The Poisonwood Bible by Barbara Kingsolver

This multifaceted novel chronicles one family’s experience in the Congo as Belgian rule ends and the country tries to become a democracy. Parallel to the breakup of a nation and the destruction of its traditions is the disintegration of the Price family, who come to the Congo as missionaries with the goal of transplanting the American church into African soil. The Poisonwood Bible reveals the complexity of a people who are not easily understood by those from a different culture, but who manifest sensitivity, kindness, and concern. The longing for freedom and fulfillment is shown to be universal. Themes include national and familial disintegration, dysfunction in both macrocosm and microcosm, multiple views of various incidents, initiation into adult life and into a radically different culture, and a tyrannical patriarch’s influence on developing personalities.

About the Series:

Novel/Drama curriculum units contain complete lesson plans with preliminary and follow-up work, teacher notes with plot summary, background, and rationale, ready-to-use worksheets, and suggested answers for student questions. These study guides encourage the development of thinking, reading, speaking, research, and writing skills as well as critical thinking skills such as analysis, synthesis, and evaluation.