From the Bookshelf of 2015 Reading Challenge [Closed]…

The Poisonwood Bible

Barbara Kingsolver

Why we're reading this: This is one of my favorite books of all time. It is set in the 1950's in the Belgian Congo. The story fol…more
[close] This is one of my favorite books of all time. It is set in the 1950's in the Belgian Congo. The story follows a missionary and his family over a thirty-year period and is told from the point of view of the children and their mother. The family endures much tragedy and they are all forever changed as a result of their experiences in Africa.

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Jul 31, 2018 Nicole rated it it was ok · review of another edition

Shelves: historical-fiction, fiction, read-in-2018

This didn't work for me, unfortunately. I feel like there were two books crammed into one - the more immediate, day-to-day story of the family's year as missionaries, and then the more detached, epilogue-that-never-ended second half that covers an additional 30 years. The second half really took away from the reading experience that was built up over the first half. ...more

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Nov 15, 2016 Jenny rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: family, nature, love, crime, award-winning, children-as-main-characters, classics, historical-fiction, third-world, friendship

Not an easy read but worthwhile. I’m fascinated by Africa and know so very little about it. This book educated me. Also, I have an uncle who could’ve easily been the legalistic, narrow minded, religious zealot that led his family into the dangers of Africa.

Personally, I related to Leah. I spent my childhood following in my father's footsteps, yearning for his love and acceptance. I had it for a short time, or did I? I had a coming-of-age experience when I was 12 that changed my entire family. L ...more

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