The Poisonwood Bible Notes

The Poisonwood Bible
By Barbara Kingsolver

Characters:
Nathan Price is a Baptist minister who has a strict code that he lives by, he is also very self-serving. Orleanna Price is Nathans wife and used to be carefree but then was beaten out of her by her husbands views. Rachael Price is their daughter who is very materialistic and good looking. Leah Price is another daughter who idolizes her father until she starts into the political environment. Adah Price is Leah's twin and was born with "hemiplegia" which makes it so she can't use the left side of her body. Eeben Axelroot is a mercenary that only delivers mail if he gets a bride from Nathan. He also has a fake marriage with Rachael.
Story:
Nathan Price drags his wife and daughters into the Congo to help people. Nathan starts by making a garden called his "demonstration garden" to show how to make a garden and supply food to his family. It never supplied any fruit though because there were no bees or anything that could pollinate the plants. Nathan's helper Mama Tataba leaves because of how much he insisted on baptizing people. Nobody wants to be baptized because of a recent crocodile that killed a little girl. Nathan is unwilling to give up even though the teacher Tata Ndu says that Christianity will lead to the moral decline of his people. Nathan still clings to his mission even though the Congo is about to become independent and will probably clear the country of its westerners. Nathan refuses to leave and his wife become bedridden leaving his daughters to make food for themselves. Orleanna tries to get her daughters out by bribing the mercanary but he wont unless he gets paid before he takes them. A drought hits Kilanga and so they make a really big hunt for food. Leah is a great shot and wants to join in the hunt and she does even though some people think it will change the order of the world by having a woman join a hunt. Anatole has an evil sign outside his hut along with a poisonous mamba next to him when he wakes up. Nelson finds an evil sign outside his hut after the hunt and so they put ashe outside of the hut to catch the person who is placing the snakes. The footprints are of a six-toed person of Tata Kuvundu. The snake slithers out and on its way kills Ruth May. With the commotion of Ruth's death Orleanna takes her daughters out of the town. Adah and Orleanna make it to Georgia while Rachael marries three men one of which owns a hotel. Leah stays in the Congo with Anatole and they have 4 sons while they try to create independence for African Nations. Orleanna is filled with guilt and then is forgiven by Ruth May.
My Thoughts:
This book was interesting about the African world. I was not that entertained though because to me it was just another boring English book that I needed to read over the summer.