Friday, November 20, 2009

Poisonwood Bible by Barbara Kingsolver


I have started this book twice before and toasted it.  Apparently this is common.  My g/f said she started it ELEVEN times before it grabbed her.  I am not sure if I have that much perseverance but, this was my third time. This story takes place in the 1950's and tells of a missionary and his family going on a mission to Africa.  Nathan's wife, Orleanna, and their daughters - shallow teen-age Rachel, twins Leah and Adah, and five-year-old Ruth May, each take a different chapter and take turns telling the story of their time in Africa.  Apparently there is two parts to this book: The first is about Nathan's clumsy and ill-advised attempts to fit Africa to his fundamentalist beliefs, and the family's attempts to fit their lives to Africa. The second is about the way a family tragedy marks its survivors and the different ways events in Africa mark them as well.  I didn't care for the character and even though I made it farther this time than any previous time, I still couldn't finish it. 

Rating: 1 Do NOT recommend