The Poisonwood Bible by Barbara Kingsolver

 I seem to have a somewhat "down" time every January. Christmas and its wonderful anticipation and excitement are over, and it's usually cold. This year we had just returned from South Dakota when I picked up this book. I have read it before; I read it years ago, but somehow neglected to write about it. I found this copy on a "free" table at Vernon Worthen Park, where the Sun River Library was giving away some of their books. I remember liking it, so I thought it was worth visiting again. I originally read it because Sierra told me it was her favorite book. This is probably because it evokes Africa in vivid ways for her. I have always appreciated Barbara Kingsolver, so this was another reason I read it. My first time through was at least ten years ago, and I just remember being appalled by the father's behavior and marveling at the way the family figured out how to live. 

This time around, I was again blown away by the level of detail, understanding, and research that goes into a Kingsolver story. The native languages, the culture, the other languages like French and Afrikaans are all contributors to the story and characters. The political history is detailed and heart-breaking. And of course the agriculture, the history, the anthropology, the climate, the biology and whole milieu are loaded with fascinating detail that enrich and give context to the story. And...the biblical references are meaningful too...this author goes deeply into every aspect of her story.

The story of the Belgian Congo becoming independent is the backdrop to this family's drama. As the father, a Baptist preacher, attempts to bring his version of Christianity to the local village, it becomes clear that this will be a culture clash. It clashes at every level: belief, how to farm, how to think, how to BE. All of it! It's astonishing and depressing to watch. I'm not sure if my January doldrums contributed to my sadness when I read it, or if this all-encompassing book caused my doldrums! At any rate, it wasn't exactly depressing, just food for thought about how much can go wrong when we think we have the answers for how others should live.

The characters grow over time. They are fascinating. The twins Adah and Leah, in particular, are uncommonly brilliant and as we read their thoughts and conversations, I was hanging on by my fingernails. I'm not sure I understood it all...especially the depth of Adah and her cynicism and Leah and her politics. Rachel, the oldest daughter, exhibited so much selfishness and obtuseness and cluelessness that she was often unintentionally hilarious. However, I could definitely relate to her thinking as she suffered through their village life. Maybe that's the beauty of this story; I could relate to all of the characters except the father. He was too far gone, but the others...yes, I could relate to Leah's passion for freedom for Africans, to Adah's loneliness, and to Mary Ruth's free spirit and love for other children. And the poor mother...it was very hard watching her suffer and navigate her marriage, but eventually she got up and moved. Especially in her later years and her thinking about motherhood, I could relate to what she was feeling.

I'm not sure if I will take this one up again. I'm going to ask Sierra if she's read it lately and if so, if she understands it differently now that she's a mother.