Title: The Poisonwood Bible
Author: Barbara Kingsolver
Publisher: HarperTorch, HarperCollins
Publishing Date: 1998
ISBN: 0-06-051282-2
Format: paperback
Pages: 650
Price: Cad$10.99

Reviewed by J. C. Hall

It is 1959 and the African Congo will soon undergo an explosive political upheaval as the Congolese strain under years of Belgian rule. Into this precarious situation, a bible-bashing evangelical Baptist preacher, Nathan Price, brings his family, uprooting his wife and four young daughters from their settled existence in suburban Georgia to spread the word of God amongst the native Congolese.

Their utter unpreparedness for this radical transformation is shown in the first line of the novel: 'We came from Bethlehem, Georgia, bearing Betty Crocker cake mixes into the jungle.' Reading this first line again gives me the not entirely inappropriate image of lambs being led to the slaughter.

The novel chronicles the family's remarkable sojourn in a little Congolese village, the story being told from the points of view of all four daughters and their mother. Price alone is not granted a point of view, but we get to know him very well indeed, through the eyes of his daughters and the memories of his wife.

With his own personal axe to grind, Price is intent on one and only one thing-to baptize the children and adults of the village where they're staying, to save their savage souls for the glory of his God, no matter that they have gods of their own, no matter that they're terrified of being dunked by him in the crocodile-infested river that runs through their village. Price's God must be appeased by this show of devotion, or perhaps it is Price himself who must be appeased.

When the political situation in the Congo becomes untenable, and other missionaries flee, Price insists on remaining. It's certainly not courage that makes him stay, risking the lives of his wife and children. It is the sheer cussedness of the man, his ego, and perhaps his belief in a last chance for his own redemption.

His wife, brow-beaten over the years, tries unsuccessfully to shield her children, but it is not till tragedy strikes that she takes the huge step of leaving him on his own, and tries to make her way out of the country, daughters in tow.

The dissolution of a family is set against the dissolution of a country. After all, an uncaring, egotistical patriarch can be a father or a colonial ruler-both can cause ruin and destruction. While the story itself is pure fiction, the politics depicted are not. Kingsolver considers herself a political activist and her indictment of Western countries (Belgium and the United States in particular) in their treatment of the Congo and the Congolese comes across very strongly indeed. When a so-called Third World Country is blessed with natural reserves such as diamonds, it is a given that so-called First World Countries will come a'knocking on the door. This is no news to anyone who understands the ramifications of the term 'colonialism'. But Kingsolver has managed to convey her anger and indignation in the eminently readable format of a novel that is at once compelling, heart-breaking, and unforgettable.

This novel works on many levels. It is the heartbreaking story of a mother's love, her choices and her redemption. It is a coming-of-age story of young girls caught up in a time and place not of their own choosing. It is a cautionary tale of what could happen if we do not respect other cultures, religions, and beliefs. It is a political indictment of colonial rule that is little more than blatant exploitation of a country and its people.

Lovingly furnished with a biblical structure, with a bibliography spanning pages, The Poisonwood Bible is a stunning literary achievement, all at once a soaring magnum opus and a simple parable. Kingsolver the political activist is principled; Kingsolver the novelist is pure genius.

(5 out of 5)

J.C. Hall is the author of the fantasy novels 'Legends of the Serai' and 'Lady of the Lakes'. The sequel to Lady of the Lakes will be published by Zumaya Publications. Her poems have appeared in various fantasy magazines while her non-fiction writing includes book reviews and travel articles. To read some of her poems, reviews, and free excerpts from her novels, visit her website at http://www.jc-hall.com