THE POISONWOOD BIBLE- Barbara Kingsolver

What can I say? Congo at the cusp of liberation comes heartbreakingly alive in the hands of the immensely talented Kingsolver. She does it with cleverness as it comes alive through the narrative of the self- centred Rachel, of Leah who years to be daddy’s darling, of Adah who refuses to speak and of the baby of the family Ruth May. Through the narrative it is not just Congo, its history and culture we discover but also the four sisters and their father who never speaks to us directly. The mother, Orleanna speaks to us later and when she does for the first time leaves a smear in our heart and questions in our mind that keep us going until the last page.


In a sentence- it’s a book of tragedies and triumphs, personal and national and a fitting ending. A final thought- Poisonwood Bible could not have been better named.

Read it- it’s brilliant, powerful and you wouldn’t want to miss something that’s definitely going to become a classic.

©Maya