The Poisonwood Bible Summary
The Poisonwood Bible tells the story of Orleanna Price and her family, who move to the Congo when Nathan, Orleanna's husband, becomes a missionary.
- Nathan doesn't study or respect the native languages and cultures of the Congo.
- The narrative uses multiple points of view, allowing Orleanna Price and her four daughters—Leah, Ruth, Rachel, and Adah—to relate their own experiences in the Congo.
- After Ruth's death, Orleanna and her surviving daughters abandon Nathan. He is referred to as the "crocodile" by the Congolese, who chase him into a tower and burn him alive at the end of the novel.
Summary
The Poisonwood Bible intricately weaves the tale of the Price family, whose mission to the Congo challenges their beliefs and relationships. Each family member's perspective offers a unique insight into their transformative journey. The narrative unfolds against the backdrop of Congo's political turmoil, revealing the personal and communal struggles faced by the Prices.
Book One: Genesis
Orleanna Price, now residing on Sanderling Island in Georgia, reflects on her family's past in the Congo, speaking to her deceased child. She recalls a cherished picnic afternoon and, despite acknowledging this child as her favorite, pleads for her spirit to let her be. Orleanna's reminiscences set a somber tone, rich with memory and longing.
In 1959, fourteen-year-old Leah recounts the family's arrival in Kilanga, Congo. The Prices departed Bethlehem, Georgia, laden with familiar comforts. Yet, five-year-old Ruth May, discussing segregation back home, asserts that her sisters will not attend school with local children. She candidly admits her mischief and describes Adah, Leah's twin, as brain-damaged and resentful.
Fifteen-year-old Rachel immediately feels out of place, lamenting the absence of her previous privileges upon landing in the Congo. The local villagers greet them with their renditions of Christian hymns, a cultural exchange marred by Nathan's sermon condemning their nakedness. Disturbed, the villagers turn away, some women hastily covering themselves. Dinner with the villagers presents a culinary challenge for the Price daughters, as Orleanna warns them against showing distaste. That first night, Rachel's tears speak to her sense of loss.
Adah offers a vivid portrait of the village, noticing "tired thin women" and remaining silent due to a medical diagnosis of hemiplegia. While Leah discloses their initial fear of venturing outside, their reliance on quinine becomes a daily ritual to fend off malaria. Determined to earn her father's approval, Leah commits to aiding him in cultivating crops for the village.
The children are both fascinated and intimidated by Mama Bekwa Tataba, a local woman who becomes their guide. Leah is surprised by Mama Tataba's disdain for her father's agricultural methods, but she demonstrates the correct planting techniques. Despite this guidance, the rains destroy Nathan's crops.
Nathan's attempt to coax the villagers into baptism through an Easter pageant falls flat. Orleanna wins hearts by serving fried chicken, a gesture that softens some resistance. Meanwhile, Methuselah, a parrot inherited from the former missionary, becomes an unlikely provocateur with its coarse language, much to Nathan's chagrin. He punishes his daughters, mistakenly accusing them of teaching the parrot to swear, unaware it had overheard Orleanna's frustrations.
Nathan employs dynamite in an ill-fated effort to fish, resulting in a bounty too large to consume or preserve. The Price family's struggles with agriculture continue due to a lack of pollinators. A double blow comes with Mama Tataba's departure and Nathan's release of Methuselah. Only later does Nathan learn the villagers' refusal of baptism stems from a tragic crocodile attack the previous year.
Book Two: The Revelation
Orleanna, reflecting on her time in Kilanga, ponders Nathan's increasing rigidity and distance from their family. Leah, absorbing the jungle's splendor, feels it is a paradise. She bonds with Pascal, a village boy who imparts vital survival skills. When Ruth May falls from a tree, she is flown to Stanleyville for medical attention by Eeben Axelroot, a dubious bush pilot.
Anatole, the village's teacher and translator, warns Nathan about Chief Tata Ndu's concerns regarding the villagers' potential abandonment of traditions. Nathan's rigid stance isolates him further, while Anatole, maintaining neutrality, advises Nathan to respect Tata Kuvundundu, the spiritual leader. This comparison to Brother Fowles, who had won the villagers' trust, infuriates Nathan and strains his marriage...
(This entire section contains 1218 words.)
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Nelson, an orphan, joins the Prices for shelter, while Adah observes Anatole's quiet support for Congolese independence. When mistakenly presumed dead by the chief, Adah's survival inadvertently boosts church attendance, much to Nathan's satisfaction and Leah's envy. After an altercation with her father, Leah flees into the jungle.
The Underdowns, financial backers of the mission, urge the Prices to leave amid the Congo's growing instability. Nathan, convinced of divine protection, refuses their advice. As the village suffers from disease, Orleanna's pleas to Nathan to leave fall on deaf ears, even as their stipends cease following the Underdowns' departure.
Book Three: The Judges
Orleanna, reflecting on her wartime experiences, recalls Nathan's harrowing escape from the Bataan Death March. In the Congo, she and Ruth May are stricken with malaria, while the daughters struggle to sustain the family without funds. Leah's disillusionment with Nathan grows as she recognizes his inability to provide for them.
Brother Fowles visits, showcasing a compassionate and respectful approach to the villagers, clashing with Nathan's dogmatic views. His visit brings supplies and a critical view of Nathan's methods, igniting further tension. Tata Ndu's attempt to marry Rachel to avert disaster is thwarted by a false engagement to Axelroot, a ruse that evolves into fondness.
Ruth May, harboring secrets about Axelroot's smuggling, keeps silent under threat. Leah and Anatole's friendship deepens as she teaches at his school, learning about African culture and independence. She begins to hunt to help feed the family, despite the rising hostility towards whites.
News of Lumumba's impending assassination shocks Leah and Adah, revealing the political intrigue surrounding them. A nocturnal ant invasion forces the village to flee, during which Adah is abandoned by Orleanna but later rescued by Anatole. This event solidifies Leah's trust in him, leading to a declaration of love.
Book Four: Bel and The Serpent
Orleanna recounts the U.S.-backed coup that installed Mobutu in power as the villagers vote against converting to Christianity. Leah defies Nathan openly and participates in a critical hunt, showcasing her growing independence. Rachel's clandestine plans to escape escalate, while tensions rise between Leah and the village over her hunting success.
Tata Kuvundu's malevolent act of placing snakes near Nelson results in Ruth May's tragic death. In grief, Orleanna allows the villagers to reclaim their belongings. The family's unity shatters further, setting the stage for their eventual departure.
Book Five: Exodus
After Ruth May's death, Orleanna leads her daughters away from Nathan, leaving him behind. The arduous journey to Leopoldville is marred by illness. In Bulungu, Orleanna pauses to gather strength before continuing with Adah, leaving Leah in Anatole's care.
In 1962, Rachel and Axelroot reside in Johannesburg, while Adah pursues a medical degree in Georgia. By 1964, Leah, hiding in a convent, learns of Nathan's deteriorating condition. Rachel parts ways with Axelroot, finding new hope in a French ambassador.
Adah, overcoming her misdiagnosed condition by 1968, finds solace in her mother's need for her. Leah, visiting Georgia with her husband Anatole and their son, faces her own identity struggles amidst her growing family.
Leah and Anatole's familial ties deepen as their responsibilities in Zaire increase. By 1978, Rachel thrives running a resort in the French Congo, while Leah's fears of Anatole's imprisonment loom large.
Book Six: Son of the Three Children
Rachel's resort flourishes, and Leah, now in Angola, balances teaching with her own health challenges. Orleanna, too, deals with lingering ailments from her time in Africa.
Book Seven: The Eyes in the Trees
Ruth May's voice closes the story, offering forgiveness and urging her family to move forward. Her spirit reassures them, emphasizing the power of memory and reconciliation. The family's search for closure and peace reflects their enduring bond despite the challenges they've faced.
