In 'The Poisonwood Bible,' a zealous Baptist missionary, Nathan Price, drags his family to the Belgian Congo in 1959, hoping to convert the locals. His four daughters and wife tell their harrowing stories as they navigate cultural clashes, family dynamics, and the stark realities of colonialism. Each sister's perspective reveals different truths and hidden scars, painting a poignant portrait of faith, guilt, and rebellion. As the Price family's lives intertwine with the Congo's turbulent history, they learn that not all missions are about saving souls. This compelling tapestry of voices invites readers to question the meaning of redemption and the consequences of fanaticism.
By Barbara Kingsolver
Published: 1998
""To be forced to endure is to become a part of the story, not merely a spectator. Each life is a testament to the choices made, the paths taken, and the sacrifices endured.""
The Poisonwood Bible is a story told by the wife and four daughters of Nathan Price, a fierce, evangelical Baptist who takes his family and mission to the Belgian Congo in 1959. They carry with them everything they believe they will need from home, but soon find that all of it—from garden seeds to Scripture—is calamitously transformed on African soil. What follows is a suspenseful epic of one family's tragic undoing and remarkable reconstruction over the course of three decades in postcolonial Africa. The novel is set against one of the most dramatic political chronicles of the twentieth century: the Congo's fight for independence from Belgium, the murder of its first elected prime minister, the CIA coup to install his replacement, and the insidious progress of a world economic order that robs the fledgling African nation of its autonomy. Against this backdrop, Orleanna Price reconstructs the story of her evangelist husband's part in the Western assault on Africa, a tale indelibly darkened by her own losses and unanswerable questions about her own culpability. Also narrating the story, by turns, are her four daughters—the self-centered, teenaged Rachel; shrewd adolescent twins Leah and Adah; and Ruth May, a prescient five-year-old. These sharply observant girls, who arrive in the Congo with racial preconceptions forged in 1950s Georgia, will be marked in surprisingly different ways by their father's intractable mission, and by Africa itself. Ultimately each must strike her own separate path to salvation. Their passionately intertwined stories become a compelling exploration of moral risk and personal responsibility. Dancing between the dark comedy of human failings and the breathtaking possibilities of human hope, The Poisonwood Bible possesses all that has distinguished Barbara Kingsolver's previous work, and extends this beloved writer's vision to an entirely new level. Taking its place alongside the classic works of postcolonial literature, this ambitious novel establishes Kingsolver as one of the most thoughtful and daring of modern writers.
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“"To be forced to endure is to become a part of the story, not merely a spectator. Each life is a testament to the choices made, the paths taken, and the sacrifices endured."”
The Poisonwood Bible
By Barbara Kingsolver
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Barbara Kingsolver is an acclaimed American author known for her richly detailed narratives that often explore themes of social justice, environmental sustainability, and the complexities of human relationships. Born on April 8, 1955, in Annapolis, Maryland, Kingsolver gained prominence with her bestselling novels, including 'The Poisonwood Bible,' 'Animal, Vegetable, Miracle,' and 'Flight Behavior.' Her writing reflects a deep appreciation for nature and a commitment to activism, seamlessly blending fiction with insightful commentary on contemporary issues. Kingsolver's distinctive voice and strong character development have earned her numerous awards, including the National Humanities Medal and the Orange Prize for Fiction.
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