Religion and culture do not always mix. The Poisonwood Bible by Barbara Kingsolver follows the life of the Prices who are a family of missionaries who leave their life in Georgia to spread the gospel to those in the Congo. This book focuses on the family who’s father is a preacher, okie who believes the only right way to live is to become a Christian. This man puts his own family at risk in order to keep up his “god complex” that he portrays. The book allows for a multi narrative which exemplifies the emotions that the characters feel especially the children who face such change at young ages. Culture shock is prevalent in this novel with the ways of the Congo people being completely different than those experiences the family had in Georgia. This book focuses on religion, culture, family, and unfortunately death that comes with living in an area where certain vaccines or preventions are available like that of malaria. Overall, the Poisonwood Bible is an intense and deep book that has many different stories and meanings packed in while evaluating cultures and religion while having scriptural attributes laid within.
