The Poisonwood Bible - Kingsolver
Many years ago, I read Barbara Kingsolver’s trilogy, “The Bean Trees”, “Pigs in Heaven” and “Animal Dreams”. Not long ago, I read “Prodigal Summer”. I had loved her trilogy but was disappointed in “Prodigal”.
For some reason I cannot put my finger on, I have avoided reading “The Poisonwood Bible.” I know it was classic Kingsolver, and I know many people who have read it, but for some reason I had always avoided it. Until now. I picked up a copy at my library’s book sale last summer and finally cracked it open last week.
“The Poisonwood Bible” tells the story of a missionary family, led to Africa by their zealous father who becomes oblivious to the cultural hurdles and challenges that lie in his path to converting the Congo to Christianity. It takes the reader on a journey through this family, through Africa and through the tested faith of Christian children. It is a story of love, of belief, of faith, of reality, of the world, democracy, kindness and charity. Each chapter is told from the view of the mother or one of the daughters, complete with grammar and semantics appropriate to the character.
Kingsolver has given us a gift with this book. Tremendous characters wrapped in the culture and settings of Africa. She gives us a glimpse of faith, the blindness, the arrogance, the ignorance, the assumptions and yet the kindness, the charity and the generosity. She tells a side of history white, upper-class Americans would rather forget. She tells of the human element of war, famine, politics and religion.
I am sure that most book lovers out there have long ago read “The Poisonwood Bible” but for those like me, who never picked it up, I encourage you to do so. You will fall in love with Rachel, Adah, Leah and Ruth May. You will struggle as their mother did with her circumstances and her choices. You will find yourself angry with America and her arrogance in politics. You will cry over the generous spirits of the world’s poorest citizens. And hopefully you will come away with an appreciation for the absolute necessity to understand one another, to know from what place we have come from, and to apply our beliefs according to that understanding, not in spite of it.
For some reason I cannot put my finger on, I have avoided reading “The Poisonwood Bible.” I know it was classic Kingsolver, and I know many people who have read it, but for some reason I had always avoided it. Until now. I picked up a copy at my library’s book sale last summer and finally cracked it open last week.
“The Poisonwood Bible” tells the story of a missionary family, led to Africa by their zealous father who becomes oblivious to the cultural hurdles and challenges that lie in his path to converting the Congo to Christianity. It takes the reader on a journey through this family, through Africa and through the tested faith of Christian children. It is a story of love, of belief, of faith, of reality, of the world, democracy, kindness and charity. Each chapter is told from the view of the mother or one of the daughters, complete with grammar and semantics appropriate to the character.
Kingsolver has given us a gift with this book. Tremendous characters wrapped in the culture and settings of Africa. She gives us a glimpse of faith, the blindness, the arrogance, the ignorance, the assumptions and yet the kindness, the charity and the generosity. She tells a side of history white, upper-class Americans would rather forget. She tells of the human element of war, famine, politics and religion.
I am sure that most book lovers out there have long ago read “The Poisonwood Bible” but for those like me, who never picked it up, I encourage you to do so. You will fall in love with Rachel, Adah, Leah and Ruth May. You will struggle as their mother did with her circumstances and her choices. You will find yourself angry with America and her arrogance in politics. You will cry over the generous spirits of the world’s poorest citizens. And hopefully you will come away with an appreciation for the absolute necessity to understand one another, to know from what place we have come from, and to apply our beliefs according to that understanding, not in spite of it.
Comments
Then someone told me what it was about -- so now I'm back to square one - don't know why I don't want to read it. :)
I loved the way Kingsolver is able to almost reach out of the pages and pull you into Africa. It's well worth a read.