The Poisonwood Bible

My workmate and I are readers. Actually, my team at work are readers. The three of us read. And discuss. And it is absolutely fantastic. It's great when you get a group of people who love books. 

So Millie and I were having a chat today. We're both reading the same thing - Craig Silvey's Honeybee - which is brilliant. Millie has about fifty pages to go, I'm about a quarter the way through. She's good, she will say nothing and not let on about the rest of the book, even if I message her every so often with things like "OMIGOD - I've just met the drag queens!". 

So then the obvious conversation - then what - what comes after Honeybee?

Millie: I think I might start Sofie Laguna's The Choke.

Pandora: Fabulous book. Even more heartbreaking than The Eye of the Sheep.

Millie: I love her work. 

Pandora: Me too. And then you can get onto The Poisonwood Bible...

Millie:  Nooooooo

The Poisonwood Bible is one of those books which seems to divide people. Either you love it or hate it.

I'm in the love it camp. Barbara Kingsolver's wonderous tome of four sisters, daughters of missionaries taken to the Belgian Congo is phenomenal. The voices of the four sisters, Rachel, Leah, Adah and Ruth all different and all enchanting in their own way - and this is the book's strength as it takes the girls from a childhood in a strange land (I can still see the packets of cake mix stuffed up their jumpers). First published in 1998, it was up for the Pulizer Prize the following year.

Thing is, Millie has avoided this book for many, many years. Her copy belonged to her mother, who has passed. Her mother was always at her to read this wonderful book. Millie's mum had taste. 

Then again, I suggested this to Blarney for her other book group she had years ago. It went down like a lead balloon - they couldn't stand it (then again, some of the group then came into my current book group - and they liked THAT CAT BOOK - so what should I expect). 

I've just never come across a book that polarises people quite as much as this  book. Me, I think it's great. Laguna's voice work is extraordinary as you're drawn into the sisters' very different worlds. 

There is the hope that Millie picks this up - as I really want to read this again - last read over twenty years ago, I just want the excuse to delve into amazing place which only fiction can provide. 

Today's Song: