The Poisonwood Bible Review

The Poisonwood Bible by Barbara Kingsolver was recommended to me by my mom.  Kingsolver is one of the most talented writers I think I've ever read.  Even if you're not particularly interested in the settings she uses, her books are so well written that the stories can be enjoyed by anybody.

The Poisonwood Bible is the story of the 4 Price sisters who travel with their parents to the Belgian Congo in 1959 to be missionaries.  Their father, Nathan Price is harsh and domineering and their mother refuses to disagree with him.  Nathan Price, determined to convert every single Congolese person to Christianity, leaves his wife and daughters to forge their way through a completely foreign country.

The story is told by the mother, Orleanna Price, and the four daughters: Rachel, Leah, Adah, and Ruth May.  One of the most brilliant things about this book is the way that Kingsolver brings all of the different voices out.  My favorite is Adah's voice.  Adah is very smart, but has never spoken a word in her life, and thinks backwards and in palindromes just for fun.

I highly recommend this book.  It is long and I took a long time to read it, savoring each page. It took me several days to get into another book because I felt like I was still in the Belgian Congo. This book will draw you in and, once you have finished it, make you wonder about the Prices for a long time afterwards.