Skip to content

The Poisonwood Bible
Stock Photo: Cover May Be Different

The Poisonwood Bible Hardcover - 1998

by Barbara Kingsolver

In her first novel since "Pigs in Heaven", Kingsolver offers a compelling exploration of religion, conscience, imperialist arrogance, and the many paths to redemption. An American missionary and his family travel to the Congo in 1959, a time of tremendous political and social upheaval. Web feature.


From the publisher

New York Times Bestseller - An Oprah Book Club Pick

"Powerful . . . [Kingsolver] has with infinitely steady hands worked the prickly threads of religion, politics, race, sin and redemption into a thing of terrible beauty." --Los Angeles Times Book Review

Taking its place alongside the classic works of postcolonial literature, this ambitious novel established Barbara Kingsolver as one of the most thoughtful and daring of modern writers.

The Poisonwood Bible is a story told by the wife and four daughters of Nathan Price, a fierce, evangelical Baptist who takes his family and mission to the Belgian Congo in 1959. They carry with them everything they believe they will need from home, but soon find that all of it--from garden seeds to Scripture--is calamitously transformed on African soil. What follows is a suspenseful epic of one family's tragic undoing and remarkable reconstruction over the course of three decades in postcolonial Africa.

From the rear cover

The Poisonwood Bible is a story told by the wife and four daughters of Nathan Price, a fierce, evangelical Baptist who takes his family and mission to the Belgian Congo in 1959. They carry with them everything they believe they will need from home, but soon find that all of it--from garden seeds to Scripture--is calamitously transformed on African soil. What follows is a suspenseful epic of one family's tragic undoing and remarkable reconstruction over the course of three decades in postcolonial Africa.

The novel is set against one of the most dramatic political chronicles of the twentieth century: the Congo's fight for independence from Belgium, the murder of its first elected prime minister, the CIA coup to install his replacement, and the insidious progress of a world economic order that robs the fledgling African nation of its autonomy. Against this backdrop, Orleanna Price reconstructs the story of her evangelist husband's part in the Western assault on Africa, a tale indelibly darkened by her own losses and unanswerable questions about her own culpability. Also narrating the story, by turns, are her four daughters--the self-centered, teenaged Rachel; shrewd adolescent twins Leah and Adah; and Ruth May, a prescient five-year-old. These sharply observant girls, who arrive in the Congo with racial preconceptions forged in 1950s Georgia, will be marked in surprisingly different ways by their father's intractable mission, and by Africa itself. Ultimately each must strike her own separate path to salvation. Their passionately intertwined stories become a compelling exploration of moral risk and personal responsibility.

Dancing between the dark comedy of human failings and the breathtaking possibilities of human hope, The Poisonwood Bible possesses all that has distinguished Barbara Kingsolver's previous work, and extends this beloved writer's vision to an entirely new level. Taking its place alongside the classic works of postcolonial literature, this ambitious novel establishes Kingsolver as one of the most thoughtful and daring of modern writers.

Details

  • Title The Poisonwood Bible
  • Author Barbara Kingsolver
  • Binding Hardcover
  • Edition First Edition
  • Pages 560
  • Volumes 1
  • Language ENG
  • Publisher Harper, New York
  • Date 1998-10-07
  • Features Bibliography, Dust Cover, Table of Contents
  • ISBN 9780060175405 / 0060175400
  • Weight 1.87 lbs (0.85 kg)
  • Dimensions 9.5 x 6.46 x 1.74 in (24.13 x 16.41 x 4.42 cm)
  • Reading level 960
  • Themes
    • Chronological Period: 1950-1999
    • Cultural Region: African
    • Topical: Family
  • Library of Congress subjects Domestic fiction, Congo (Democratic Republic)
  • Library of Congress Catalog Number 98019901
  • Dewey Decimal Code FIC

Media reviews

Citations

  • Best of Book Sense/First 5 Yrs, 04/01/2004, Page 1
  • Entertainment Weekly, 08/22/2014, Page 113
  • Foreword, 01/01/2005, Page 1
  • Kirkus Reviews, 09/01/1998, Page 1219
  • Library Journal, 07/01/1998, Page 0
  • New York Times, 12/06/1998, Page 8
  • People Weekly, 11/09/2009, Page 53
  • Publishers Weekly, 08/10/1998, Page 366
  • Publishers Weekly Best Books, 01/01/1998, Page 41
Back to Top

More Copies for Sale

The Poisonwood Bible
Stock Photo: Cover May Be Different

The Poisonwood Bible

by Barbara Kingsolver

  • Used
Condition
Used - Good
ISBN 13
9780060175405
ISBN 10
0060175400
Quantity Available
1
Seller
Waltham, Massachusetts, United States
Seller rating:
This seller has earned a 5 of 5 Stars rating from Biblio customers.
Item Price
SGD 4.08
SGD 4.10 shipping to USA

Show Details

Description:
Harper. Used - Good. All orders guaranteed and ship within 24 hours. Your purchase supports More Than Words, a nonprofit job train program for youth, empowering youth to take charge of their lives by taking charge of a business.
Item Price
SGD 4.08
SGD 4.10 shipping to USA
The Poisonwood Bible
Stock Photo: Cover May Be Different

The Poisonwood Bible

by Barbara Kingsolver

  • Used
Condition
Used - Good
ISBN 13
9780060175405
ISBN 10
0060175400
Quantity Available
1
Seller
Waltham, Massachusetts, United States
Seller rating:
This seller has earned a 5 of 5 Stars rating from Biblio customers.
Item Price
SGD 4.08
SGD 4.10 shipping to USA

Show Details

Description:
Harper. Used - Good. 9781250089045. . All orders guaranteed and ship within 24 hours. Your purchase supports More Than Words, a nonprofit job training program for youth, empowering youth to take charge of their lives by taking charge of a business.
Item Price
SGD 4.08
SGD 4.10 shipping to USA
The Poisonwood Bible
Stock Photo: Cover May Be Different

The Poisonwood Bible

by Kingsolver, Barbara

  • Used
  • Acceptable
  • first
Condition
Used - Acceptable
Edition
First Ed
ISBN 13
9780060175405
ISBN 10
0060175400
Quantity Available
2
Seller
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States
Seller rating:
This seller has earned a 4 of 5 Stars rating from Biblio customers.
Item Price
SGD 6.53
FREE shipping to USA

Show Details

Description:
Harper. First Ed. Acceptable. Acceptable. Ship within 24hrs. Satisfaction 100% guaranteed. APO/FPO addresses supported
Item Price
SGD 6.53
FREE shipping to USA
The Poisonwood Bible
Stock Photo: Cover May Be Different

The Poisonwood Bible

by Kingsolver, Barbara

  • Used
  • Acceptable
  • Hardcover
Condition
Used - Acceptable
Binding
Hardcover
ISBN 13
9780060175405
ISBN 10
0060175400
Quantity Available
1
Seller
Memphis, Tennessee, United States
Seller rating:
This seller has earned a 5 of 5 Stars rating from Biblio customers.
Item Price
SGD 7.28
FREE shipping to USA

Show Details

Description:
Harper, 1998-10-07. Hardcover. Acceptable. 9x6x2.
Item Price
SGD 7.28
FREE shipping to USA
The Poisonwood Bible

The Poisonwood Bible

by Kingsolver, Barbara

  • Used
  • Acceptable
  • Hardcover
Condition
Used - Acceptable
Binding
Hardcover
ISBN 13
9780060175405
ISBN 10
0060175400
Quantity Available
17
Seller
Seattle, Washington, United States
Seller rating:
This seller has earned a 4 of 5 Stars rating from Biblio customers.
Item Price
SGD 8.26
FREE shipping to USA

Show Details

Description:
Harper, 1998. Hardcover. Acceptable. Disclaimer:A readable copy. All pages are intact, and the cover is intact. Pages can include considerable notes-in pen or highlighter-but the notes cannot obscure the text. The dust jacket is missing. At ThriftBooks, our motto is: Read More, Spend Less.Dust jacket quality is not guaranteed.
Item Price
SGD 8.26
FREE shipping to USA
The Poisonwood Bible

The Poisonwood Bible

by Kingsolver, Barbara

  • Used
  • good
  • Hardcover
Condition
Used - Good
Binding
Hardcover
ISBN 13
9780060175405
ISBN 10
0060175400
Quantity Available
16
Seller
Seattle, Washington, United States
Seller rating:
This seller has earned a 4 of 5 Stars rating from Biblio customers.
Item Price
SGD 8.30
FREE shipping to USA

Show Details

Description:
Harper, 1998. Hardcover. Good. Missing dust jacket; Pages can have notes/highlighting. Spine may show signs of wear. ~ ThriftBooks: Read More, Spend Less.Dust jacket quality is not guaranteed.
Item Price
SGD 8.30
FREE shipping to USA
The Poisonwood Bible

The Poisonwood Bible

by Kingsolver, Barbara

  • Used
  • good
  • Hardcover
Condition
Used - Good
Binding
Hardcover
ISBN 13
9780060175405
ISBN 10
0060175400
Quantity Available
1
Seller
Seattle, Washington, United States
Seller rating:
This seller has earned a 4 of 5 Stars rating from Biblio customers.
Item Price
SGD 8.30
FREE shipping to USA

Show Details

Description:
Harper, 1998. Hardcover. Good. Former library book; Missing dust jacket; Pages can have notes/highlighting. Spine may show signs of wear. ~ ThriftBooks: Read More, Spend Less.Dust jacket quality is not guaranteed.
Item Price
SGD 8.30
FREE shipping to USA
The Poisonwood Bible

The Poisonwood Bible

by Kingsolver, Barbara

  • Used
  • Acceptable
  • Hardcover
Condition
Used - Acceptable
Binding
Hardcover
ISBN 13
9780060175405
ISBN 10
0060175400
Quantity Available
61
Seller
Seattle, Washington, United States
Seller rating:
This seller has earned a 4 of 5 Stars rating from Biblio customers.
Item Price
SGD 8.30
FREE shipping to USA

Show Details

Description:
Harper, 1998. Hardcover. Acceptable. Readable copy. Pages may have considerable notes/highlighting. ~ ThriftBooks: Read More, Spend Less.Dust jacket quality is not guaranteed.
Item Price
SGD 8.30
FREE shipping to USA
The Poisonwood Bible

The Poisonwood Bible

by Kingsolver, Barbara

  • Used
  • Acceptable
  • Hardcover
Condition
Used - Acceptable
Binding
Hardcover
ISBN 13
9780060175405
ISBN 10
0060175400
Quantity Available
2
Seller
Seattle, Washington, United States
Seller rating:
This seller has earned a 4 of 5 Stars rating from Biblio customers.
Item Price
SGD 8.30
FREE shipping to USA

Show Details

Description:
Harper, 1998. Hardcover. Acceptable. Disclaimer:A readable copy. All pages are intact, and the cover is intact. Pages can include considerable notes-in pen or highlighter-but the notes cannot obscure the text. An ex-library book and may have standard library stamps and/or stickers. The dust jacket is missing. At ThriftBooks, our motto is: Read More, Spend Less.
Item Price
SGD 8.30
FREE shipping to USA
The Poisonwood Bible

The Poisonwood Bible

by Kingsolver, Barbara

  • Used
  • Acceptable
  • Hardcover
Condition
Used - Acceptable
Binding
Hardcover
ISBN 13
9780060175405
ISBN 10
0060175400
Quantity Available
7
Seller
Seattle, Washington, United States
Seller rating:
This seller has earned a 4 of 5 Stars rating from Biblio customers.
Item Price
SGD 8.30
FREE shipping to USA

Show Details

Description:
Harper, 1998. Hardcover. Acceptable. Disclaimer:A readable copy. All pages are intact, and the cover is intact. Pages can include considerable notes-in pen or highlighter-but the notes cannot obscure the text. An ex-library book and may have standard library stamps and/or stickers. At ThriftBooks, our motto is: Read More, Spend Less.Dust jacket quality is not guaranteed.
Item Price
SGD 8.30
FREE shipping to USA