For our second selection, we read a longer, more challenging novel, The Poisonwood Bible: A Novel (P.S.)
by Barbara Kingsolver. This novel tells the story of the Price family, a fundamentalist, but somewhat eclectic Southern Baptist family from Georgia who go to the Belgium Congo in the late 1950's with high hopes of converting the natives while maintaining their American traditions, from fashion, to gardening, to birthday cake. But cake mixes prove worthless, seeds fail to grow, fashion is futile, and the natives carry on with their "heathen" ways in spite of the fervent preaching of Nathan Price. In fact, Nathan Price's only lasting impact seems to be in the tragedies that befall his family, a wife and four daughters, who narrate the story. Even after the family is separated after yet another tragic incident, the impact of Africa continues to shape the lives of these women, as their stories unfold over the next 30 years.
We used the questions found on the author's website as a springboard for our discussion, which could have lasted well beyond the two alotted hours. Our discussion spanned such wide topics as missionary naivete, government conspiracies, misguided and misapplied faith, male/female roles and stereotypes, parental influences, and literary structure. Some readers felt that Nathan Price was slighted by not having a voice; do the exclusively feminine voices make it a feminist novel? The picture of Africa was vivid and compelling, moving us to compassion for a people and country who seem to be pawns in an international political and economical game. Overall, we found the novel to be both humorous and tragic, informative and cautionary, and one that we would recommend to others for a thought-provoking read.
Our members recorded the following comments and critiques:
"Eye-opening and thought provoking."
"Much to think about. Well written. Surprising voice. Worth reading again. I give it 4 1/2 stars."
"Excellent character development and interesting variety of perspectives. Broading view of world culture and politics."
"A great exposure to another time and culture."
"An amazing read! The characters were so vivid and challenging, especially the cultural and political aspects."
by Barbara Kingsolver. This novel tells the story of the Price family, a fundamentalist, but somewhat eclectic Southern Baptist family from Georgia who go to the Belgium Congo in the late 1950's with high hopes of converting the natives while maintaining their American traditions, from fashion, to gardening, to birthday cake. But cake mixes prove worthless, seeds fail to grow, fashion is futile, and the natives carry on with their "heathen" ways in spite of the fervent preaching of Nathan Price. In fact, Nathan Price's only lasting impact seems to be in the tragedies that befall his family, a wife and four daughters, who narrate the story. Even after the family is separated after yet another tragic incident, the impact of Africa continues to shape the lives of these women, as their stories unfold over the next 30 years.We used the questions found on the author's website as a springboard for our discussion, which could have lasted well beyond the two alotted hours. Our discussion spanned such wide topics as missionary naivete, government conspiracies, misguided and misapplied faith, male/female roles and stereotypes, parental influences, and literary structure. Some readers felt that Nathan Price was slighted by not having a voice; do the exclusively feminine voices make it a feminist novel? The picture of Africa was vivid and compelling, moving us to compassion for a people and country who seem to be pawns in an international political and economical game. Overall, we found the novel to be both humorous and tragic, informative and cautionary, and one that we would recommend to others for a thought-provoking read.
Our members recorded the following comments and critiques:
"Eye-opening and thought provoking."
"Much to think about. Well written. Surprising voice. Worth reading again. I give it 4 1/2 stars."
"Excellent character development and interesting variety of perspectives. Broading view of world culture and politics."
"A great exposure to another time and culture."
"An amazing read! The characters were so vivid and challenging, especially the cultural and political aspects."
1 comment:
My book club read this one recently. It led to two of our best meetings (here and here). This is one of my all time favorite books - I've read it twice and recommend it highly.
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