Gli occhi negli alberi (1998)

I put off reading this book for over five years, being drawn to it on one hand by its numerous literary awards as well as for its purported insights into life in post-colonial Central Africa. On the other hand, I kept asking myself if I really wanted to read a book that just might be about the hardships of an American missionary wife and her four daughters sent to the Congo during the 1960's. Reader's reviews didn't settle the case, with a few considering the book long and boring, or somehow insulting to Christianity and / or the foreign policy of the United States, and others describing the book with highest praise. Finally swung by a fairly high cumulative rating by the Goodreads community, I picked up the book, and ultimately found it hard to put down. I found I had nothing to fear from those who's sensibilities dealing with their faith or their politics were somehow offended, for that was far from the case. While true that the unforgiving fire and brimstone preaching Reverend Price was not portrayed as a likable character, other Christian missionaries discussed were characterized as highly effective and likable characters. But those were side issues, for the book isn't about U.S. foreign policy nor about a Baptist mission in the Congo. It's really about the lives of the American missionary family who volunteered to spend a year in Africa. The book is reminiscent in style of another recent popular book, "The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society", in that both stories are told not in a continuous narrative style, but rather in the form of alternating letters or memories of the affected individuals, specifically in this case, the wife of Reverend Price, and her four daughters. As the individual stories were told, the personality, strengths and weaknesses of each was developed, and I became drawn to hear more of the story from each of their perspectives. It seemed that the responses of each of the women represented the wide spectrum of responses possible to hardship and adversity, such as avoidance, acceptance, rebellion, and triumph, as well as an ability to see the world at large and beyond a parochial American viewpoint. The story begins with the family's initial mission in the Congo, and then continues and shows how the time in Africa impacted each of their lives. I thought the book was well researched and presented an accurate portrayal of African life as well as missionary life. And although the responses of each individual cannot be taken as expected nor predictable, they can be considered to inclusive in terms of the types of response one might expect after being uprooted and transported to such a different place and lifestyle. ( )

The Poisonwood Bible: A Novel (Perennial Classics) by Barbara Kingsolver (2005) ( )

This book picked up speed as it went along. I loved the perspective of all the different women, and they all picked up the story at just the right time. The whole book wraps you up in the intense drama of the Price family and the Congo from 1959-onward, though I think I enjoyed the final section the most. This is heart-breaking and thought-provoking fiction at its finest. Tata Jesus is bangala! ( )

It took me a while to get into it. The book is incredibly dense and filled with internal monologues and I didn't quite "get" it. After about 100 pages or so, I was completely hooked. Kingsolver's writing is magical, there's a 50 page section about 3/4s of the way through the book that is so beautifully written, I'm still in awe.

The last 20% of the book or so felt a bit bloated as an extended denouement, but I was still intrigued. I think the reason this is a 4 for me instead of a 4.5 or a 5 is that the core subject isn't as appealing to me. I love historical fiction and learned a lot during the book, but I am terrified of the jungle, the heat, bugs, starving and apex predators like Crocodiles. So naturally, the book itself made me not want to go anywhere near this part of the world and that revulsion hurts the rating a bit. That's not a knock against the book itself, just my own personal preference.

Overall, a very effective novel. I struggled with it early, but the development of the main characters and the depth of knowledge of the Congo/Zaire is staggering. The variety of the narration was extremely effective. And I'll never forget "that" part of the book. In that section, I felt like Kingsolver was like Spielberg in some of his visual shots - so skillful, they just have to show off (in a positive way). ( )

Kingsolver's book is story-telling par excellence. I love the shifting perspectives and the language in the book is beautiful. I felt present while reading the book. The tale is devastating and wonderful: much like Africa. Kingsolver did a particularly successful job at exploring the ambiguous nature of evil and righteousness. Also, an interesting theme of womanhood and repression. Africa stands as a great metaphor for this relationship. The chapter on Orleana's funeral preparations for Ruth May will remain forever stamped on my heart. ( )