The Poisonwood Bible

I read another Barbara Kingsolver book, The Lacuna, a while ago, and was in two minds about it as I enjoyed the depictions of lives and relationships but was then left cold as the second half descended into dry politics. I was concerned that the brick that is The Poisonwood Bible might go the same way, so was delighted to find that it doesn't. The then current situation in The Congo/Zaire is woven around the immediate story of the Price family but its intricacies are not thoroughly explored so if you're hoping for a more factual novel of the country's upheaval, this might not be the one for you. Instead Kingsolver has created a powerful portrait and caution against the insanity of blind faith and ill-prepared attempts to force one people to the will of another. Her creation of the out-of-their-depth Price family is inspired and I was interested to learn how a Southern 1950s white American family viewed both themselves and their Congolese hosts. Tyrant-father Nathan, believing himself master yet more useless and alienated than anyone due to his refusal to see the Congolese as more than savage children, is the only one whose words we do not directly hear, but his character is rounded out by the five women and girls, his family, existing despite his best efforts(!). I did find it tricky early on in the novel to remember who was speaking but as each develops her own distinctive voice, the sisters and mother each show their Africa from very different viewpoints and it was interesting to see how their varying skills both allowed some entry to Congolese society but also kept them apart. The pages rushed past as I found this novel impossible to put down and have been thinking over it a lot in the couple of days since I finished. There are so many issues raised - family and friendship, race and colonialism, religion and choice, life and survival - that I think I could read The Poisonwood Bible several times, seeing new detail in it with each read. Perhaps this is one that won't get Bookcrossed too quickly!

This historical fiction novel deals with a subject matter that I hadn't ever looked into, and it actually made me read up on it a bit to follow the story better: the Congo Crisis.

We learn about this in the form of an American family of six who move to Belgian-controlled Congo in 1960 when Nathan Price brings his family there to work as a missionary in a small village called Kilanga. But this is not a book about Nathan. He's only mentioned in passing, a villain who is harsh and unforgiving to his wife and four daughters, and considers the Congolese to be nothing more than savages.

Our different points of view come from the mother, but mostly the four daughters: the baby of the family Ruth May, who adapts the easiest, the twins Leah, a tomboy, and Adah, who was born handicapped, and last Rachel, the least-adaptable one, who would rather return to the US. Through their eyes we experience Independence, life in the Congo and later other African countries, and especially in Leah's case a growing alienation from the US. All women of the family are not left untouched by their life in the Congo, Africa always staying with them.

It is clear the author has a very strong agenda. Christianity in the form of baptism doesn't look that great, and the involvement of the USA in boosting up Mobutu, one of the worst African dictators of all times, for their own interests in Congo's riches, leaves a bitter taste in the mouth, not only in Leah's. Rachel is a vehicle to depict casual racism. It's not a feel-good novel if you're a white reader. Or anyone, I suppose.

Ultimately, the pace was a bit too slow for me. Especially the last part dragged on forever, even though I enjoyed the time jumps. Adah was my favorite character, for sure.

I can understand why people who feel strongly about religion or stout American patriots might hate this one, for sure. The author doesn't bring her points across gently, but then, why should she? The exploitation of the African continent has undoubtedly happened, ever since the first European seafarers landed on the continent's shores.

4 stars.