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. 

O is for Outlaw by Sue Grafton

 

N is for Noose by Sue Grafton

 Over Christmas and three weeks in South Dakota, I finished M. I didn't take N because I thought it would be good to take a break, and it was. I read Conference talks, catalogs, and of course my scriptures. Still, it was a long break and I was excited to get back into a good mystery!

I enjoyed this one. The setting reminded me of a Lake Tahoe area, only a small town with small town people. The small town characters turned against Kinsey during her investigation, and that was scary. I also related to her discomfort to staying with Selma, the police detective's widow who hired her. Her anxieties over the temperature, the food, just being a guest were all relatable, especially coming off three weeks of being a guest at Melissa's. Gratefully, my experience was good; Kinsey's was bad!

I enjoyed the learning about the high moral character of the police detective who had recently died, and it was refreshing to know there are people like that in the world. Of course I know that, but it's good to read about them as well. The snowy and cold setting were hard to live through again, having just returned from a harrowing icy road trip, so I had to take a break near the end to catch my breath! 

Still and all, an enjoyable read and a good one to unravel!

M is for Malice by Sue Grafton

 This was a good one!

There were juicy scenes with Dietz, who surprised Kinsey several times by returning to her unexpectedly. The murder victim, Guy Malek, was a sweet and engaging character whose reputation turned out to be grossly exaggerated. The brothers were nasty and interesting. The milieu of this story was much more refined than the usual decrepit and depressing ones of her stories heretofore. And there is the hint of Kinsey coming to terms with her long lost family. 

I read this while on the way to South Dakota for Christmas and our townhouse sale. I finished it tonight, and it was a welcome respite from the sometimes stressful family interactions and townhouse work, not to mention challenging weather! ICE COLD weather, that is, and our impending departure that might be delayed AGAIN. Ouch.... Stressful only because I hate putting Melissa out, but it has been really fun most of the time, and she has been a very attentive hostess. I'm grateful...I'm not sure how I would react to having houseguests so long! December 7 through December 26, at least! Wowsers, she's amazing!

L is for Lawless by Sue Grafton

 This was a romp that was not as much fun as it was stressful and kind of depressing. Kinsey often deals with "underlife," but these folks were particularly low. Kinsey tries to help a neighbor, recommended by lovable Henry whom she can't turn down, and finds herself virtually kidnapped and taken on a wild goose chase to unravel a mystery and find a stolen treasure. The treasure was stolen by a group of unscrupulous men 40 years earlier, and murder ensued, and prison terms served. However, the quest for the treasure proved to be worthwhile. The main villain is truly evil and battering, and we have to have more of him than we like. What is somewhat borderline charming is the way another of the gang, Ray, and his daughter Laura, and his mother Helen become a family for Kinsey. 

I enjoyed having this lightweight paperback along for the trip to Rapid City from Las Vegas since it turned out to be such a comical loading and unloading of passengers as Allegiant tried to get us on a plane that worked. Because I had this entertaining, although somewhat depressing milieu, I was able to withstand the four-hour plus delay with aplomb. I did not get grumpy, nor did I get aprehensive, as Len did. We survived the ordeal and landed safely. This was a good book to have along since it totally "took me away" from the scene and helped me enjoy another world, even though it wasn't a particularly pleasant one. And a nice bonus at the end was Kinsey needing help from her cousin, whom she had rejected up to that point. It was gratifying to see that she needed help, asked for it, and got it. Which also means her cousin Tasha will most likely appear in the next installment. I also liked that Kinsey got a little sentimental at the wedding of William and Rosie. I'm glad it was a sweet occasion and that Kinsey got out of her horrible situation in time to be there. There was definitely the possibility that this adventure would waylay her plans...

I is for Innocent by Sue Grafton

 This story finds Kinsey trying to solve a murder of a woman who was shot through a peephole in a door. We at first think its her husband, and then we're convinced it's not. And then the plot twists again. This story has some good characters, especially as Henry (Kinsey's landlord) entertains his brother William and his myriad idiosyncrasies and then his romance. It's a fun one with more light moments than usual. 

I read this on flights to and from Rapid City and while I was there, so my focus was maybe a little off and maybe I was sleep-deprived. Still, it held up as an entertaining diversion through that week of fun upheaval. Actually, this is an attempt to explain why I don't recall more of the plot or the story.

I am noticing that Kinsey is a student of the weather. There is lots of time devoted to cloud cover and the weather in Santa Theresa. Interesting...

P.S. I just found this summary in my journal! I wrote this in Rapid City during my visit there, because I couldn't get my computer to connect to the Stevenson's internet... Here it is:

K is for Killer by Sue Grafton

 I'm plowing through these alphabet mysteries with great enjoyment! This was a fascinating one in that Kinsey steps into a night-time schedule. In the course of her investigation of the murder of a porn star and prostitute, she interviews most people involved at night. She becomes a nocturnal person as well, and is definitely changed by the experience. She works on this case alone, with minimal help from her friend Cheney Phillips, a detective she's becomeing acquainted with.

While I enjoyed this story, and there were many interesting characters, there were lots of loose ends that were never wrapped up. It seems to be a pattern with Grafton that when she ends, she ends quickly. We don't get to see any of the players' reactions to the solving of the case. And in this one, it would have been good to know how Lorna's family members reacted to the finding of her murderer. And did Cheney have increased respect for Kinsey's skills after she solved this one? And how were the unknown lawyer and the water department guy connected? I don't think i'm dumb, it was just never cleared up. It's kind of disappointing to not have answers...but maybe that's more like real life? Or maybe I missed a few clues along the way? Not sure. Still, worth the fun of reading, and of course I'm moving ahead to L!

I'm pretty sure I read this one in the 80s when I first discovered this series, but I had no recollection at all of the settings, the plot, or these characters. All brand new to me this time around. Actually, I just noticed this publication date is 1994, I don't recall much of what I read in the 90s either! Oh well... This record may help in the future???