Recap: The Poisonwood Bible (Part 1)

We had an excellent meeting this past weekend to discuss Books 1-3 of The Poisonwood Bible by Barbara Kingsolver. Our host was Audrey, Carrie's stepmom. It was wonderful to have so many of us all together - and comfortable - in one room!

I was SO IMPRESSED with all the ladies this month. Of the 12 of us who attended (we did have one visitor plus Audrey) everyone read up to - or almost up to - where they were supposed to. And wonder of wonders, EVERYONE liked this book! Personally I thought there would be many who did not so I was pleasantly surprised. :)

We began the discussion with some basic info about the author. The fact that she was born in Annapolis and lives nearby in Virginia made us feel local connection to Kingsolver. Then we moved on to an overview of Books 1-3. We discussed the relationship between the title of each book, the subtitle of each book, and the events that happen within that book. We also contrasted the verse at the start of each book with what happens at the end of each book.

From there we talked a bit about the characters themselves, their outlook on the world, and the meanings behind their names. We discussed how Leah begins to change in Book 3. During the character discussion, Carrie pointed out that although each of the 5 women telling the story has her own distinct voice, Rachel and Ruth May sound very much alike. We decided that had a lot to say about Rachel's maturity level! Annette brought up Rachel's actions during the ant raid. The way she stuck out her elbows and let the crowd carry her really symbolized her way of going through life.

Other big topics included Biblical themes, contrasting cultures, stereotypes, and the idea of balance. We touched on Adah's use of palindromes (everyone found that fascinating) and her fascination with the poet Emily Dickinson. This book is fun and entertaining yet dark and haunting all at once. Everyone agreed that it has many levels that open up world's of discussion!

We talked for about 2 hours straight and I didn't have to remind anyone to keep on track. Everyone was very involved in the discussion and contributed a variety of ideas and opinions. Two members are doing the audio version this time and both are heartily enjoying it! They say the narrator does an excellent job changing her voice to portray the 5 women.

We'll conclude our discussion at our next meeting on April 19. Bev gets to choose our next book and she's started looking already!

Just before our meeting closed, Joan gave everyone a copy of The Memory Keeper's Daughter by Kim Edwards. She's been picking them up from the thrift store every chance she gets and finally had enough to give one to each member of the club. This is the book Joan plans to choose when her turn comes up in a few months. What a cool idea - thanks Joan!