Set in Africa, this book was one of my favorites because of the different characters telling their stories. It will bring up many discussion points and is tragic and beautiful.

well written and captivating!

This book is well written and details a life that I would otherwise not be privvy to. It rich prose encapsulates the spirit as well as the mind.

I loved about 2/3 of this book. It seemed like the last third was really unnecessary. We had a good discussion about it although we were trying to keep the ending a secret for one of our members that didn't quite finish it in time.

It’s about a missionary family located in the Congo in the 1960s. The father is obsessed. The four daughters are all very individual. They do not fit in very well in the village where they are located, especially the father who doesn’t even try to learn about local customs.
I especially liked Leah because what you saw is what you got and I liked her maturing process. She went from idolizing her father to seeing and calling it as it was. I also enjoyed getting into the different sister's personalities: Rachel was extremely self-centered and Adah was in her own little world where people didn't realize how smart she was.
This took me a long time to read, not because it was boring but because I had it in the car and I didn’t have a lot of waiting time this year.
I liked the book but it was harder to read than some books.
Addendem: 4/17/05: Skimmed this book again for reading group in Moscow. Also read Books Rags and Spark Notes. We really got more into the corollaries between the missionary family and the fight for independence in the Congo.

Why Oprah? WHY? F- Very boring, I had to stop mid way couldnt take it anymore..

The best of Barbara Kingsolver's books. Richly written, compelling plot. Once you start this you will not be able to put it down.

why the family continued following Nathan Price.

The consensus was that we liked this book very much and would recommend it to other individuals and book clubs. It was a better book than the other Kingsolver book (The Bean Trees) which our book club had read, although Kingsolver really had some trouble with character development and with maintaining a consistent and believable “voice” for each of the characters.
Of course, no one liked Nathan all thought that, even in 1959, they would have struck out alone rather than remaining married to him in either the USA or the Congo! Of course, this led us to discuss how things have changed – and not – for women since the late ‘50’s / early 60’s. We recalled other husband and father figures-who-were-preachers in other books we have read as a club – March and Wicked. These men did not get our vote as desirable spouses and/or fathers.
The many beautiful sections where Orleanna was reminiscing were enjoyable both for reading and for reflection, being described as “almost poetic”. The unfair way in which Western nations plundered Africa, and the connections to real historical events (like the Cassius Clay fight) also led to some lively discussion.

I did not enjoy this book at all, and it wasn't because it wasn't well written. It was because it was way too long. The author could've have told this story in a much shorter book. She would have been able to cover the same themes and introduce the characters just as thoroughly and she could have done it in a much more concise manner. It's a shame too because from a literary point there were many sections of the book that were a pleasure to read. But the topics kept getting told again, and again and again. I could barely finish this story. It's a real shame!

This book was a great selection. Several of our club members are related so anything with familial relationships always strikes a chord. After weeks of animated meetings, our discussions did seem to stall towards the end of the novel. We agreed it's fantastic, but may have exceed its natural ending.

Also the new material at the back of the book was enjoyable.

One of my all time favorites!

I absolutely LOVED this book.. Barbara Kingslover is a brilliant writer.. her use of imagery to describe africa and the atmosphere that the Price family dealth with was beautiful.. she intertwines the themes of political and cultural divides between the Western World and the Congo by creating a perfect microcosm within the african village where the Price family lives..

The book is written through the eyes of the 4 young Price daughters where you go through the first arrival in the Congo to their final escape and the impact it took on their lives..

This really is a MUST-READ for any book clubs out there.. there is SO MUCH to talk about in this book..

Kingsolver's ability to write in the voice of each of the female characters with such clarity and distinction is a marvel. The story is complex and rich and compelling. Her writing is beautiful, full of the kind of imagery that takes you right there, draws you in and captivates you.

Characters were very detailed emulating the typical stereotype representing age group, sex, and family role of the late 50's early 60's. Absolutely aweful story for the first half, hard to read a book when you are told up from one of the characters dies! Once that death occured the story finally took off. Character development was very intricate. Author seemed to put a lot of research material into story development.

Very complicated. Last third dragged quite a bit. A very involved story--good for a book club that likes very complicated books to analyze.

Half the group finished the book; half didn't. Most that didn't said that the book droned on and the writing didn't appeal to them. One whole section (or book) we thought was unnecessary to the story. Just a lot of political rambling regarding the country; which you could get the gist of just by reading the rest of the book. Or the author could have incorporated that into the book in small bites. You were definitely made to feel that this was a 'life story' book with every descriptive detail and explanation given. Depending on what you like; that is good or bad! It is not a book to be devoured in one sitting; rather sipped slowly over days.

There's nothing I can say about this book that probably hasn't aready been said a hundred times. A modern classic by one of the most gifted authors alive today. A perfectly realized account of one family's incredible trials, mistakes, tragedies and ultimate redemption. A book that I will continue to read every few years, because I always get something new from it. It's epic in scale, yet the author lavishes even the smallest details with breathtaking attention. Long live Barbara Kingsolver!

Really enjoyed it despite the length, thank goodness for book clubs!

Only one of our Book Club members was able to get through the entire book for our meeting. I made it about 17%...after I saw that there were 4 pages of description on the house they were living in, I gave up. The girl in our group who did read the book explained what happened, and it seemed like it was interesting. The book was just too slow for me. I think this author in particular is really into minute details, and I am not. I like stories to move. This just was not a good fit for our book club.

I will admit, this book probably could have been about 100-150 pages shorter than it was. As the only person I know who did not like "Cutting For Stone" because of this very reason, I typically am annoyed by unnecessary prose. But Kingsolver's writing is so beautiful, not only do I forgive her for her long-windedness, I am glad for it.

The Poisonwood Bible is told from five alternating viewpoints. A mother and her four daughters as they follow the patriarch of their family from 1960s Georgia to the Congo on a one year journey to try to save the lost souls of the Congolese. Nathan Price is a Baptist Preacher who finds enough comfort in knowing that God will protect them in their journey that he puts his and his family's lives at risk to pursue what he believes is God's will.

The foreshadowing in story propelled me forward in my desire to find out what would happen. Unfortunately once we did arrive at the point the story seemed to be heading the entire time, the book still went on for more than 100 pages. The resolution was a bit drawn out. But again, I cannot really complain because the author's writing is so captivating that I ate up every word. I cared enough about the daughters that I wanted to know what happened into their adult lives and how their experiences in the Congo during an incredibly tumultuous time politically would impact who they became. For some, it completely changes them. For others, it does nothing.

The author truly does an amazing job of creating five distinct voices. The reader could pick up the book almost anywhere and know who is speaking after reading one or two paragraphs without even seeing the name at the beginning of that section. They are extremely different women with extremely different voices and that made this book even more enjoyable to read.

Everyone in my book club that read the book enjoyed it. Some more than others. But we did have plenty to talk about and probably could have gone on longer.

An amazing, captivating story. One of my all time favorite books!

got about half way through, no interest in characters or what happens to them

Although some enjoyed this book, many of us did not get through this one. Sad story.

There were so many roads to travel in this book for discussion, we just couldn\\\'t get to them all. The writing is so wonderful, I had to stop highlighting the phrases I loved and the concepts I wanted to discuss because there were simply too many. A book about family relationships, how choices made today affect all our tomorrows as well as the tomorrows of those around us, with a history lesson about the African Congo as a backdrop. It\\\'s not the easiest read, but it is worth it.

I really cannot say that I liked this book. The first 150 pages or so were very slow. I loved the middle section of the book but the last 1/3 of the book was excruciating to read. It felt more like a documentary than historical fiction; facts added to the characters names but it wasn\\\'t cohesive. I disliked all the characters by the end of the book and the story. Kudos to the author for her descriptive details and placing us in Africa and the environment.

I think that this book gives a good insight into the character of Americans as seen by people of other cultures. It also has a good deal of accurate research on the conditions in "the Congo" during the time just before its "revolution." The book is long, and it can become tedious if the reader is not sufficiently engaged in the dynamics of the lives of the characters.

A contemporary domestic tragedy that took place over 40 years. Missionaries in Africa against all odds with an insane patriarch. Written from 5 points of view (the mother and 4 daughters) it tells a story that is very difficult to endure. While I enjoyed the book, the other members of my book club did not. It was very long and just a sad story.

Just could not get into it. Thought I would but did not. Characters fairly unbelievable and cliched.

What I love about good historical fiction is that you learn history while being entertained with an interesting story. The Poisonwood Bible did not disappoint and had the added bonus of being insightful.