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 very enjoyable listen

This story, although fiction, seems that it could have been written by hundreds of missionary children when their parents ventured to remote locales with little training and unrealistic expectations of how their religion would be received by the natives. I loved the references to American advertising slogans of the 50’s/60’s. I also loved the attitude and perseverance demonstrated by the children as they grew into adults.

enticing

Loved hearing the voices of the female characters. I was never tempted to guess what would happen next. I was in the Congo with them.

A must read

A very interesting take on the rape of Africa, this book is beautifully written and its characterization both realistic and identifiable.

A must read/listen.

I read this book over 10 years ago. Now I revisited it through Audible. It was such an impactful read. Please either read or listen again, if it’s been a few years. Such a wonderful story. Thank you Barbara Kingsolver.

A book that will stay with me for a long time

Second time reading this book after about ten years and I still thoroughly enjoyed it. So well written, thoroughly researched and utterly poetic at times. Highly recommend.

I want to read it again

I've been recommended this book so often, I fully expected it to be overhyped. Boy, was I wrong.

I loved getting to know all the voices. I loved the dynamic between the family. I was a bit disappointed that the father was so unidimensional, so obviously "bad", with little redeeming features. It was easy to hate him.

The narrator reads a bit fast, but I could get used to it easily enough.

The book haunts me - and although I typically do not re-read, I am keen to re-read this.

Story of a family's survival in the Congo

Would you consider the audio edition of The Poisonwood Bible to be better than the print version?

I never read the print version, but truly enjoyed this audible version. The narrator of the story does a wonderful, wonderful job in portraying each of the daughters' version of what is happening.

What was one of the most memorable moments of The Poisonwood Bible?

I don't want to give away the story, so I will only say the 'running from the Congo' after a significant loss.

Have you listened to any of Dean Robertson’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

I don't know of the narrator's works. (Dean Robertson is a male, and the narrator of my book is female).

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

When the family finally, after struggling, decides on a whim to actually leave the Congo after the loss of a family member.

Any additional comments?

This book is not an 'un-Christian' book as I've heard it said. Instead, it is a portrayal of how extreme Christian beliefs affected one family who serve on a mission to an extremely harsh (by US standards) environment.

Great history lesson on Africa; intriguing dysfunctional family.

This was a good book. While it centers around a FICTIONAL missionary family, as told through the eyes of the wife and daughters. It is ultimately about Africa and the struggle of its people. I will clarify this; this is not a degrading portrayal of a typical missionary. It is about a man who’s injury to his head in war, and his self shame and condemnation for surviving, changed his life (and subsequently his family’s ). His personality and life were changed by war, not by his love for God, not by his being a Baptist, and not by his wanting to tell the African people about the love of Jesus. Please keep that in the back of your mind when reading. He is not a typical missionary. I liked the book.

Beautiful & Heartbreaking

Barbara Kingsolver has created a beautiful portrait of motherhood, sisterhood, life, death, love and so much more within this book. I cried, I laughed, I felt joy and rage between these pages. I stumbled upon this book by accident, and though the storyline seemed interesting, I was hesitant. Dean Robertson's narration won me over, and boy did she do an amazing job! The emotion in her voice, while seemingly quiet, makes the entire story feel more personal. I cannot say enough about this book. I will definitely reread/listen to it. There's a passage at the end, that I won't ruin for you and say here, but it struck me as one of the most beautiful & heartbreaking explanations of life I've ever heard. Stunning work all around. LOVED IT.

Great Listen & Great Story

If you could sum up The Poisonwood Bible in three words, what would they be?

Engaging
Thoughtful
Perspective Changing

What was one of the most memorable moments of The Poisonwood Bible?

There are so many, but I think the death of one of the family members is most memorable because it is the main turning point of the whole story.

Have you listened to any of Dean Robertson’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

I don't think I have.

Who was the most memorable character of The Poisonwood Bible and why?

Adah was the most memorable character. She is intelligent and a deep inward thinker.