Summary
The Poisonwood Bible is a powerful, thought-provoking 1998 novel by Barbara Kingsolver. Set against the backdrop of the Belgian Congo's fight for independence, this epic tale follows the Price family—a Baptist missionary and his wife and four daughters—as they navigate the complexities of postcolonial Africa over three decades. The novel's rich narrative structure, alternating between the perspectives of the Price women, offers a multifaceted exploration of faith, cultural clash, and personal transformation. Kingsolver's meticulous research and vivid prose bring to life the political turmoil of the Congo in the 1960s, including the CIA-backed coup that overthrew the country's first elected prime minister. The Poisonwood Bible has garnered critical acclaim and numerous accolades, including being a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize in fiction.
Plot
The Poisonwood Bible tells the story of the Price family, who move from Georgia to the Belgian Congo in 1959 as part of a Baptist missionary effort. Nathan Price, the family's patriarch, leads his wife Orleanna and their four daughters—Rachel, Leah, Adah, and Ruth May—into a tumultuous period of African history. The family arrives in the village of Kilanga with their American belongings and beliefs, only to find that their expectations are dramatically upended by the realities of life in the Congo.
As the Price family attempts to adjust to their new surroundings, they face numerous challenges. Nathan's efforts to convert the villagers to Christianity are met with resistance, while his ill-fated attempts at agriculture highlight his ignorance of local conditions. Meanwhile, each of the Price women begins to respond differently to their new environment. The girls befriend local children, observe political changes, and grapple with their father's unyielding religious fervor. Tensions rise as the Congo moves towards independence, and the family becomes entangled in the broader historical events unfolding around them.
Tragedy strikes when the youngest daughter, Ruth May, dies from a snakebite. This loss shatters the family, prompting Orleanna to leave with her surviving daughters and abandon Nathan to his doomed mission. In the aftermath, each of the remaining Price women forges her own path. Leah marries a local teacher and remains in Africa, Adah returns to the United States to pursue a scientific education, and Rachel, ever focused on appearances and comfort, goes through multiple marriages while running a business in Africa.
The novel spans three decades, following the Price women as they come to terms with their experiences in the Congo and the lasting impact of their time there. It concludes with a reflective chapter from the perspective of the deceased Ruth May, who observes her family's attempts to revisit their past and find closure. Through their individual journeys, the survivors of the Price family each grapple with the complex legacy of their African sojourn and its intersection with the turbulent political history of the Congo.
Themes
Colonialism and its impact on Africa
Cultural clashes and misunderstandings
Religious zealotry and its consequences
Family dynamics and personal growth
Gender roles and women's empowerment
Nature and its relationship with humanity
Political upheaval and social change
Setting
Set against the backdrop of the tumultuous late 1950s and early 1960s, The Poisonwood Bible unfolds in the Belgian Congo during a period of intense political upheaval. The story begins in 1959, just as the Congo is on the cusp of gaining independence from Belgium, and continues through the country's fight for autonomy, the assassination of its first elected prime minister, and the subsequent CIA-backed coup.
The novel's primary setting is Kilanga, a small village near the Kwilu River in the heart of the Congo. This remote location serves as a microcosm of the larger sociopolitical changes sweeping across the African continent. The members of the Price family, coming from the American South, find themselves thrust into a world vastly different from their own, grappling with unfamiliar customs, languages, and environmental challenges.
As the story progresses, the setting expands beyond Kilanga to encompass other parts of the Congo, including Leopoldville (now Kinshasa). The changing landscape mirrors the characters' evolving perspectives and the nation's turbulent journey towards independence. Barbara Kingsolver's vivid descriptions bring to life the lush, unforgiving beauty of the Congolese jungle, as well as the stark realities of postcolonial Africa struggling to define its future in the face of foreign intervention and internal strife.
Characters
Orleanna Price: The matriarch of the Price family. She narrates parts of the novel, reflecting on her experiences in the Congo years later. Orleanna struggles with her role as a submissive wife to Nathan and her desire to protect her daughters. She is profoundly affected by her youngest daughter's death.
Nathan Price: The zealous Baptist missionary who brings his family to the Congo. Nathan is stubborn, dogmatic, and abusive, refusing to adapt his methods or beliefs to Congolese culture. His obsession with baptizing and converting the villagers ultimately leads to tragedy for his family and himself.
Rachel Price: The eldest Price daughter, a self-centered teenager. Rachel is vain, materialistic, and resistant to change. She struggles the most with adapting to life in Africa and often provides comic relief through her malapropisms and superficial observations.
Leah Price: One of the twins, who is 14 when the novel opens. Initially devoted to her father's mission, Leah is intelligent, curious, and eventually becomes the most adaptable to Congolese life. Leah’s experiences in Africa profoundly change her worldview, leading her to question her faith and ultimately remain in Africa.
Adah Price: Leah's twin sister, born with hemiplegia (partial paralysis of one side of the body). Adah is brilliant but silent by choice, often communicating through palindromes and keen observations. Her disability gives her a unique perspective on life in the Congo and her family's dynamics.
Ruth May Price: The youngest Price daughter, aged five at the start of the novel. Ruth May is curious, adventurous, and quick to befriend the village children. Her tragic death becomes a turning point in the novel, profoundly affecting each family member.
Anatole Ngemba: The village teacher and translator for Nathan's sermons. Anatole becomes a close friend and eventually husband to Leah, representing a bridge between Western and Congolese cultures.
Tata Ndu: The chief of Kilanga village. He is skeptical of the Prices and their Western ways, often clashing with Nathan over cultural differences.
Eeben Axelroot: A morally dubious American pilot living in the Congo. Axelroot becomes entangled with the Price family, particularly Rachel, and is involved in various illegal activities.
Brother Fowles: The previous missionary in Kilanga. Unlike Nathan, Fowles embraced local customs and married a Congolese woman, representing a more culturally sensitive approach to missionary work.
Quick facts
The Poisonwood Bible took Barbara Kingsolver nearly 10 years to research and write.
Kingsolver lived in the Congo (now Democratic Republic of Congo) as a child, which inspired parts of the story.
The novel's title refers to a mistranslation of the Bible into Kikongo by the main character.
The Poisonwood Bible was selected for Oprah's Book Club in 1999.
The novel was a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction in 1999.
It won the 2000 Boeke Prize, a South African literary award.
The story is narrated by five different female characters, each with a distinct voice.
Kingsolver consulted with African language experts to ensure linguistic accuracy in the book.
The Poisonwood Bible has been translated into more than 20 languages worldwide.
In 2019, Amy Adams's production company acquired the rights to adapt the book into a TV series for HBO.
About the Author
Barbara Kingsolver is a critically acclaimed American novelist, essayist, and poet. Her most widely known works include The Poisonwood Bible (1998), the saga of a Southern Baptist missionary family in the Congo; Animal, Vegetable, Miracle (2007), a nonfiction account of her family’s year-long commitment to eating only locally grown food; and Demon Copperhead (2022), a modern recasting of the Dickens classic David Copperfield that was awarded the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction.
Born in 1955 in Annapolis, Maryland, Kingsolver was raised in rural Kentucky and lived briefly in the Congo as a child. She earned degrees in biology, ecology, and evolutionary biology from DePauw University and the University of Arizona before embarking on her career as a writer. Recognized for her ability to blend compelling storytelling with cultural insights and topical messages, she has received prestigious awards including the National Humanities Medal and and the Women's Prize for Fiction twice–a historic achievement.
A committed environmentalist and social justice activist, Kingsolver established the Bellwether Prize for Fiction in 2000 to support emerging writers dedicated to creating “literature of social change.” She lives on a farm in southern Appalachia with her husband, and continues to write and advocate for causes close to her heart.
