Rating: 
Summary: Unforgettable.
Review: My daughter turned me onto the book by saying it was the best book she had read in years. We don't normally share the same taste in books, but I tried it because I had loved Animal Dreams, the only other book I've read of Ms. Kingsolver's. I absolutely loved Poisonwood. It did what a book is supposed to do; it made me want to know more about the subject matter. I found my thoughts returning to the book for days after finishing it. The voices were an engaging and unique way of telling the story. I have a new respect for Barbara Kingsolver's writing, though I don't know how she will top this one.
Rating:
Summary: My favorite book this year.
Review: I was so pleased with "Poinsonwood". I have read all her other books and can't remember their plots, but this one will be unforgettable, I know. I wasn't able to identify with any of the characters exactly, but I guess most women are somewhere between Leah and Rachel. I liked Rachel best, but thought she would have been a completely different person had she been able to have children so I forgave a lot of her selfishness. I really liked the commentary on motherhood, by the way, which was a very important theme in this book, I felt. I know it has been in all her books, but it seemed to stand out more in this book. I'm going to recommend this book for my bookclub.I have appreciated reading those reviews of people who have lived in the Congo. I hope to see more of them forthcoming.
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Summary: Complex, exhausting and fabulous!!
Review: Thank you Ms. Kingsolver for a moving experience. I know this is just a novel, but I was so moved by the characters and the country and the beauty of the writing, that I won't soon forget the Price family or their African experience. I kept calling my sister long-distance to read her something I just couldn't wait to share.
Rating: 
Summary: Disappointing
Review: Kingsolver is ambitious in undertaking a novel of such depth and scope. This book, however, fails to live up to the high expectations I've set for her work. The last hundred pages drag and the interesting tale is lost somewhere along the way.
Rating:
Summary: Without a doubt, my favorite book ever!
Review: Kingsolver's latest novel, I feel, is destined to be referred to as a classic. The story, character development and beautiful use of language makes this my favorite novel ever. I've recommended it to many friends who have been equally impressed.
Rating:
Summary: One of the best novels I have read
Review: The Poisonwood Bible is an extraordinary book at so many levels. At the level of plot, it is absorbing. As a critique of United States policy in Africa in the l960's, it is both illuminating and devastating. Kingsolver's ability to maintain and juggle the five separate voices of the narrative, and to create memorable and compelling subordinate characters, is wonderful. And the writing is so extraordinary; I have seldom if ever read a novel in which I reread so many passages, simply for the joy of reexperiencing the richness of the language and its expression. The Poisonwood Bible is one of the very best novels of the decade.
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Summary: A Daring Novel
Review: Barbara Kingsolver takes big risks with this novel, spreading the points of view among four children and one woman. Sometimes it works beautifully and she is able to convey vividly their different perceptions of the Congo, the missionary zeal, international politics, and the dismantling of a family. Sometimes, it's hard to believe the point of view of the five year old, but it's exciting to see the author experiment and bring the story alive, keep the reader focused and involved, even with the rapid shifting of viewpoints. All I can say, one novelist to another, is Bravo Barbara! Well -done!
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Summary: This book moves Barbara Kingsolver's work to a new level.
Review: I feel Barbara Kingsolver's strengths have always been characterization and plot. This is a 500+ word page-turner. Two features of this book, I feel, take Kingsolver's work to a new level: the depth of her research into the politics and indigenous cultures of the Congo/Zaire from the 1950's to the present time impressed me as did her skill in presenting her narrative in four different voices which change as the characters age. Ms. Kingsolver also skillfully presents, as she has in her previous books, southern U.S.A. culture embodied in the Baptist missionary Price family.
Rating:
Summary: Even better than Pigs In Heaven!
Review: The depth of insight Kingsolver's novel displays in regard to mother-daughter and sibling relationships is astounding. As one of five daughters who vied for individual maternal attention while a child, and as a mother now of four mid-to-late adolescents, I know that Kingsolver's novel tells it like it is (or was) for anyone of similar circumstances, despite the setting of his or her childhood. Nevertheless, the story of the Congo's struggle for independence was an appropriate though poignant backdrop. Read the book, and then ask yourself these questions. What child would you choose to save if faced with the dilemma? When or when is not 'the marriage' or 'the children' or 'her' needs or 'hers' more important than one's own needs? What impact do childhood experiences have on the adult psyche? What is the quality of your own relationships with your adult siblings? This book was so tremendously insightful--a female survival story. My 17-year old daughter, a huge reader of Dosteovsky and Kaye Gibbons, began reading the novel over my shoulder and was instantly hooked. My book kept disappearing on me! We had a great time discussing the novel's plot, characterization, and symbolism. Thank you, Barbara Kingsolver, for this great novel. Oprah, have you looked at this one?
Rating:
Summary: Unbelievable and Inspiring
Review: I have read everything that Kingsolver has ever written and The Poisonwood Bible is not only her most ambitious but also her best. I read the book four months ago and I still can't get the Price family out of my head. They deserve to go down in history as one of the compelling and great families of American fiction.
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