The Poisonwood Bible

Written by Barbara Kingsolver

Narrated by Robertson Dean

“A powerful new epic . . . [Kingsolver] has with infinitely steady hands worked the prickly threads of religion, politics, race, sin and redemption into a thing of terrible beauty.” —Los Angeles Times Book Review

The Poisonwood Bible is a story told by the wife and four daughters of Nathan Price, a fierce, evangelical Baptist who takes his family and mission to the Belgian Congo in 1959. They carry with them everything they believe they will need from home, but soon find that all of it—from garden seeds to Scripture—is calamitously transformed on African soil. What follows is a suspenseful epic of one family’s tragic undoing and remarkable reconstruction over the course of three decades in postcolonial Africa.

The novel is set against one of the most dramatic political chronicles of the twentieth century: the Congo's fight for independence from Belgium, the murder of its first elected prime minister, the CIA coup to install his replacement, and the insidious progress of a world economic order that robs the fledgling African nation of its autonomy. Taking its place alongside the classic works of postcolonial literature, this ambitious novel establishes Kingsolver as one of the most thoughtful and daring of modern writers.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Brilliance Audio
• Release date: May 16, 2017
• ISBN: 9781543613308

Barbara Kingsolver

Barbara Kingsolver is the author of ten bestselling works of fiction, including the novels Unsheltered, The Bean Trees, and The Poisonwood Bible, as well as books of poetry, essays, creative nonfiction, and Coyote’s Wild Home, a children’s book co-authored with Lily Kingsolver. She also collaborated with family members on the influential Animal, Vegetable, Miracle: A Year of Food Life. Kingsolver’s work has been translated into more than thirty languages and has earned a devoted readership at home and abroad. She is a member of the American Academy of Arts and Letters, and has received numerous awards and honors including the 2023 Pulitzer Prize for Fiction for her novel, Demon Copperhead, the National Humanities Medal, and most recently, the National Book Foundation's Medal for Distinguished Contribution to American Letters and its Lifetime Achievement Award. She lives with her husband on a farm in southern Appalachia.

Reviews for The Poisonwood Bible

[fhudnell-1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

"Nathan was something that happened to us. " Nathan Price and his wife Oleanna are missionaries in the Belgian Congo (later Zaire). Nathan has brought his family from their comfortable Georgia existence despite having been advised by his church not to go. While Nathan, with complete disregard for the interests and customs of the Congolese, attempts to bring the gospel to heathens, his wife and four daughters struggle to cope with the absence of all of the small comforts to which they were accustomed. The daughters ranged in age from 5 to 16 at the start of the mission and the story of their lives is told by them (and occasionally by Oleanna, but never by Nathan) in alternating chapters. The narrator of the audio book did a pretty good job of differentiating the voices, although neither the author nor the narrator was very convincing as five year old Ruth May. There were also the teenagers Rachel and the twins Leah and Adah (who was mute and had been damaged at birth). I was absolutely enthralled by the story of this family in the beginning. The language that the author used and the images she painted were beautiful and perceptive. Nathan was a bully who got worse as he became more and more unhinged. The Congolese were not exactly receptive to his teachings. The strangeness of the environment challenged all of them. They faced tarantulas, snakes, torrential rains, malaria and rivers of ants. The book showed the benevolent arrogance of missionaries who knew nothing about a place yet assumed that they were qualified to tell the people who live there how to live. Their only credentials were their whiteness and their belief in the superiority of their religion. Comparisons were subtly drawn to the treatment of the Congo by Belgium and America.However, the last half of the book sort of fell off the rails for me. As the girls matured, Adah and especially Leah became politicized and all subtlety was lost as the book became overtly pedantic about the history of the Congo. The only character I cared to read about in the last half of the book was Rachel, who reminded me of one of the vain, oblivious survivors in an Edith Wharton novel. I found her entertaining but I wouldn't want to spend any time with either Adah or Leah.Overall, I liked this book a lot, and if the second half had been as good as the first, I would have loved it.

[kale.dyer · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

The initial section of this book was really slow going for me. The impact of Africa on an American Baptist preacher's family who go as missionaries? An exploration of American culpability in the instability of African governments? A well written multi-generational tale that I found tragic and enjoyable.

[kassilem · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I have got to read more books like this set in Africa. It brings back so much of my own experiences to the forefront of my thoughts, which brings it all back to life for me. As for this book, I really enjoyed what it was trying to get at: cultures in Africa are different than american society. It has always been so and and always be so. So much so that it is impossible, and cruel, to expect they to convert to a different way of life. Our societies think differently, and one is not superior to the other. I loved that the book was about how you can never really leave Africa behind once you've lived there and been subject to it's whims. My experiences in Africa hold nothing on these girls, but I still found so much to relate to. If you haven't traveled to Africa, I don't think you'll get as much from this book as if you had, but there is still much about the book that other readers can enjoy. Highly recommended.

[Jessica Grissom · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Brilliantly written. It’s rich with detail and history. The ethics, philosophy, and heart-wrenching moments are abounding.

[James Jeff · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Great book. Slow start, but strong finish. She put her soul into this book.

[Marie Toole · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Well written and well narrated. Intriguing story with enough truthfulness to make it believable. Thanks

[Moby Dick · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

The first half of the book was a bit slow. The second part then became really exciting. I liked the mix of the personal stories and historical facts. Also this book makes you think a lot about the arrogance, ignorance and distrspect of colonizing countries in Africa. Worth reading.

[Susan Neill · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

This book is beautifully written. I laughed and cried. I loved all the characters and the juxtaposition of the southern Baptist missionary family living among the Congolese villagers. I will probably read this book again in the future.

[Susan Athill · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

A friend who usually likes the same kinds of books as me, lent me this. I just couldn't get into it. Listening to it was great and I'm so glad I did. Definitely worth the read.

[priscillagnoble · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Loved this book. The brilliant descriptions of the culture and details in Africa make this a page turner. The voice and accents in 3 languages of the narrator make it perfect.

[Cia Leest · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

This is the most subtle, most inspired book I have read in quite a while. It is tragic, hopeful, and sometimes even funny simultaneously.

[karen bryce · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Magnificent!!! A must read. Put it on your reading list!

[Richard Bojack · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

A beautiful journey of hope, ignorance, despair, and renewal. Loved it. Thank you, Barbara, and all those who supported her, including Africa.

[Aline Lyra · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

What a wonderful storyline! This is my first book by Barbara Kingsolver and I am amazed by the way she tells the story. There were only a few intense passages, which could have made this book boring and difficult to go through, but it kept hooked till the end. Excellent!!

[Anita Pizycki · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

The depth of this writer takes you on a personal journey of right vs righteousness. The story of what the greed of the white man has done to a nation that own greedy few kept many of its brothers and sisters in conditions of pure survival. This is a book that will turn your beliefs on their head and keep you thinking long after you have finish reading. At least that is what it has done for me. I think I may need to read it a second time to truly appreciate this truly exceptional book.

[Lynette Johnson · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I've found a new author to love. A new favorite.

[Lynda Mackenzie · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I really enjoyed the writing! The author’s similies are spot on and I also found the character development fascinating. All were believable, and through their perspectives, you get an idea of what colonialism is all about. This novel stimulated my intellect and taught me things about Africa. I like that!

[Nancy Steinhausen · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Barbara Kingsolver's writing is brilliant, and the narration makes the story come alive. Dive deep into Congo.

[Robin · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

This is on my all time favorite list, and this reading is perfect. At first I thought it would be better with a full cast, but the author has done such a fantastic job of giving each of them their own voice that they are easy to distinguish. I read this for the first time many years ago, and I enjoyed it just as much this time through having it read to me by the author.

[Tracy Ho · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

This is definitely one of the best historical fiction books I have read/listened to in the last year, with other being another of her books, The Lacuna. I love how the story was told from different perspectives. I learnt so much about the region and how the meddling of developed nations destroyed the region in self interest.

[janet jones · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

A wonderful book, entertaining and informative. I read this book years ago when it was new and am delighted to see it in audible form. It is the best book I've read in recent years.

[Carrie Christiansen · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Magnificent in its minutiae and vastness. I won't say much else other than that Moby Dick is my favorite book of all time, and now I believe this is second.

[Eva · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I first read this book some 10 years ago. Reading it again has elicited in me the same wonder and sadness I experienced 10 years ago. A brilliant book.

[Jyotsna · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I loved this more than Demon Copperhead to be honest

[Helen Carter · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Excellent story. Wasn't sure of the narrator the first few minutes, she turned out to be perfect, absolutely perfect. Highly recommend.

[Genevieve Methot · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Gorgeous, devastating, breathtaking novel with absolutely perfect narration. Highly recommend.

[Star Gater · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

An amazing experience. I read the physical book along with the audiobook. I did not like the narrator.

Each chapter is a different character, and suddenly I realized this narrator was not performing, she was reading the book to me. It changed how I felt. I had already focused in on the story, and the narrator was just a notable mention in my review, I did not let her have anymore head space. At this point, so much was happening I stopped and was reminded this story was fiction, and honestly I was so tore up I didn't check i.e. Google a snake in this book, I assume it is part of the Congo and the thought that people live with them sickens me even now. The readalong allowed me to sob and cry while the narrator continued and got me back on track much faster than I would have alone.

The story is littered by a man who takes his ill-prepared family consisting of a wife and four daughters, one that was visibly handicapped on a mission trip to the Congo. The father is a hard, belt whipping, unmercifully ignorant head-of-household. His wife and daughters are products of their previous environment, and uneducated. The move proved to be a cruel, foolish, and a life-changing experience.

This book was a good place to show self-restraint and withhold judgement for people I didn't know or understand. It's listening, not talking while people live their lives and praying there is a light changing their path through experience.

The cruelty of people and not termed loosely, they are human beings is displayed. Likewise, kindness is shown as well.

I would recommend scheduling time to read this, like going to a movie.

[Lucia Garcia · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Wonderful and brutal account. From the willing stupidity of Nathan Price, sorry... His faith, to the brutalities of nature's daily life, going by the tyranny of the world and it's leaders... This story is complicated, beautiful and sad.
The various relationships between the family members is also relatable.
It made me angry at so many places, I lost count.
The narrative was easy to follow and I wanted to know more and more
I am glad, so glad, Nathan got his in the end :).

[Vicki Tucker · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

3rd or 4th time I’ve been mesmerized by this story, and each time for a different reason. You can not finish this book and not come out seeing things differently and with more undertow life. Love it!

[Amy Wilson · Rating: 1 out of 5 stars]

Enjoyed the way The story was told from different perspectives. Did not agree with the content of the story.