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4.15 AVERAGE
4.15 AVERAGE
adventurous
challenging
dark
funny
informative
inspiring
reflective
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I can't believe this is my first Barbara Kingsolver book - I can't wait to read my way through her backlist! The Poisonwood Bible blew my expectations out of the water, and the category of "Modern Classic" is spot-on. I will be thinking about this book for a very long time, and it's shot to the top of my favorite 2025 reads. (And maybe all time?!)
When the four Price sisters are whisked away from smalltown Georgia to bring their father's Baptist ministry to a small village in the 1950s Belgian Congo, they find that their English words can't possibly describe what they experience. From the flora and fauna, to the food they eat and emotions of their neighbors, their native language falls short in describing their new ways of living. Time and again, we learn the multi-faceted Congolese vocabulary, alongside French and local dialects. The multiple meanings behind words, including balanga or "poisonwood", were so powerful to uncover.
I also appreciated Kingsolver's explicit detailing of the inequities that provided the context for the moral questions the Prices grappled with over decades of their lives. These questions illuminated the unique perspectives and personalities of the family members. One of the most masterful aspects of Kingsolver's writing is the way she manages to inhabit five distinct narrators - all four daughters, plus their mother - spanning from the 1950s to the 1980s+. The intimacy of their daily lives kept me flipping pages and reading at a pace I don't typically anticipate for a 500+ page saga!
When the four Price sisters are whisked away from smalltown Georgia to bring their father's Baptist ministry to a small village in the 1950s Belgian Congo, they find that their English words can't possibly describe what they experience. From the flora and fauna, to the food they eat and emotions of their neighbors, their native language falls short in describing their new ways of living. Time and again, we learn the multi-faceted Congolese vocabulary, alongside French and local dialects. The multiple meanings behind words, including balanga or "poisonwood", were so powerful to uncover.
I also appreciated Kingsolver's explicit detailing of the inequities that provided the context for the moral questions the Prices grappled with over decades of their lives. These questions illuminated the unique perspectives and personalities of the family members. One of the most masterful aspects of Kingsolver's writing is the way she manages to inhabit five distinct narrators - all four daughters, plus their mother - spanning from the 1950s to the 1980s+. The intimacy of their daily lives kept me flipping pages and reading at a pace I don't typically anticipate for a 500+ page saga!
challenging
dark
informative
reflective
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
slow-paced
Reread this book after a recommendation of a friend. I don't remember when I initially read it but I knew enough to remember it doesn't end well. 1960s evangelist preacher decides to take his wife and 4 daughters to the Congo on a mission trip. This trip is not supported and is generally unauthorized. Living on a small stipend, the preacher makes no attempts to understand who he is living with, what their lives are, or their beliefs. He does not recognize either signs of kindness or acts to show him that he amd his family are a drain on resources. He refuses to leave after all missions are leaving, safe passage secure due to his own ego. After his youngest dies, his wife recognizes that he dies not see any of them and the family falls apart, going their own ways to survive. The book is told from the perspectives of the daughters with short introductions to each section by the wife/mother. He has no sections but chokes the book in earlier segments with control and patriarchy.
adventurous
dark
emotional
informative
reflective
sad
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
The themes are not subtle. The Price women paid for the sins of their father all in tragic and cruel ways.
The writing styles from each woman were distinct and having only women narrators was a good choice.
Overall, I think it was too long and meandering for me. However, the fact that it still felt so relevant decades later is impressive.
It should be required reading for any missionary.
The writing styles from each woman were distinct and having only women narrators was a good choice.
Overall, I think it was too long and meandering for me. However, the fact that it still felt so relevant decades later is impressive.
It should be required reading for any missionary.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse, Child death, Domestic abuse, Suicide, Religious bigotry, Schizophrenia/Psychosis
medium-paced
4.5*. An accurate portrayal of what makes up most of Africa, through the eyes and mouths of babes. Meticulously researched and part-lived experience of the Congo, which deflates just about any ideology into natural idiocy.
I swithered about 5*, because it really is excellent. However, I didn't find the writing particularly relatable, but this is probably because I am a man. The voices are sometimes plaintive and victim-ey; as to be expected from a vulnerable woman and four little girls thrust into such a harsh cultural clamshell.
Overall an excellent job. Definitely goes straight into my list of top African novels.
I swithered about 5*, because it really is excellent. However, I didn't find the writing particularly relatable, but this is probably because I am a man. The voices are sometimes plaintive and victim-ey; as to be expected from a vulnerable woman and four little girls thrust into such a harsh cultural clamshell.
Overall an excellent job. Definitely goes straight into my list of top African novels.
As the son (and brother) of a Baptist minister, I was immersed in similar religious environment as a child and teenager. It was very interesting to follow the story of the misguided minister and the impact it had on his family. I knew nothing about Congo, and that story was also very interesting. I’m glad that I read this book, and I recommend it highly!