Kingsolver, B. (1998). The poinsonwood bible. New York: HarperTorch.

08/04/08 to 10/11/08
****
The plot was compelling from the beginning, but I really had a hard time liking any of the characters in the book for the first 100 pages. This book tells the story of a family (father, mother, and four daughters) of missionaries who go to the Belgian Congo and are caught up in the transition to independence. From the first it was apparent that no one in the family was really prepared for what they would face in the Congo either in the way of poverty or the culture. Over time I became more and more caught up in rooting for the women of the story and applauding the resourcefulness they demonstrate as things deteriorate more and more. One thing that didn't change was my annoyance with the father in the story. I think it reinforced how so often religion is a vehicle for the individual's needs as opposed to a way of improving the society as a whole. The perspective shifted between each of the daughters, and occasionally the mother, and the style of writing varied greatly depending upon whose perspective you were placed in. I almost couldn't stand the voices of the oldest and youngest daughters (Rachel and Ruth May), I was relatively indifferent to the middle daughter, Leah's voice. But Leah's twin sister, Adah, was written with such remarkable lyricism, as was the mother, Orleanna that they more than made up for any deficits in the others. I was reminded of an interview I heard where someone mentioned that sometimes when we read we simply have our own point of view repeated back to us, while other times we read and are able to take a dramatically different point of view from our own. The first is a much more comfortable experience, but I felt like I was able to accomplish the latter with this book.