The Poisonwood BibleThe Poisonwood Bible
Score Modern
What it's about
In 1959 Nathan Price, a fierce Baptist preacher from Georgia, takes his wife and four daughters to a village in the Belgian Congo to save souls. They bring cake mixes and seeds, and everything goes wrong. As the Congo moves toward independence and political upheaval, the mother and daughters tell the story in turn, each changed in a different way by Africa and by Nathan.
Why it's worth reading
It was a Pulitzer finalist and was voted onto the BBC's Big Read. Each of the five narrators has a distinct voice, and it's a powerful story about family, faith and America's role in Africa.
You'll love it if you liked
Demon Copperhead
The Orphan Master's Son
Out of AfricaGood to know
It's long, and Adah's chapters are full of wordplay. A tragedy midway changes everything.
By the numbers
- Readers66 out of 100 · counts 42%
- Critics49 out of 100 · counts 14%
- Bestseller57 out of 100 · counts 34% (its stronger lane)
- Buzz0 out of 100 · counts 10%
Critics and Bestseller are two ways to earn a place: a book's stronger one counts more. Buzz rewards recent bestseller weeks and prizes, so older books start at zero. The parts combine into the Must-Read Score, shown on a scale where the best book we found scores 99 and the last book to make the ranking scores 50.
Where it ranks
- #52 of the 116 historical novels we rank
- #288 of the 1,573 modern books we rank
- #576 of the 2,816 books we rank
Why it made the list
Reads as
Moving
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Quick answers
Is The Poisonwood Bible worth reading?
Yes. It was a Pulitzer finalist and was voted onto the BBC's Big Read. It ranks #576 of the 2,816 books in our ranking, with a Must-Read Score of 77.5 (the best book we found scores 99).
What is The Poisonwood Bible about?
In 1959 Nathan Price, a fierce Baptist preacher from Georgia, takes his wife and four daughters to a village in the Belgian Congo to save souls. They bring cake mixes and seeds, and everything goes wrong. As the Congo moves toward independence and political upheaval, the mother and daughters tell the story in turn, each changed in a different way by Africa and by Nathan.
How long does it take to read The Poisonwood Bible?
About 14 hours (545 pages), or about 4 weeks at 30 minutes a day.
What should I read after The Poisonwood Bible?
If you liked it, try Demon Copperhead by Barbara Kingsolver, The Orphan Master's Son by Adam Johnson or Out of Africa by Isak Dinesen.