Friday, May 4, 2012

The Poisonwood Bible, by Barbara Kingsolver

I wish everyone would read this novel about a missionary family moving to the Congo back in the early sixties and the effect it had on both the family and the natives. Maybe people would be less eager to push their beliefs onto others and be more more willing to accept and appreciate cultural differences. I loved learning new things about Africa--its history and culture and language. I especially loved the four sisters and mother, who took turns narrating the story, and others, like Anatol and his intricately carved facial tatooes and Mama Lawanza. I didn't love all the characters. I wanted to jump into the book and strangle Nathan Price, the missionary bent on baptizing Congolese babies in the shallow, crocodile-infested river and neglecting his own babies and their suffering.

I will encourage my children to read this novel, because it is full of so many good things.

I highly recommend this novel.