Recently, we finished the required class reading, The Poisonwood Bible by Barbara Kingsolver. I thought that this book was well thought out, especially considering the plot line parallels to international history. I also like how Kingsolver was able to distinct the different character voices so well. My personal favorite character is Adah because of the interesting ways she put sentences backwards and how she can see things in ways I sometimes wish I could see as.

I also like Adah's last words in the chapter of the "Song of Three Children". She says, "Illusions mistake for truth are the pavement under our feet. They are what we call civilization" (532). After reading this, I agreed with Adah's observation. So many stereotypes are based on misunderstandings between cultures and different people. Also, beliefs are based on opinions, which do not always reconcile with the facts.

When Ruth May dies, I was surprised at first. But when I thought about it, there were reading patterns that hinted at her death fairly obviously. One such is how she makes references to reptiles and how she doesn't picture herself in her father's Christian heaven. Another is how her entries were filtered out as the book made more progress to Bel and the Serpent. As I looked back at her entries, I noticed that her character voice wasn't really maturing or changing. So that could also have been a pattern that hinted at her death.

I personally didn't like Rachel. After a while, her entries got extremely annoying, to the point where I entirely skipped her entries and just read her sisters' entries. But I did eventually go back and read her entries. I thought that she reminded me of one of my second grade classmates. When I tried to give her constructive criticism, she wouldn't take it and like Rachel's attitude, shut the door and ignore the things coming for her attention. (I haven't seen this classmate since then, but that's how I remember her—a younger version of Rachel.)

Leah, I have mixed feelings. I can identify with her—wanting to be independent, wanting to be just like her father, open minded— which puts me in favor of her. But when Ruth May died, and Leah could have saved her, I got mad at Leah. But when I reread that section, I thought that I was really mad at myself. I remember being in a situation in which I could have improved, but did nothing about it. Although I can't recall the details, I didn't do anything and the situation turned even worse. I think that anyone can identify with Leah's shock in a situation such as that. I think that I would be shocked numb if I witnessed my baby sister dying.

I really liked this book overall, even if I procrastinated at reading some of the sections. I think that the aspect of reading for class dimmed the light on it's 'reading glory'. But otherwise, I think that this would be in my top twenty of the my recently read list.