The Poisonwood Bible

by
Barbara Kingsolver

published	July 2000 by Harpercollins
first published	1998
binding	Hardcover
isbn	0060185791 (isbn13: 9780060185794)
ebook
description	Oprah Book Club® Selection, June 2000: As any reader of The Mosquito Coast knows, men who drag their families to far-off climes in purs...more [close] Oprah Book Club® Selection, June 2000: 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. 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 (students practice their "French congregations"; Nathan's refusal to take his family home is a "tapestry of justice"). 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 [close]
date added	05-09-07 edit book

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Annalisa rated it:

(review of isbn 0060786507)

10/13/07

bookshelves: book-club, favorite-books, historical-fiction

Read in June, 2005

recommended to Annalisa by: bookclub

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 mys...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 forward 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.

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.

What was counterproductive 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. I found his inability to turn pride aside and consider his family's needs first completely unbelievable and only serves as a sacrificial lamb not only for his family 's misfortunes in Africa but as Kingsolver's impression of these Christian missionaries as well. The book stereotypes this character and reveals her own prejudices.

She inserted the old minister to showcase how she thought the missionary efforts should go: keep their culture and introduce 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? 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 mockery and depiction of Christianity as unyielding is winning any Christians to reconsider their tolerance level.

But despite my issues with her portrayal of Christian missionaries, I loved the book. So back to the good: while the characterization is fabulous in the novel her description of African culture even stronger and her love for the country shines through. Perhaps that is why she feels so saddened by Western efforts to change it. I felt transported into the tribes of Africa as I vividly saw this politically unstable era take shape as the backdrop to this story. 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) even if I don't completely agree with the message (African culture is better for Africa). And I 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," which makes me feel haughty.

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 can not come from the outside. And on that level I can understand her frustration with the Nathan Prices in the world, even if I don't agree with her view that Christians are wrong to try to convert other cultures. 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?

Despite my reservations about her message on Christianity, I loved watching each of the characters mature, develop, and change 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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Lisa rated it:

(review of isbn 0060786507)

02/29/08

Read in November, 2007

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 ma...more

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Mimi rated it:

(review of isbn 0060786507)

01/11/08

Read in December, 2007

recommends it for: Ashley

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 ...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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Meghan rated it:

(review of isbn 0060786507)

04/25/08

Read in January, 2008

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 they 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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Meghan rated it:

(review of isbn 0060786507)

08/29/08

Read in August, 2008

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)...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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Anna rated it:

(review of isbn 0060786507)

07/29/07

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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Steve rated it:

(review of isbn 0060512822)

07/22/08

Read in December, 2007

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...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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Amy rated it:

(review of isbn 0060786507)

07/30/08

Read in July, 2008

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 C...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.
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Caroline rated it:

(review of isbn 0060786507)

11/14/07

bookshelves: fiction, read-in-2007

Read in November, 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 variet...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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Mikejencostanzo rated it:

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01/25/08

Read in June, 2006

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 t...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 <www.perspectives.org> 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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Rebecca rated it:

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05/29/08

Read in May, 2008

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 u...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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Alana rated it:

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03/05/08

bookshelves: fiction, historical

Read in March, 2008

Missionary Nathan Price takes his wife and four daughters into the heart of the Congo in the late 60s. Despite political upheaval and resistance from the native population, his fierce determination to save souls in the jungle never wavers once, even when his unbending ways alienate all those around him. The novel is told by the daughters in alternating chapters with an occasional chapter narrated by the mother. Each of the voices is distinct and recognizable, but the characters bothered me. Rach...more Missionary Nathan Price takes his wife and four daughters into the heart of the Congo in the late 60s. Despite political upheaval and resistance from the native population, his fierce determination to save souls in the jungle never wavers once, even when his unbending ways alienate all those around him. The novel is told by the daughters in alternating chapters with an occasional chapter narrated by the mother. Each of the voices is distinct and recognizable, but the characters bothered me. Rachel, the eldest, is whiny and given to old-fashioned slang and misinterpreted words in true Amy from Little Women fashion, but without the endearing qualities. Leah follows her father around like a kicked puppy and has no use for anyone she perceives as weak - which is everyone else. Adah has taken her twisted body and used it as an excuse for an equally warped mind and to allow herself to be misunderstood and martyred. And Ruth May is five - there's just not much we get to see from her.

The story is undeniably interesting. A bunch of Americans immersed in the depths of the culture of the jungle and in the mess their government and the Belgians have made of a country as they exploit it. But the politics are very obvious - particularly once Leah gets involved, and I don't much care for guilting over what the Western world did to Africa before my lifetime. The author takes several jabs at people trying to export their own culture, ideas, and religion to places that operate completely differently without even trying to assimilate, but I feel like the time covered was too long to pack as much of a punch as it should have. Particularly the last few 'books' seem to be too removed from the entire rest of the story. Shorter would have suited me better.

All told, I just didn't get sucked into the tragedy of the Price family. What I truly wanted to know more about - the tragedy of Congo - wasn't really brought home since everything was centered around the American girls. This takes its place with more of those 'literary' novels that just don't quite work for me. Not exactly a waste of time, but nothing I'll pick up again.
...less

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Rebekah rated it:

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04/26/07

Read in June, 2004

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...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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Ellen rated it:

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08/11/08

Read in July, 2008

This was the second time I read this book, and I loved it this time like I did last time. This book has shaped the way I think about U.S. foreign policy and about a lot of political issues having to do with globalization. I think it's great that Kingsolver can write an entertaining and involving novel that also raises questions about how widely applicable our form of government and our economy are in other parts of the world. The first time I read this, I think I also felt a visceral pleasure...more This was the second time I read this book, and I loved it this time like I did last time. This book has shaped the way I think about U.S. foreign policy and about a lot of political issues having to do with globalization. I think it's great that Kingsolver can write an entertaining and involving novel that also raises questions about how widely applicable our form of government and our economy are in other parts of the world. The first time I read this, I think I also felt a visceral pleasure in watching the pompous, ridiculous missionary father get taken down a notch or two by the clever Congolese. I still felt that way this time, but I enjoyed more thinking about the different points of view of the characters and reading about the trials the family went through in trying to adjust to a new country. My experience in Korea has been nothing like as jarring as what this family went through in moving to the Congo, but there were a few things that resonated with my experience. For one thing, one of the characters mentions that what surprised her about the U.S. after being in the Congo was the lack of smells. Once I read that, I realized that there are smells everywhere here, too, and that, possibly, it might be odd to people not to have a rich olfactory experience every time you go outside.

I was a bit put off by the Rachel character - is there really anyone who is quite that selfish with such a lack of empathy, even for her own family? Maybe not. Maybe Rachel is better read as one aspect of everyone - that part of us that makes excuses for not doing anything to right the wrongs of the world. Rachel's character has a gross sense of entitlement. But most of us do, living in the relative comfort of the developed world, and we can only sometimes slip out of that. After all, we can't all be Leah and go quite as far in the other direction.

I also had the same sense this time that I did last time: the end of the book is too long. The climactic scene by the chickenhouse comes well over a hundred pages from the end of the book, and the remaining chapters stretch out over many years. They are heavy on reflection and much slower paced tha