
Based on your book
by Barbara Kingsolver
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. Against this backdrop, Orleanna Price reconstructs the story of her evangelist husband's part in the Western assault on Africa, a tale indelibly darkened by her own losses and unanswerable questions about her own culpability. Also narrating the story, by turns, are her four daughters—the self-centered, teenaged Rachel; shrewd adolescent twins Leah and Adah; and Ruth May, a prescient five-year-old. These sharply observant girls, who arrive in the Congo with racial preconceptions forged in 1950s Georgia, will be marked in surprisingly different ways by their father's intractable mission, and by Africa itself. Ultimately each must strike her own separate path to salvation. Their passionately intertwined stories become a compelling exploration of moral risk and personal responsibility. Dancing between the dark comedy of human failings and the breathtaking possibilities of human hope, The Poisonwood Bible possesses all that has distinguished Barbara Kingsolver's previous work, and extends this beloved writer's vision to an entirely new level. 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.
10 recommendations similar to The Poisonwood Bible
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by Ann Patchett
This novel shares a similar exploration of cultural encounters and the impact of political situations on personal lives, wrapped in lyrical prose.
Like 'The Poisonwood Bible,' this book features a rich, multi-generational family saga set against a vividly depicted foreign culture.
Both novels delve into the complexities of family, redemption, and the interplay between personal and political histories.
This book offers a powerful narrative about colonialism and its aftermath, with strong character development and a historical backdrop.
This classic novel examines the effects of colonialism and cultural clash in Africa, similar to the thematic elements in 'The Poisonwood Bible.'
Exploring themes of familial duty, love, and survival against a backdrop of political upheaval, this book resonates with Kingsolver's narrative.
by Kiran Desai
This novel explores themes of post-colonialism and cultural identity, with a focus on personal stories set against larger historical events.
Both novels offer intricate family dynamics and cultural observations, presented in lush, evocative prose.
Another work by Kingsolver, this novel similarly intertwines personal and political narratives, offering rich historical context and character depth.
Explores themes of identity and cultural displacement with a keen eye for both intimate and societal observations, akin to Kingsolver's style.
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