the Congo on their father's mission to convert the natives to God's ways. What follows is a description of the failure of the "mission", the family, the changes that occur in everyone involved. We witness growth and stagnation in these people as they interact with their surroundings and the people they live alongside in p...more

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Aug 29, 2008 Meghan rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I started this book around 4 or 5 years ago and couldn’t get into it. My psyche was trying to tell me not to bother. I decided to finish it (for some reason picked it over a classic like Les Miserables) and I did like the writing style and I did like the story, but it is very much anti-American, anti-Christian, and pro-communist! I should have expected exactly that from an Oprah book club book.

The book praises Patrice Lumumba (the Congo’s first democratically elected prime minister) for being a...more I started this book around 4 or 5 years ago and couldn’t get into it. My psyche was trying to tell me not to bother. I decided to finish it (for some reason picked it over a classic like Les Miserables) and I did like the writing style and I did like the story, but it is very much anti-American, anti-Christian, and pro-communist! I should have expected exactly that from an Oprah book club book.

The book praises Patrice Lumumba (the Congo’s first democratically elected prime minister) for being a communist who believes in democracy and conversely vilifies Mobutu Sese Seko (the man who took power after Lumumba was assassinated) for being a dictator who believes in capitalism. Mobutu was not a capitalist. He was a dictator who ran a kleptocracy (a government that extends the personal wealth and political power of government officials and the ruling class at the expense of the population). Dictatorships are bad and Mobutu was no exception. He made the people of the Congo suffer enormously, but the book does not make him a villain for being a dictator, it makes him a villain for being a so-called capitalist (Dictatorships are okay for Liberals due to their favorite communist dictator Fidel Castro).

The incessant glorification of communism and the opposing drawl of America (and Christianity) is bad in this book is sickening. The Christian minister is portrayed as a controlling father and husband who puts his whole family in danger by staying in Africa in an unstable political climate and who ends up going crazy. The previous Christian minister is someone who actually lives Christian principles, but was kicked out of position of minister by his own church for cavorting too closely with the natives. Leah defines communists as people who “do not fear the Lord, and they think everybody should have the same kind of house” and from her standpoint “it is hard to fathom the threat” of communism (oh please as if millions of people haven’t died due to communist rule). Rachel, who argues with her sisters against communism, is portrayed as a dumb blonde who misuses words and who also happens to be shallow and heartless. Adah who is seen as the smart one of course agrees with whatever Leah thinks. This theme culminates near the end of the book the sisters get together and go sight-seeing. They go to a palace in Africa where human bones and remains were used as building materials. Leah suggests that we shouldn’t judge the chief for murdering all those people to build his palace just because we are from the West and don’t understand. She says that what looks like “mass murder to us is probably misinterpreted ritual. They probably had ways of keeping their numbers in balance in times of famine”. Both Rachel and the Bible are then made fun of by Leah and Adah when Rachel points out ‘thou shalt not kill’. So … if you are a chief in Africa facing elimination by starvation it is okay to knock off a few people to save the rest, but if you are an American in a world full of nuclear weapons capable of eliminating life on this planet you shouldn’t take out one man who may increase the chances of nuclear holocaust (according to the book Lumumba’s assassination was orchestrated by Eisenhower to eliminate an additional communist threat during the Cold War). If you think one is okay, you have to think the other is too. You can’t justify one just because of where you live or what color your skin is. Nice hypocritical message Barbara Kingsolver.
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May 06, 2008 Alex Wandaloo Berke rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. The Poisonwood Bible takes place in the 1960 Congo that the Price family has just flown to. Mr. Price is a reverend and made the bold choice to take his family out of Georgia for a year to do missionary work in a village called Kilanga. The culture of the Congo and the culture that the Prices ignorantly preserve from Georgia clash tremendously. With their small monthly stipend, the Prices are rich by Kilanga standards, but they do not understand that in Congo, those who have a lot are expected t...more

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Alex Wandaloo Berke The title of the book did not make sense to me until I was a good third into the story. The title is ironic. The story is about a family that comes to...more The title of the book did not make sense to me until I was a good third into the story. The title is ironic. The story is about a family that comes to the Congo with the bible as their guide, but they fail miserably, because their guide is not sufficient. Poisonwood is a plant that causes irritation to the skin, most likely the Congo’s equivalent to poison ivy. What the Price family needed most, rather than a good education on Christianity, was an education about the Congo before they arrived. They needed to understand not only not to touch the poisonwood, but the culture, how to survive, and how to interact with the people. Poisonwood represents every poison they accidentally touched- conflict with the village chief, enthusiasm over baptism, fear of interacting with the neighbors- and easily could have avoided. The Poisonwood Bible teaches the reader about the Congo the way and tells its story the way the Bible tells the story of the Christian God.

As to what I thought of the book, by the end it was difficult to put down. The beginning is slow, and I did not really enjoy reading it until half way through. Sometimes the story is predictable, but mostly only because it is realistic and we know what happens in life. The corruption described is outrageous and causes you to disrespect the American government. I also find the book inspiring, to read about people living simple lives, while the tone of the author discourages our large scale style of life. When Adah goes with her sister Leah and her children, who have just come from the Congo for the first time to America, to the supermarket, the kids are shocked to see so many products on the shelves. Leah’s son asks Adah what each product is for. Adah finds she can not explain each one’s use for a person that has never had a use for any of them, and only tells them “They’re things people don’t really need.” He can not believe a market could sell so many different kinds of things that people don’t really need, and now I realize that I can’t either. Tens of cleaners, saran wrap, tin foil, spray-on grease next to bottled vegetable oil, canola oil. We do not need it all, but we consume it all, while the Congolese hungrily pound manioc leaves into fufu all day long.
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May 06, 2008 07:21pm

Jan 25, 2008 Mikejencostanzo rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: reviewed

I began reading this book with hesitancy and a good portion of discernment. It had been recommended by a non-Christian co-worker as a good book for me to read since "you want to become a missionary." I'm really glad I read it though. There are a number of things I really appreciated about the book.

I really liked how the author, Barbara Kingsolver, told the story through the eyes of each of the characters. She was able to pull off a consistent and believable use of a different storytelling voice...more I began reading this book with hesitancy and a good portion of discernment. It had been recommended by a non-Christian co-worker as a good book for me to read since "you want to become a missionary." I'm really glad I read it though. There are a number of things I really appreciated about the book.

I really liked how the author, Barbara Kingsolver, told the story through the eyes of each of the characters. She was able to pull off a consistent and believable use of a different storytelling voice for each individual. This is something that, if done poorly, could result in a book that is a total nuisance to read. But when done well, as in this case, it sweeps the reader along into the hearts and minds of the characters.

I felt like Kingsolver captivatingly addressed the concept of mission effort gone awry. I'm glad I had the chance to read Kingsolver's work, because I think it captures the misgivings that many of my non-Christian friends have when they think of "Christian missions." As an example of this, my husband Mike can recount the conversation he had with a co-worker where the guy he was working with got kind of offended at hearing Mike's interest in missions: "What gives you the impression that you can just go over and tell the Japanese people to believe in your God?"

Kingsolver captures some of the concerns & misunderstandings of modern missions that our friends may feel as they hear our interest in missions.

Kingsolver's descriptions also ring true with some of the crazy foibles that have been recounted in true missions history. When I took a missions course called Perspectives the unit on "The History of Missions" was particularly eye-opening. Kingsolver is not just pulling these ideas out of thin air. There have definitely been some crazy abuses of people and culture -- some gross insensitivities displayed by some missionaries of the past.

One more thing I enjoyed about this book was the sometimes humorous, sometimes sobering pictures and impressions that it left in my mind. Archetypes of sorts, that I will carry with me in the future. Whenever I pack to go overseas, I will probably always think about piling on 15 layers of clothing, stuffing small kitchen appliances in my bosom, and boxes of cake mix in my coat pockets as I board the airplane.

-Jen(less)

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Oct 13, 2007 Annalisa rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Recommended to Annalisa by: bookclub

Shelves: historical-fiction, book-club, literary, favorites

This is the book Kingsolver was destined to write. It is her life's culmination, her masterpiece. Wrapped up in a fabulous piece of fiction we learn volumes from her expertise in African culture. It is what makes her voice so authentic.

What amazes me about this story, is Barbara Kingsolver's ability to write five very distinct, very different characters and give them all a believable voice. The characters were so vivid, real in their flawed insecurities, and so utterly different. I found myself...more This is the book Kingsolver was destined to write. It is her life's culmination, her masterpiece. Wrapped up in a fabulous piece of fiction we learn volumes from her expertise in African culture. It is what makes her voice so authentic.

What amazes me about this story, is Barbara Kingsolver's ability to write five very distinct, very different characters and give them all a believable voice. The characters were so vivid, real in their flawed insecurities, and so utterly different. I found myself constantly annoyed with Rachel's shallow stupidity and yet invested in her story. With almost smug satisfaction, I watched her board the plane that would forever change her life. I wish every self-centered girl could experience life in a third-world country and gain some perspective. While I found myself sympathetic to Orleanna's ordeal I didn't find myself congruent to her decisions or Kingsolver's prejudice in her feminist message. Ruth May's chapters are sweet and while I enjoyed her character without much depth or growth to her she is the character I remember the least, perhaps because I found her voice least authentic and Kingsolver tried to emulate the innocent non-understanding voice of a child in her thought-provoking intelligent tone.

What I loved most was the complete balance between the twins. The naive optimistic Leah who blindly idolizes her father is the polar opposite of Adah's bitter resentment who finds no hope or reason for faith in life. If it weren't for Kingsolver's obvious disdain for Leah's paternal allegiance, I would have related most to her character. I felt sorry for Adah's self pity, found a kindred spirit in her literary mind, and loved her palindromes. Between the negative and positive I felt I got a more balanced view of their Africa experience. As they evolve into their mature characters, they almost swapped places. Leah is the one who became bitter and rebellious while Adah assured and accepting. Adah was the character I most enjoyed, especially the more the book progressed and she learned to release her clawing grip on being the crooked girl obsessed with symmetry.

What was counterproductive in my opinion was her portrayal of the controlling, unyielding preacher and her refusal to give him a voice. Had she made Nathan a kind well-meaning preacher misguided in his mission to save Africa, I would have taken her questions about Christian values imposing their views on the rest of the world better. But instead of finding myself taking her stance that other cultures and religions have value and should be unaltered by Christian oppression, I found myself wanting to side with the minister and defend his decision to uproot his family, take them halfway around the world, and sacrifice their own comforts for the charitable saving of a nation. And I eventually sympathized with his sad grasp at resolution, absolution.

While I know there are stringent unyielding religious men, I found his character heavily stereotyped and reveals her own prejudice. Even the viewpoint of the believing children in the beginning seemed to mock a dependence on God to understand the world. Brother Price (and Leah) depict classic Christian pitfall: to expect the Lord to save and shelter you if you are good. If you are not protected either there is no God or you need more penitence. I wish Kingsolver had left one of her characters to embrace the comfort of religion in their sorrows. I felt that Kingsolver's ultimate message is that one must give up the fanciful religious optimism of one's youth to become a well-rounded intelligent individual, that optimism is best served to nurture physical rather than spiritual needs.

She inserted brother Fowles to showcase how she thought the missionary efforts should go: keep their culture and introduce some Christian principles to enhance their lives, but I disagree. He seemed more of a service missionary without introducing much gospel into his efforts. And what preaching he did do he let meld with their superstitious belief. But I didn't feel that a perversion of truth was the right answer either. Is service without gospel always the answer? Is the only Christian value worthy of dishing out love thy neighbor and leave them to their own believes when you truly feel you can save them? If these tribe members had embraced Christianity and given up their traditions would that really have been a bad thing?

Just as Nathan's stubborn unyielding stance brought him no believers in Africa where an appreciation for their culture could have bridged the gap, Kingsolver's position does the same with readers. If you are already inclined to despise missionary efforts you'll probably agree with her analysis that Christians should mind their own business and leave culture worldwide to thrive. But I doubt her depiction of Christianity as unyielding is winning any Christians to reconsider their tolerance level. And I believe meddling in a nation politically falls on a completely different level than spiritually. We never hear American rationale for intervening in the Congo, only Leah's projection of African sentiment, which is the voice of Kingsolver who obviously feels that foreign countries should have left the Congo to their own accord, that the damage left was worse than if the tribes were left on their own. When one grows up abroad it's easy to become weary of your country's intervention than to feel it's rescuing powers.

Kingsolver's love and understanding for the Africa shines through and is the strongest asset in the novel. Perhaps that is why she feels so saddened by Western efforts to change it and eager to show a resilient country so big and so different that it is resistant to outside influence. I felt transported into the tribes of Africa as I vividly saw this politically unstable era take shape as the backdrop to this family's story and especially loved Anitole's take on African life. Years after reading this I can still visualize the ants overtaking the village. I can see the heavy rains (symbolizing the differences of Africa) demolishing Nathan's garden (the symbol of his inability to conform to another culture) and still think about the tarantulas crawling in bananas or wild cats following children home. Most of all, I enjoyed the accurate glimpse into the cultural values of this opposing social structure from the perspective of understanding instead of judgment.

But once again, instead of making me want to visit the continent and save its inhabitants, it verified my fears and conviction to steer clear. I feel that Kingsolver wanted to inspire humanitarian activists in her readers, but I find myself overwhelmed. This well-meaning family made no difference and were only swallowed in the culture and their problems themselves. What could I do? I feel useless and inadequate to affect any change and therefore my only reaction is "I don't want to go to Africa." Somewhere between Rachel's haughty superiority and Leah's efforts to single-handedly save the world, I lie in my exasperation as I wash my hands of mess to big for me.

Maybe Kingsolver wanted us to feel hopeless and show that there is no small, quick solution for Africa coming from Western value. Or maybe her only motive was to open our eyes to the quality of life in other countries so we don't take our own for granted. Having lived in third-world countries, I know firsthand what she is describing. And maybe my own experience is what overwhelms me. Change cannot come from the outside. And on that level I can understand her frustration with the Nathan Prices in the world who stubbornly see Africa from Western eyes. If the bitter truth about Africa didn't inspire action on my part, at least it gave me a history lesson about a country and time I know little about and for that I highly enjoyed the book. Who doesn't love a real history lesson mashed up in an interesting story?

In the end maybe I'm not supposed to learn anything from the book, but enjoy the story of a family swallowed up by Africa so different from there mild Southern upbringing that they are left cultural shocked wanderers never taking root in either extreme that cannot understand the other half of themselves. I loved watching each of the characters mature, develop, and change as they came to understand African culture and how truly blessed they had been stepping off the plane with cake mixes and tools stuck inside their layers of clothes. I wanted to hear their stories and was vested in their outcome. The story is very well written and an excellent choice for book club discussions as you explore which characters you related to and what messages you take from the book. A powerful read that won't soon leave your memory. (less)

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Apr 26, 2007 Rebekah rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: amateur historians, women, anyone with an interest in Africa or political science

This is my favorite book. Hands down. There is something about this book that strongly affects me every single time I read it. I have read it maybe 8 times. The first time I read it, it was while working in a coffee shop. It was supposed to be my "break time" reading, but I am sure I nearly got fired that week, because I couldn't put it down.

The book is told from the point of view of the Price women, four sisters and their mother, who have all been brought to the Belgian Congo by Rev. Price, an...more This is my favorite book. Hands down. There is something about this book that strongly affects me every single time I read it. I have read it maybe 8 times. The first time I read it, it was while working in a coffee shop. It was supposed to be my "break time" reading, but I am sure I nearly got fired that week, because I couldn't put it down.

The book is told from the point of view of the Price women, four sisters and their mother, who have all been brought to the Belgian Congo by Rev. Price, an Evengelical Baptist minister, determined to bring the word of God to the African savages, no matter what the cost. The family and their mission begin to dissolve as the Belgians pull out of Africa, leaving severe political unrest in their wake, unrest driven by the CIA and the US government. We see the family struggle to survive and cope with their faith; faith in God, in each other, in their country and in justice.

Kingsolver's strength in this novel is her point of view narration and the way each of the five female voices sound completely different, yet enough similarities exist to believe they are all related. As the daughter of a minister myself, I strongly identified with Leah, but I also enjoyed Adah's, her twin sister, point of view. The counterpoints of Leah's positive, hopefulness is juxtoposed nicely by her sister, who was crippled at birth, who speaks in rhymes and palindromes and sees the dark side of everything.

The relationship between mothers and daughters, and between sisters is strongly explored. We also see each of the girls chasing after their father's approval, which is nearly impossibe to gain. Each of the Price's learn something valuable from the dark continent, though some learn it more grudgingly than others. The book definetly increased my interest in the parts of African history that no one teaches you in high school, mostly how Western nations used the contient like a giant chess board, moving pawns and unseating democratically elected socialists in favor of capitalists willing to sell them raw materials cheap.

Five stars. All the way. (less)

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Aug 13, 2009 Amy Galaviz rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. This novel portrayed the struggle of an American, Christian family to survive in the poor, politically unstable former Congo. Each character represented a different value system:

-Rachel was the Westernized, materialistic primadonna.
-Adah was the depressed, self-described “deformed,” cynical poetic intellect.
-Leah was the most complex, least one-dimensional character who transformed from a stout believer in her fathers’ radical Christianity to an atheist hippy-type who marries a Congolese man an...more This novel portrayed the struggle of an American, Christian family to survive in the poor, politically unstable former Congo. Each character represented a different value system:

-Rachel was the Westernized, materialistic primadonna.
-Adah was the depressed, self-described “deformed,” cynical poetic intellect.
-Leah was the most complex, least one-dimensional character who transformed from a stout believer in her fathers’ radical Christianity to an atheist hippy-type who marries a Congolese man and renounces Westernized life. She was given the lengthiest, most preachy passages, so is probably the closest representation to Kingsolver’s own opinion.
-Ruth May was pure, unbiased innocence. Her cute, childish observations were often comic relief from the weightiness of the other voices, but unfortunately she was the one to fall victim to the climax of cultural clashes.
-Orleanna was the grieving, abused mother and wife.
-Reverend Price was the evil, radical, imposing Christian who would rather preach the word of God than save his own family or help those around him.

These characters with their unique personalities are not unlike any family one would have seen in America in the 60s or even today, and it is through each of their paradigms that we learn about how an unruly climate and environment leads to poverty which leads to political instability.

Like a sandwich, the best part of the novel was the middle, as the main conflict unfolded and eventually played out; for example: Tata Ndo’s awkward marriage proposal to Rachel, the futile church congregation using the newly learned principle of democracy to interrupt Reverend Price’s sermon to vote to reject Christianity, the ant attack on the village, Ruth May’s eventual death by snake bite, and Orleanna finally dragging her daughters out of there. (I apologize if these are not in chronological order, I do not have the book in front of me.) The beginning was a little slow as I got used to the different voices, but when I did, the pace picked up as the story unfolded. In the final Exodus section, I was eager to find out what happened to each of the characters, but it seemed like Kingsolver used much of it to preach her political views/commentary, mostly through Leah’s voice and actions - i.e. choosing to leave America to return to the former Congo, and despite the poverty, raise her family there and support her revolutionary husband Anatole. I felt like the novel could have successfully concluded sooner after they left the Congo. Nevertheless, this novel is just one more testament to the human tragedy and suffering that occurs as the West forces its ideology and power upon third world countries for profit under the guise of salvation.
(less)

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May 13, 2008 T.J. rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This still is in my top five books of all time. It, along with Alan Paton's Cry the Beloved Country, began my interest in Africa and colonialism, and put me on teh path I've followed up to this day with my PhD focus in British colonial history in South Africa. That being said, this is a top-notch novel. In 2000, at the age of fifteen, this is what I had to say right after reading it:

"Barbara Kingsolver has eloquently crafted a marvel here. In the Poisonwood Bible, she relates the story of fiery,...more This still is in my top five books of all time. It, along with Alan Paton's Cry the Beloved Country, began my interest in Africa and colonialism, and put me on teh path I've followed up to this day with my PhD focus in British colonial history in South Africa. That being said, this is a top-notch novel. In 2000, at the age of fifteen, this is what I had to say right after reading it:

"Barbara Kingsolver has eloquently crafted a marvel here. In the Poisonwood Bible, she relates the story of fiery, self-righteous Baptist minister Nathan Price, who drags his wife and four daughters into the Congo in 1959 for missionary work. Settling in the village Kilanga, on the Kwilu River, adventure soon unfolds.Told from the point of view of all five female characters, the story is related very differently. Rachel, the teenager, the adolescent twins Adah and Leah, the child Ruth May, and the mother, Orleanna make up this tale.While this delivery in tale is unorthodox and rewarding, the characters all have their flaws. Rachel's self-centeredness and misplaced priorities are frustrating--she genuinely cries over a hole in her favorite dress while children starve outside--as well as her inability to use correct phrasing (a "tapestry of justice"). Ruth May is childly simplistic in her delivery (look for her speech on segregation in the first part of the book), and Orleanna's Earth Mother, wandering style grows tedious in the lengthy middle section.Leah and Adah are the most interesting, and I gravitated to Adah, with her disability and scorn for mankind. She is clearly brilliant, but ignored by all, especially by her smugly self-righteous (to the point of being insufferable) father.The Poisonwood Bible is at first a slow read, for the first 150 pages, but it soon picks up as the tension rises and falls...characters like Tata Ndu, Brother Fowles, and Anatole only add to the excitement, as does the revelation of what became of each of the wayward sisters as the book ends around 1998. A fiction that dips into politics, the Poisonwood Bible is an enjoyable read."

I've re-read it twice since then, and while my enthusiasm has died a slight bit, it is still one of the most arresting and powerful things I've written. Great job, Barbara.(less)

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Mar 01, 2008 Alissa rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: Anyone who wants to learn about Africa

I usually love Barbara Kingsolver (although I think she's gotten a bit self-important, but that's another story), and of course I was looking forward to this book. I learned some about Africa, and I appreciated all her research.

But her characters were false. It was as though Kingsolver had decided what each character would represent and then forced each one to adhere to that representation. For example, one character is supposed to represent Americans in all their materialism and lack of unders...more

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Jun 10, 2010 Lisa rated it 4 of 5 stars Recommends it for: anyone with a heart for Africa, anyone thinking about becoming a missionary

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. I think I will start with my thoughts about Africa and then go from there.

This quote particularly stood out to me:

"No other continent has endured such an unspeakably bizarre combination of foreign thievery and foreign goodwill."
- Adah Price

I have long had a heart for this continent. Before I ever thought about marriage I always kind of imagined going there and trying to do something to help the people. Even before I became a Christian. It just doesn't seem fair that so many people have to suffer...more

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Jul 22, 2007 She-Who-Reads rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: politics, literary, africa, thoughtprovoking, multiplepov, worth-rereading, gender, race

I loved this novel. It was beautifully told, with some gorgeous language and amazingly distinct voices. I loved the structure of it, the way it was broken into books like a bible, the way each chapter was from a different character's point of view. And the first few books were utterly engrossing. While I was reading about the Price family's journey into Africa and the time they spent on their mission, I could not put the book down; it was that good.

I do think that it went on too long, though. T...more

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Jul 02, 2007 Marceline rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Kingsolver has a good ear for dialog. The settings of this book were exotic, and my guess is they're accurate based on Kingsolver's experience living in Africa. Apart from that, her contrived and at times trendy plot reached, reached for high drama while coming no where near to Tantalos's grapes. It left me cold.
Shortly after I read this Lee Siegel wrote a vitriolic review of her book in The New Republic. While I found it a bit amusing in its excess, it was essentially true. I recommend the revi...more

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Jul 22, 2008 Stephen Gallup rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I came to this book with The Bean Trees still fresh in my mind, confident that I would enjoy it thoroughly. I found it a very different kind of novel, in many respects (e.g., the alternating voices of multiple narrators, the very different locale (the Belgian Congo instead of the American Southwest), and the author's increasingly intrusive political message). While I adapted to the changes and got through to the end, it was not the enjoyable experience I'd hoped for. I understand that for the au...more I came to this book with The Bean Trees still fresh in my mind, confident that I would enjoy it thoroughly. I found it a very different kind of novel, in many respects (e.g., the alternating voices of multiple narrators, the very different locale (the Belgian Congo instead of the American Southwest), and the author's increasingly intrusive political message). While I adapted to the changes and got through to the end, it was not the enjoyable experience I'd hoped for. I understand that for the author it was a more ambitious undertaking and acknowledge that pushing the limits on one's craft is the right thing to do. However, in such cases there's the risk of attempting more than can be successfully done.

Like The Bean Trees, this one celebrates the virtue of personal loyalty. That aspect of it comes through loud and clear. Drawing characters like Anatole, who are more than plausible, is one of Kingsolver's strengths. Another is her ability to get the most out of our language in telling a story. After reading this, I think Kingsolver should stick with what she does best.

In trying to get my arms around what I dislike about this book, I'll just say it began with mounting frustration over the helplessness of the mother and her daughters in the unspeakable situation created by Rev Price (who, we eventually learn, suffered from an untreated mental illness/brain injury).

On top of this was laid a very biased explanation of African history. Both the UN and the French government concur that the Eisenhower administration did NOT have a hand in the assassination of The Congo's first elected leader, as Kingsolver charges. On the contrary, Lumumba was deposed by a political rival, Kasa-Vubu, and he suffered what likely would have been the other guy's fate had the coup not succeeded. I'm sorry it suits Kingsolver's purposes to imply a parallel between her deranged character Rev. Price and the country he came from as the common source of the turmoil described here, because this fictional work is likely the only input many readers will ever have on the subject. Then, at the end of the book, two of the grown daughters are leading peaceful lives across the borders of Angola and the Republic of Congo, two countries with equally atrocious Marxist rule that the author completely ignores. This is no way for anyone to get their history.

Ok, one other gripe, now that I've gotten myself worked up: One of the Price daughters is nonverbal and presumably suffers from CP or something similar (i.e., congenital brain injury). Once she's grown she gets a little advice from a friend and performs some therapy upon herself and -- voila! -- she's cured. And not only cured but in short order a graduate of medical school. As the parent of an adult with a congenital brain injury, I truly hate to see anyone pretend that such things work out that easily.

In short, I liked Barbara Kingsolver a lot more before I picked up this book.(less)

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Apr 15, 2007 Anna rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: peacecorps, earlyyears

one of the few books i've read multiple times.

i wrote this review of it for the peace corps newsleter:

Barbara Kingsolver’s The Poisonwood Bible is a classic
piece of African historical fiction, chronicling a missionary family’s move to the Belgium Congo during the 1960’s and 70’s. Set on the backdrop of Patrice Laurent’s Marxist revolution, the CIA’s successful coup, and the installation of figurehead president Kabila, Kingsolver tells the poignant story of a family and country facing their own...more one of the few books i've read multiple times.

i wrote this review of it for the peace corps newsleter:

Barbara Kingsolver’s The Poisonwood Bible is a classic
piece of African historical fiction, chronicling a missionary family’s move to the Belgium Congo during the 1960’s and 70’s. Set on the backdrop of Patrice Laurent’s Marxist revolution, the CIA’s successful coup, and the installation of figurehead president Kabila, Kingsolver tells the poignant story of a family and country facing their own demons. This book encapsulates the essence of why I read. I read for motivation and inspiration — eager to be pushed out of my comfort zone and challenged by social injustices and society’s inequalities. Kingsolver, herself has written, “art is the antidote that can call us back from the edge of numbness, restoring our ability to feel for another.” The power of (good) fiction is its ability to create empathy, lifting you away from your chair
and stuffing you down inside someone else’s point of view.
Novels differ drastically from newspapers, which impart
information while allowing you to remain rooted in your own
perspective. A newspaper could tell someone that millions have been raped and slaughtered over the course of the bloody Congolese civil war, and that someone may think to herself, “what a tragedy,” and then turn the page to check the ten-day forecast. But, a story tells you more; it brings you into the fold of someone else’s reality, dropping you at the intersection of the mundane and the humane. And sentence-by-sentence, paragraph-by-paragraph, you begin to feel the sorrow in your soul of a father burying his daughter. Page by page, chapter by chapter, you begin to feel the ache in your bones of a mother
rebuilding her pillaged hut. Stories give shape and substance, meaning and understanding to the heartbreaking wars and conflicts in Africa, not newspaper statistics. And, it is this storytelling, which Kingsolver has excelled and which The Poisonwood Bible becomes the masterpiece.(less)

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Mar 20, 2008 Elizabeth rated it 1 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: please don't read it, i only am b/c i'm kind of masochistic

Recommended to Elizabeth by: i got it as a hand-me-down

this book is terrible. and yet i continue to plow through, i'm not sure why other than an exercise in small and constant sacrifices, like some kind of immolation i subject myself to, trial by fire. actually it's more like water torture, these small meaningless drips that could drive you mad. the writing is really plodding and unnatural and forced. for instance the voices of 5-year-olds written with the obvious tones of a middle-aged florid ego-driven agenda. one of the things i hate most in writ...more

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Nov 29, 2012 Tonya rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

What an incredible feat of a book, Kingsolver captures Africa from so many different perspectives through the eyes and writing of four women of two different generations. I got lost in the Ancient Kongo and then got dragged back to modern day Zaire and finally the Congo as we know it. Brilliant, harrowing and haunting. I wish I hadn't read it so that I could start all over again :)

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Feb 26, 2013 Travis rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: my-favorites

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. This book has sat on my bookshelf at home for quite some time. I finally delved into it hoping the mood to read it was right. I wasn't quite sure what to expect. Oh, I had read the dust jacket but didn't honestly know if this book was one I would really enjoy. I can't say for sure if my initial mood had any bearing on how I felt about this book. All I know is from the onset I felt the words bring to life a continent and its inhabitants which I have never known, rich and mesmerizing. The opening...more This book has sat on my bookshelf at home for quite some time. I finally delved into it hoping the mood to read it was right. I wasn't quite sure what to expect. Oh, I had read the dust jacket but didn't honestly know if this book was one I would really enjoy. I can't say for sure if my initial mood had any bearing on how I felt about this book. All I know is from the onset I felt the words bring to life a continent and its inhabitants which I have never known, rich and mesmerizing. The opening to the book left me spellbound. It seems I fell into a trance and the book had its way with me, possibly creating for me the proper mood. I am not sure exactly how to describe it. This book dictated the speed at which I read, which I might add gave me many pauses to absorb thoughts over the solemn material.

I loved the way Kingsolver slowly developed a picture of the natives of the Congo and kept moving along the story of the Price family threading fiction and non-fiction together with humor, suspense and foreboding. All I can say is this book is like a fine bottle of wine. I swirled it and sniffed it. I sipped on it and tasted it. I drank it slowly, purposefully and in the end I can only say this book affected me. Maybe as much as any book ever has. I walked away feeling I had learned something about this place, the people and hopefully something about myself and my values.

There is so much to say; I fear I will fail miserably to give this book its due justice with an attempt at a review. I will try to limit my words in an attempt at damage control.

The rich persona of each voice in the book can't be overstated. Each voice paints a realistic picture of each personality and richly develops as the story unfolds. I liked the books format with the differing POV's of Ruth May, Adah, Leah, Rachel and Orleanna. They each give depth to their unique perspectives and I enjoyed learning from them all.

I liked Adah most. She was reticent through her years in the Congo. The hemiplegia she was afflicted with at birth damaged her soul as she grew older and left her feeling less valued and inferior by all others. I felt such compassion for her early on and wished for her acceptance. Later, when she found her voice, I felt drawn to her even more. I loved her wit and the conversation with the Dean of Emory University. I also loved her being real and fragile when she asked her mother why she chose her at the Kwenge River. Such a poignant moment in the book.

I loved Ruth May Price! She is the epitome of youth and innocence. How my heart aches for her.

Leah was a close second in favorites. She had such a strong will and a clear mind much like her twin. She had,like she stated in the book, some of her father. I will just say she was his good version. I loved her for her unfailing desire to be just and always true. I loved her for the relationship she had with Ruth May and the guilt she carried.

Rachel was a mess! She was mostly a reminder of the things I wish were different about the American way. I am now stepping on my own toes. I guess it is tough to accept the sight of yourself in a character like Rachel who you don't really like. She makes no bones about her appetite for excesses and niceties - full of the pomp and frills that are ever present in America. I wish to become more like Leah. Our society places such high value in material things. I feel the need to downsize my life, my gadgets after reading this book.

The mother, Orleanna, was deeply troubled. Her poor soul tormented. I don't know that I could have accepted the loss of Ruth May any better. I think my world would end and hate to even entertain the prospect of such a tragic event ever occurring. In the midst of danger I wished for her to take the reigns and her four girls and leave her miserable husband. I sure wished she had. Unfortunately, it took death for her to make the move.

Life, especially the family dynamics for some of us, is a complex matter. This book is that kind of complex. For that alone, this book resonates with me. I have considered my siblings and know that differences sometimes lead to resentment. Being misunderstood and judged, especially when it is false leaves a mark. Love, redemption and forgiveness are all ingredients to the hopes of finding our way and ourselves and hopefully by the end finding each other.

I really liked how the book came full circle. Each action imprints its mark on this earth. Each decision alters a course of history and shapes the world anew. Ruth May, from her safe place, holds the last words in the book for her mother. "Think of the vine that curls from the small square plot that was once my heart. This the only marker you need. Move on. Walk forward into the light."

I loved many lines in the book. My highlighter was busy. Like I said earlier, this book is not a fast page-turner. It has the tempo of a slow steady stream. I would definitely recommend this book to those who don't mind a slower paced book. (less)

5 likes · like · see review

Nov 22, 2008 Bonnie rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: reviewed-books, recommended

The many point-of-view characters and the absolute distinction between each is incredible. Great story, too!

5 likes · like · see review

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About Barbara Kingsolver

Barbara Kingsolver is an American novelist, essayist, and poet. She was raised in rural Kentucky and lived briefly in Africa in her early childhood. Kingsolver earned degrees in Biology at DePauw University and the University of Arizona and worked as a freelance writer before she began writing novels. Her most famous works include The Poisonwood Bible, the tale of a missionary family in the Congo,...more Barbara Kingsolver is an American novelist, essayist, and poet. She was raised in rural Kentucky and lived briefly in Africa in her early childhood. Kingsolver earned degrees in Biology at DePauw University and the University of Arizona and worked as a freelance writer before she began writing novels. Her most famous works include The Poisonwood Bible, the tale of a missionary family in the Congo, and Animal, Vegetable, Miracle, a non-fiction account of her family's attempts to eat locally.

Her work often focuses on topics such as social justice, biodiversity, and the interaction between humans and their communities and environments. Each of her books published since 1993 have been on The New York Times Best Seller list. Kingsolver has received numerous awards, including the UK's Orange Prize for Fiction 2010, for The Lacuna and the National Humanities Medal. She has been nominated for the PEN/Faulkner Award and the Pulitzer Prize.

In 2000, Kingsolver established the Bellwether Prize to support "literature of social change."

Kingsolver was born in Annapolis, Maryland in 1955 and grew up in Carlisle in rural Kentucky. When Kingsolver was seven years old, her father, a physician, took the family to the former Republic of Congo in what is now the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Her parents worked in a public health capacity, and the family lived without electricity or running water.

After graduating from high school, Kingsolver attended DePauw University in Greencastle, Indiana on a music scholarship, studying classical piano. Eventually, however, she changed her major to biology when she realized that "classical pianists compete for six job openings a year, and the rest of [them:] get to play 'Blue Moon' in a hotel lobby." She was involved in activism on her campus, and took part in protests against the Vietnam war. She graduated with a Bachelor of Science in 1977, and moved to France for a year before settling in Tucson, Arizona, where she would live for much of the next two decades. In 1980 she enrolled in graduate school at the University of Arizona, where she earned a Master's degree in ecology and evolutionary biology.

Kingsolver began her full-time writing career in the mid 1980s as a science writer for the university, which eventually lead to some freelance feature writing. She began her career in fiction writing after winning a short story contest in a local Phoenix newspaper. In 1985 she married Joseph Hoffmann; their daughter Camille was born in 1987. She moved with her daughter to Tenerife in the Canary Islands for a year during the first Gulf war, mostly due to frustration over America's military involvement. After returning to the US in 1992, she separated from her husband.

In 1994, Kingsolver was awarded an Honorary Doctorate of Letters from her alma mater, DePauw University. She was also married to Steven Hopp, that year, and their daughter, Lily, was born in 1996. In 2004, Kingsolver moved with her family to a farm in Washington County, Virginia, where they currently reside. In 2008, she received an Honorary Doctorate of Humane Letters from Duke University, where she delivered a commencement address entitled "How to be Hopeful".

In a 2010 interview with The Guardian, Kingsolver says, "I never wanted to be famous, and still don't, [...:] the universe rewarded me with what I dreaded most." She says created her own website just to compete with a plethora of fake ones, "as a defence to protect my family from misinformation. Wikipedia abhors a vacuum. If you don't define yourself, it will get done for you in colourful ways."(less)

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“Don’t try to make life a mathematics problem with yourself in the center and everything coming out equal. When you’re good, bad things can still happen. And if you’re bad, you can still be lucky.” — 2,682 people liked it

“Everything you're sure is right can be wrong in another place. ” — 307 people liked it

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