Bookclub

This month's book is The Poisonwood Bible by Barbara Kingsolver. My delightful sister, Erin, picked it out. Do be sure to go visit her and see what she has to say!

I found the book to be both engaging and bothersome.

I was immediately drawn into the plot, as is told by the daughters of Baptist missionary parents. It was interesting to read completely different accounts of the exact same experience. Each daughter has their own personality, some being polar opposites of others. The best (and by far the hardest) chapters to read were the ones written from Adah's point of view. She was crippled from birth, in body but most definitely not in mind. There were times I had to re-read sentences, just to understand exactly what she was saying. Very intellectually challenging... at least for this old Mama!

The other aspect I enjoyed was of the explanations of the African way of life. I found it fascinating. At first, it was more of a horrifed fascination, the way one might ogle over a train wreck. After awhile, though, I started to develop an appreciation for the African way of life. I don't think I could ever survive there, but I could begin to see and understand how backwards our society would seem to them. And maybe even envy a return to a time where a person is more connected to the land they live on, and not so dependent on convenience items.

Then I promptly kissed my washing machine and paid homage to my stove.

:)

The bothersome parts had to do with their insufferable Preacher-Father. He was your typical hot-headed idiotic prideful bastard. Of course he moves his entire family to Africa against the wishes of the Baptist Community, and then doesn't have the presence of mind to actually learn about the culture or how to farm.... Instead, he truly believes that he knows the best way to do things and proceeds to tell all the villagers what they should do. Of course, none of this works out for him. His wife and daughters finally leave him, he is run out of the village, and ends up dying a horrible death.

The heroes of the story seem to be those who can mix religion with pagan custom, and anyone associated with the Communists. (there is an overriding political commentary about independence for the Congo and all that entails) Bible thumpers and Americans are portrayed as overbearing imbeciles that just want to flush out all the natural resources from the Congo and leave the rest to rot.

I'm sure a lot of this may be true, but I highly doubt the Communists wanted the Congo because of the people... but maybe I'm just too skeptical.

The story I wish I could hear? Barbara Kingsolver's. She actually spent a good number of years in the Congo with her parents:

I thank Virginia and Wendell Kingsolver, especially, for being different in every way from the parents I created for the narrators of this tale. I was the fortunate child of medical and public-health workers, whose compassion and curiosity led them to the Congo.They brought me to a place of wonders,taught me to pay attention, and set me early on a path of exploring the great, shifting terrain between righteousness and what's right.

And even though, at the end of the day, Ms. Kingsolver and I may not see eye-to-eye on many things, I am intrigued enough to hear her experience. Hers is the story I'd love to read.

:)