Poisonwood Bible

I recently finished The Poisonwood Bible by Barbara Kingsolver. It's incredibly well-written and very interesting, as it ties in true historical events from the Congo with a fictional American family who serve there as missionaries.

Kingsolver has created a tale that is told from the perspectives of the five women in this family - the mother and her four daughters. Each chapter is narrated by one of them, alternating so the reader hears certain events from multiple views. The daughters range in age from six to sixteen, so each one has her own unique style of speaking, mistaken phrases and issues to sort through. I highly recommend this book to anyone who appreciates intriguing writing styles and story lines.

Two of my favorite quotes from the novel:

"To live is to be marked. To live is to change, to acquire the words of a story, and that is the only celebration we mortals really know. In perfect stillness...I've found only sorrow." p. 385 (italics are added)

"We constructed our lives around a misunderstanding, and if I ever tried to pull it out and fix it now, I would fall flat. Misunderstanding is my cornerstone...Illusions mistaken for truth are the pavement under our feet. They are what we call civilization." p. 532