Poisonwood Bible
(Barbara Kingsolver)
Four sister, a mother and a fanatical preacher named Nathan Price attempt to invade Belgian Congo with a missionary message in this riveting novel. The entire story is told in turns by the voices of five women who each gives her own perspective on Nathan's expectations and on the reactions of the African people. The entire novel is divided into six books plus an epilogue.
An element that might make the book confusing to an unsuspecting reader is that the books are not chronological. Rather each book contains clusters of events upon which the narrative voices comment.
The family arrives in the Congo where Nathan immediately antagonizes the villagers who had prepared a feast to welcome him. The people are scantily clothes, and he launches a sermon on modesty which they interpret as a scolding even though they don't understand the reason. Since Nathan's mission is against the wishes of the Baptist authorities (the church is on the verge of leaving due to internal strife in the Congo), the family soon has to concentrate as much on surviving as on ministering. Most of the Africans stand back and watch as Nathan drives his church members away and behaves in ways sure to bring a curse on the village. A few people, however, feel sorry for the women and bring them food from their African gardens along with a few eggs and an occasional chicken. The family is just becoming adapted to the African ways of life when a plague of ants nearly wipes them out again.
Before it is over, the youngest daughter is killed by a poisonous snake, the mother Orleanna tries to take the girls and escape, and the second oldest, Leah becomes ill and has to remain behind.
A secret character, one that is typical of American Indian authors (Kingsolver is one), is the Belgian Congo itself. The family learns that they cannot simply take American beliefs, traditions and methods into another place and arrogantly impose themselves upon it. The Congo is its own personality and will ultimately win over blind arrogance and foreign ignorance.
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