Pages: 543
Rating: PG
Summary: In 1959, Nathan Price, a fierce, evangelical Baptist, takes his four young daughters, his wife, and his mission to the Belgian Congo -- a place, he is sure, where he can save needy souls. But the seeds they plant bloom in tragic ways within this complex culture. Set against one of the most dramatic political events of the twentieth century -- the Congo's fight for independence from Belgium and its devastating consequences -- here is New York Times-bestselling author Barbara Kingslover's beautiful, heartbreaking, and unforgettable epic that chronicles the disintegration of family and a nation.
My Thoughts: If you have not yet read this life-changing book, drop everything, go get it, and read it NOW. This is my second time reading this book, and I'm telling you, it completely changes the way you see the world, the United States in particular. Kingsolver is an amazing writer, and she just sweeps you right in to the lives of her characters. You change and grow right along with them. Just as the the Price family is utterly different at the end of the book from what they were at the beginning, you will be too. I'm serious when I say that this book can totally rearrange the way you think about just about everything. It's that good.
There's quite a commentary about how sometimes we think that the way we live and do things is the right way, and anyone doing it differently must be wrong. But really, it all depends on the circumstances and the lifestyle. In particular, "civilized" countries such as the US, made a habit of going around and trying to civilize all these other nations who were really doing just fine the way they were. And then when we didn't like the way they were running things, we changed it, because to us it didn't make sense or seem like it would work. We cannot judge someone else's actions based on only our own experiences.
This book is on my favorite book list. I absolutely love it. It takes forever to read cuz it's really long, but it's so worth it. It's so deep and thoughtful. The book also helped me to be grateful for all the blessings I have. We really don't have that much to complain about when you think about it. Here in the United States, we've got it pretty good. And, you can't just believe everything you hear about other places. The people there might tell you a different story.
As far as my rating, I gave it a PG because there's no real inappropriateness. It's a very clean book, it's just really intense and the subject matter is pretty mature. I don't think, say, a middle schooler would be able to process the book as well as an older teen or an adult could. It's just a book that seeps into you better when you've had more life experiences. For that reason, I feel like it's a book I can read over and over again at different stages in my life, and I will feel completely different about it. I'll never read it the same way twice. I can't wait to read it again in five or six years and see how it changes for me.
Go read it. NOW!!!! You won't regret it, I promise.
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