Reviews

I struggled to get into The Poisonwood Bible. For the first 150 pages or so, I thought each page offered the same story as the previous pages. However, after a certain point in the novel, the story blossomed into a tale of survival.

Really, the book is a slap in the face to us Americans. Many of us, myself included, live in a bubble of safety and assurance that we know we can open our refrigerator and grab our next meal. In Africa, the people are not as blessed. Famine, plagues, and death are a daily reality in Africa.

The tale begins with a family of four girls, their mother, and preacher father moving to the Congo to do mission work among the "heathen" Africans. What unfolds is an eye-opening education of the life in Africa. The arrogance of Nathaniel Price, the father, is mind blowing. His unending desire to save each soul in Africa from certain hell paves the way for his family to experience hardships that they never would have experienced in their native Georgia. The Price family entered Africa to change its people, but instead, Africa changed them.

The Poisonwood Bible is foremost a story about acknowledging that there is not one way of life for everyone, and people should respect those differences.

Kingsolver, a trained biologist, writes with detail expected of a scientist. I am impressed she could write a story that is told from five different perspectives. Whether it is Ruth May, a little girl, writing the story or Adah, a nearly silent, limping twin who writes backwards, each of the voices are distinct and powerful.

doublel11's review against another edition

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adventurous challenging dark emotional informative mysterious reflective sad slow-paced

Strong character development? Yes

5.0

Goddamn. This was a really good book. At first, it took me a while to get into it. But by the end I wanted to highlight everything. Kingsolver's way with words is really impressive. Beautifully written. So much to think about. I already want to re-read this book.

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