CLASSES & JOBS

During my lunch break I’ve been reading alot. My favorite new book is The Poisonwood Bible, by Barbara Kingsolver. The historical-fiction depicts the Prices, an American missionary family who move to the Congo in the 1960’s to spread the word of the Lord to the tribal people of the Kilanga village. The father takes it into his own hands to convert the local people and denounce their traditional pagan ways of faith and does so in a blatantly aggressive manner. He is also verbally assaulting to his family and belittles his girls when given the opportunity.

The story is narrated by Orleanna, the mother, and her four daughters Rachel, Leah, Adah and Ruth-May. Throughout the book, you see the transformations each of the girls make and how they deal with family and societal issues in living with the Congo. The book follows these characters from when they first arrive in the Congo to their adult lives in the 1990’s and shows the very different routes that each of the women take in their lives. Leah, one of the daughters and Adah’s twin, makes the biggest transition of all the girls in her perceptions of religion. Originally having worshiped her father and his words, she later identifies herself with the Congolese people and questions her father’s actions. This novel is so great because it incorporates the historical background of the Congo in its descriptions, and is a really interesting read.