If you are looking for something which is both fun and thought-provoking, look no further. Barbara Kingsolver's book is that and more. It is set in the Congo's fight for independence from Belgium, where an evangelical Baptist takes his four young daughters and his wife to "save needy souls". Needless to say, his actions will develop in tragic ways within the very different and very complex Congo. The Poisonwood Bible is a parable of epic proportions that follows the disintegration of a family and a nation.

I think there are many notable things in the book, but one that I think is a key player creating the impact on the reader is the choice of narration, which turns it into something palpable, completely believable. There is something for everyone, and thus, we all have the chance to get a better understanding of what is going on.

The book can make you laugh at times and it can also make you want to cry. It gives you the chance to reflect on many controversial subjects such as religion, politics, race, sin... Kingsolver says she waited for "nearly thirty years" in order to get "the wisdom and maturity to write this book" exploring, what she calls, "the difference between righteousness and what is right". Herein lies the core of the book, its greatest contribution, in my own particular view.