Book Review of The Poisonwood Bible by Barbara Kingsolver

I was surprised by how much I loved this book. A missionary family (a controlling, bible-thumping minister, his wife and four daughters) embarks on a journey deep into the heart of the Congo. Beautifully written, Kingsolver uses the very distinct voices of each daughter to tell the story of their experiences. The entire novel is almost poetic, and although there were parts I didn't love (some of the end gets a bit slow), I found myself anxious to see what the next chapter would contain. I've never read a book so tapestry-like, with each chapter as a thread. We read this for our book club, and I think it's a great novel for that type of setting.

No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency by Alexander McCall Smith

If you haven't yet discovered this series, it's time you did. My wonderful Grandma Alma, who served two LDS missions to Africa, got me hooked on these books. Written (by a man, I might add!) from the perspective of Precious Ramotswe, a self-appointed female detective, they are set in Botswana, Africa.

What I love most about this series is the taste it gives you of every day life in Africa. From the beautiful style of speaking to the pumpkin soup and bush tea, each page contains little pearls of wisdom. The people are courteous (or at least expected to be so), life is slower, and there is a respect for humanity and nature that emanates from the pages. But it is far from boring! Each book has a key mystery to solve and several minor ones along the way, but you find yourself enjoying the culture and wisdom every bit as much as the mystery.

*Disclaimer: The very first book (and only the first--there are 10 all together) has a chunk in the middle that I remember being inappropriate--the only thing I've objected to in the whole series.

Here are all the books in the series (so far):

The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency
Tears of the Giraffe
Morality for Beautiful Girls
The Kalahari Typing School for Men
The Full Cupboard of Life
In the Company of Cheerful Ladies
Blue Shoes and Happiness
The Good Husband of Zebra Drive
The Miracle at Speedy Motors
Tea Time for the Traditionally Built
The Double Comfort Safari

How can you not love books with names like that?

Daniel Deronda by George Eliot

This is a book that is perhaps not for everyone, but I found it incredibly fascinating. I don't agree with George Eliot's personal life, but her books are suprisingly moralistic. She delves deeply into human character and portrays all walks of life--well, of English life, but then that's my favorite . . .

Eliot (whose real name was Mary Anne Evans) wrote this as her final novel. She touches on some pretty serious issues prevalent in late 1800's England: the treatment of Jews in society, the position of women, and the social standing of illigitimate children. It takes a while to read, and if you don't have the time, then can I beg you to watch the excellent movie version? It is very well-done by my favorite screenwriter, Andrew Davies (who has the 6-hour Pride & Prejudice, Little Dorrit, and many other beautiful movies to his credit), and stars a talented cast. Davies always follows the books closely, so it's almost as good as reading it. Almost . . .

The Guernsey Literary Potato Peel Pie Society by Mary Ann Shaffer & Annie Barrows

This is a very fun, entertaining, clean book. Sometimes it's nice to have a book like that--a "'tweener" to read in between heftier books. I found it very refreshing and hard to put down. It's an epistolary novel (aren't you proud of me for knowing that word?), which means it's written in letter form. Usually I'm not too keen on that type of book (Anne of Windy Poplars was the hardest of the Anne of Green Gables series for me to get through), but this one doesn't drag on like some.

Set in a little-known chunk of World War II history--the German occupation of Guernsey Island, off the coast of France--it contains a bit of mystery and romance--just enough to keep you turning pages. There is so much about World War II that is difficult to swallow, but this book focused on making the most of a difficult time, and perhaps that's why I enjoyed it so much. After all, isn't that what we are all aiming for?

Wives and Daughters by Elizabeth Gaskell

Being a huge fan of Charles Dickens, it follows that I would like anyone he was a fan of. Elizabeth Gaskell was a contemporary and friend of Dickens, and even published her stories in his magazine, Household Words. He called her, "my dear Scheherezade," and what a fitting name! Gaskell draws you in: I have to quote this website because Jenny someone-or-other completely sums it up:

"At 688 pages, it was an investment of time, one of those really long Victorian novels you have to get stuck into before it gets rolling, and at first, the minutiae of Molly Gibson’s 'everyday story' did seem a bit dull.

"But about a quarter of the way into the book, I realized I was hooked. In a way, this novel reminded me of Middlemarch. This was not so much a book about will-he-or-won’t-he-marry-her. This was more a book about he-married-her-and-now-what? Dr. Gibson makes his ill-matched marriage, and both families must live with the choice, emotionally, socially, and financially. It’s the ins and outs of those relationships, subtle and true as they are, that make this novel hum with life. I was interested in the themes of health, of class, and of foreignness . . . but it’s the family ties that make the book."

A small disclaimer: Gaskell died before the book was finished, so it's missing a few chapters. But you pretty much guess what the ending would be, and if you, like myself, can't stand to be left hanging, I highly recommend watching the beautiful BBC version of this lovely Victorian novel.
Gaskell lived a very tame life compared to some of her contemporaries, and I can't help but wonder if that's why her books are sometimes left in the dust of authors like Dickens, Austen, Eliot, Trollope, and Thackery (no offence meant to any of those greats!). She married a pastor, bore several children, lost one, published several books, and died without any great scandal. And in the next life I think we are going to be friends.

Little House on the Prarie series by Laura Ingalls Wilder

This is a great series of books about Laura Ingalls Wilder. It talks about her life--how she lives in the prairie, a dugout and in lots of other homes.

My favorite book in this series is: On the banks of Plum Creek.


Jessica:  I grew up on these books and loved the pictures and stories.  As a mother, I thoroughly enjoy reading this series to my children.  I think it is so good for them to realize that life wasn't always as easy and convenient as it is now.  Plus the real-life situations the Ingalls family dealt with has helped spark discussion with my own children about how to deal with their problems.  A perfectly beautiful series!

Percy Jackson and the Olympians by Rick Riorden

I am a huge fan of the Harry Potter books, and this series by Rick Riorden has come pretty close to that level of enjoyment for me. They are a series of books about a young unlikely hero--Percy Jackson, son of Posiedon. Following adventure after adventure, you find yourself brushed up on your Greek mythology and thoroughly entertained into the bargain. They are well-written with a hip (but not really disrespectful) teenage voice to them (written in first person), and the dialogue is totally believable. I thought each book in the series improved upon the one before it.