A well-written novel evokes emotions while educating the reader. The Poisonwood Bible by Barbara Kingsolver does both exceedingly well.However, the epic of a southern Baptist family on a journey to convert souls hit a raw nerve for some book club members, while others found it meaningful, depicting what happens when an ill-informed missionary attempts to impose his cultural values on another nation.Kingsolver’s approach to telling the story is unique. Five characters, Orleanna Price and her daughters, Rachel, Leah, Adah, and Ruth May, give readers their own unique points of view in alternating chapters as the story unfolds. By creating distinctive personalities for each child, ranging in age 5 to 15, Kingsolver injects humor, wisdom and whimsy into what would have otherwise been a very bleak story.But readers never hear directly from the dominant character in the novel – Preacher Nathan Price, the abusive, self-righteous father. He is an evangelical preacher hell bent on saving African souls from eternal damnation.The novel begins as the Price family prepares to leave Bethlehem, Ga., in 1959 for missionary work in the Belgian Congo. They pack items for the trip to help alleviate the hardships others tell them they will face in Africa. But the seeds, tools, needles, a thimble and cake mix for the girls’ birthdays do little to overcome the burdens incurred because of the preacher’s total ignorance of African culture. Price’s stupidity and religious fanaticism damns his entire family to an unhappy future in Africa and America, as they are unable to get past the hole left in the heart of their family when one of them dies.The villagers of Kilanga welcome the Price family with a feast; Nathan responds by condemning a woman for her nakedness during his first sermon to the wayward souls. He doesn’t understand why people will attend church but refuse to be baptized in the river, even after he discovers the river is crawling with crocodiles.Nathan’s mispronunciation of their language causes laughter and major misunderstandings among the villagers. And his refusal to learn from the indigenous population causes his crops to be washed away, and his family to face starvation.He is not the only weak link in the dysfunctional Price family. Orleanna appears to have no backbone. She allows her husband to bully her to the point of putting her entire family in danger. But reader Fay Goodell pointed out to other book club members that Orleanna’s character was true to form for many southern women during the 1950s.The African environment reveals its own hardships with droughts, floods, poisonous snakes and swarms of ants that devour whole villages.The story follows the actual history of the Belgian Congo from the election of Patrice Lumumba to the Central Intelligence Agency overthrow of Lumumba’s government to the installation of dictator Mobutu to the present and the creation of the nation of Zaire.It is the last one-third of the book that rankles some book club members. Tom Preble said that while the book is well written he disliked the “all the white males are evil” attitude that is prevalent throughout the novel, as well as Kingsolver’s fondness of communism.However, Jody Stratford said the book is a mainline protest against the beliefs and attitudes of traditional missionary workers, and called it the “most meaningful book I have ever read.”Laura Nelson, new to the book club, said the Poisonwood Bible took her through a gamut of emotions. She was glued to the story at first; by the middle of the book she wanted to kill the father; and by the end she felt a little sorry for him. She also found Kingsolver’s lecturing wearisome. She would recommend the book to a friend, however.I also think the book is worth reading because of Kingsolver’s great character development; plus I find it interesting to read other perspectives on history. And if you don’t read it, you will never know why it is called “The Poisonwood Bible.”Note: Because of the Thanksgiving holiday, the book club will meet on Wednesday Nov. 30 at 6:30 p.m. We will be discussing “The Kite Runner” by Khaled Hosseini. Stop by Stratfords and join in the conversation.
