The Poisonwood Bible

By: Barbara Kingsolver

Narrated by: Dean Robertson

Length: 15 hrs and 34 mins

Publisher's summary

“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.

©1998 by Barbara Kingsolver. (P)1998 Brilliance Audio, all rights reserved.

Critic reviews

"Haunting...A novel of character, a narrative shaped by keen-eyed women." (New York Times Book Review)

"Beautifully written....Kingsolver's tale of domestic tragedy is more than just a well-told yarn.. Played out against the bloody backdrop of political struggles in Congo that continue to this day, it is also particularly timely." (People)

"The book's sheer enjoyability is given depth by Kingsolver's insight and compassion for Congo, including its people, and their language and sayings." (Boston Globe)

A real work of art!

Barbara Kingsolver includes so many minute details and philosophical perspectives that her books are like a painting created with many colours on a delicate earth-tone background. The result is complex and beautiful--I couldn't put it down!. As with DEMON COPPERHEAD the narrator was perfect
for this story told in the first person. I would highly recommend this book to any serious reader.I

Outstanding

Incredibly rich, deep, and informative and delivered with beautifully poetic prose. At turns heartbreaking and humorous. I wish it could go on and on.

Eye-opening and heart breaking.

In many ways, this book left me heartbroken. It was very eye-opening about the people of the Congo in the 50's-70's, the diamond and rubber industries there, the living conditions, food shortages, local government, and the work of the missionaries. It is one of the best books I have read in recent years. Highly recommend.

Brilliant

The way the dialects are expressed is just wonderful. The facts and honesty of it all are believable. Fantastic book

Fabulous captivating story

The story draws you in and does not let you leave . Highly recommend. There were times when I felt that I was witnessing what was happening!

The Poisonwood Bible

I loved the book. The writer is fabulously talented to create such a story. I felt very entwined with the novel and had a hard time putting it down. I enjoy drama and this novel provided it.

Read it!

This has been the best, most enjoyable book I’ve read in a long while. I will probably read it again.

Beautiful and Epic

I cannot venture a guess how many books I’ve read in my life, but I’ve read about 60+ the last 3 years for reference. This is the best book I’ve have ever read. Do not pass by.

Beautifully written phrases

Poor audible interpretation. I would have loved punctuating the chapters, all the dialects, and different voices for each narrator.

Decrease speed to 85%

After hesitating for years, I finally listened to this book and enjoyed it very much. As others have complained, the reader’s quick tempo made it difficult to listed to. I found that slowing it down to 85% made it much more understandable and the different accents for the characters seemed true.