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)

yep it's a great book

I actually started listening to this once before and couldn't make it past the first 10 minutes because I hated the narrator. I listen to it this time all the way through and loved every minute of it. Great book recommended

this is my most favorite and hated book on my life

I spent some time in China married to a man very similar to the protagonist in this book. my children all relate to this book. it's almost as if it is written about me.

Excellent read!

I absolutely loved this book. The narrator was spectacular. The subject matter was heart wrenching I love Africa.

Educational and mesmerizing

I read this book with continual fascination. I will now research other books on the history of DRC and Central Africa generally

Transfixed and Transported

Even though this family was fictional, the ring of truth was everywhere. Dean Robertson was the perfect reader.

Fascinating characters

Slow down the narrator and digest this really interesting story with characters you will really dislike and ones you will or might come to better understand. A really complex story that I find myself wanting to give it a second listen.

A Gift!

A beautiful masterpiece of literature, and a book I will immediately add to my all-time favs, and will most-likely listen to again soon. (This may be the first narrator I’ve ever had to slow down to enjoy - not sure exactly why, but .8 was perfect for me, in case that helps anyone else!)

Exquisite

Beautifully written story about loss, redemption, resilience, ignorance, and the search for truth, all set in the heart of Africa. Kingsolver spins sentences that make you want to listen to them all over again. You won’t regret listening!

Important note on the narrator (and apparently, a contentious opinion), I thought she read wonderfully. Her accent felt homey yet firm, which felt appropriate for the main characters. Her cadence was quick, so I listened at 0.9x speed and that did the trick!

Historical Fiction at it's best

I could not stop listening while working, driving and before I fell asleep at night.

Phenomenal

Kingsolver is truly brilliant. This book is definitely one of my favorites. I don’t know what I’m going to do now that it’s over, the characters felt so real that now I’m going to have to grieve finishing the book.