Rating: 
Summary: A Little Preachy
Review: I thought the book was good and would have given it 5 stars, except that I felt it was a little too preachy and anti-american. Rachel's stupidity didn't bother me as much as most of the time I felt I was being forced to sway my belief of how I feel about our great country. I also felt she droned on way too long after they left the Congo. A short synopsis of what happened to them down the line would have sufficed. Instead it just kept going on and on for chapters that never seemed to end. It just wasn't necessary.
Rating: 
Summary: One of the Masterpieces of Our Time!
Review: This book is definitley one everyone should read once a lifetime. It is beutiful, witty and deep yet surprisingly easy to read!I thought this book would be one of the more challenging I have read, and I put off reading it for a few months after I got it- but I wished I hadn't. The story was unbelievably touching, the character devolpment extraordinary and zealous- How much I wanted to reach out and just spend ONE DAY with these girls. Kinglsover is a genius writer and I can't read to read the next one of her books on my list. The theme, timeless and tireless- was the backbone of such a spectacular work of literary art. I am sure that future generations will look back on this as a masterpiece of our time and being read in Highscool English Classes.
Rating: 
Summary: Enjoyable, until the end
Review: Kingsolver has written a beautiful book of women's voices. I believe she handles the different voices of her characters very well, skillfully showing us the different impact the experience of the Congo had on each, and how it shaped their lives. Like others, I enjoyed the book until Ms. Kingsolver switched from story to political diatribe. I believe she conveyed the political situation well through the characters earlier and that her final chapters were simply preaching as if we, like Nathan's congregation, just didn't get it.....so she decided to pound it into our heads, much like Nathan's final "baptizism" of the children. Ironic, huh?
Rating:
Summary: May be thick but easy to read in "spurts"
Review: This wonderful story written from the perspective of a mother and her daughters is a must read! As a reader who only has the time to read books in bits and pieces, this story was easy to "keep up with" despite its thickness and finding places to bookmark for a later date was easy (no having to bookmark in the middle of a long chapter).
Rating:
Summary: Beautifully written
Review: This is a powerful, moving novel about a family's undoing at the hands of their near-fanatic, envangelist preacher father. The Congo stays with them, literally and figuratively, and they are never the same as a result of the journey they make. This is a story of struggle, of faith, and of change.
Rating:
Summary: Best Book Ever!
Review: I am an avid reader and I put this book way up there with Gone With the Wind, which I was reading in the delivery room in 1974. I couldn't put either book down. I know that this author spent 4 years researching for and writing this book. She wanted it to be historically factual and I believe it was. This is what made the book so great. I could picture being there in Africa with this missionary family and could relate to all their trials and tribulations, but better yet, I got a real lesson on what the US role was in helping the Congo become "free" and how in reality "we" sordidly raped this land and violated the peoples living there. You don't want to miss reading this book. I was surprised and disappointed that it doesn't have 5 stars, because it should really have 10!
Rating:
Summary: Jungle-thick
Review: This is definitely NOT a beach read. I found this book difficult to get through, only because I was afraid I would miss a nuance. Perhaps the most wonderful thing about this book is how well all of the characters are developed: it's hard to believe that one woman wrote basically journal entries for four very different women and so skillfully maintained their individual personalities. I wouldn't recommend this for someone who is looking for mindless entertainment. This book is really food for thought. I'd give it 5 stars except there are a few places where it drags and maybe belabors a point just a tiny bit.
Rating:
Summary: This is my favorite book of the past year!
Review: The depth, quiet humor, and fabulous writing of this book make it fascinating all the way through!
Rating:
Summary: Excellent But Too Long
Review: Barbara Kingsolver is a brilliant writer, no question, and "The Poisonwood Bible" is her crowning achievment to date, although it goes on a bit too long for its own good. Kingsolver deftly alternates among five points of view: the wife and four daughters of an over-zealous, fanatical minister who find themselves dragged to the Belgian Congo as it teeters on the brink of war. Their voices are distinct and their experiences paint a panorama of dramas played out in a foreign world where their pasts have not prepared them for what's to come. The book is at its best during the first three quarters of the story as a terrible tragedy serves as the last straw for mother and daughters. Its during the book's final chapters that it loses steam. The girls grow up and the mother finds a new life back in the U.S., abandoning father and husband to the jungle he's determined to drag into the light of Christianity. Suddenly this engaging novel becomes a politcal manifesto of sorts, and it's quite obvious Kingsolver is using her characters as mouthpieces for her strong yet very valid personal views. I found it hard to believe these girls would grow into these women. Still, the final chapter is poetic and brilliantly written. This is well worth a read, even the political passages which are beautifully written. "The Poisonwood Bible" is an important book, and Kingsolver a great author.
Rating:
Summary: This is truly one of the best books I've ever read
Review: I started reading this book on the train on my way to and from work and I looked forward to it all day. In my opinion, Barbara Kingsolver used each of the characters (Rachel, Leah, Adah and Orleanna) to exemplify different ways that people deal with tragedy. Although Ms. Kingsolver may have used the book as a sounding board for her views of the political history of Africa, I see nothing wrong with that - I believe the book may have encouraged people (such as myself) to learn more about Africa's history and people. All in all, I would highly recommed it to anyone who enjoys good literature - but be careful if you read it while you're on the train; you may miss your stop!
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