The Poisonwood Bible by Barbara Kingsolver is a work of historical fiction. The novel is based on the Congo in 1959, when it was still under Belgian control. Nathan Price is a Southern Baptist preacher from Bethlehem, Georgia, who uproots his family, consisting of his wife and three daughters, and takes them on a mission trip to Kilanga. Orleanna Price, Nathan's wife, narrates the beginning of each book in the novel. Rachel, Leah, Adah, and Ruth May alternate narration throughout each book. Rachel is Price's eldest child and very materialistic. She refuses to accept Congo's ways, believing that she is better than everyone simply because of where she started in life. Leah is the second oldest and she is a self-proclaimed tomboy. She loves climbing trees and practically worships at her father's feet. Adah is the disabled one, with a physical deformity. However, this deformation does not limit her, making her the most intelligent of the Price girls. Ruth May is the baby of the family and has not yet lost the childhood innocence with which she sees the world. Barbara Kingsolver uses a very interesting narrative style in the novel, alternating between four narrators aged between five and fifteen, all women. Kingsolver's use of multiple narrative perspectives serves to amplify life in the Congo in the early 1960s through characterization, religion, and politics. The characterization of Nathan Price makes up much of Kingsolver's 1959 depiction of life in the Congo. Nathan Price never actually narrates any part of the novel, but he does have dialogue. Price is characterized by both his wife and his daughters. Each of the daughters has a different view of their father, as does Orleanna. Nathan P...... middle of paper ......es under the Belgians, and in this way relates to Orleanna. However, Nathan Price constitutes the main political allegory of the novel. On the surface, The Poisonwood Bible is simply the story of a Georgian family who are taken on a mission to the Congo in Africa. After reading the entire novel and analyzing the text, it is evident that Kingsolver used elements such as characterization, religious aspects, and political allegory to express what life was really like in the Congo in 1959. Nathan Price, although he never actually gave voice, managed to become perhaps the most important character, as well as the entire allegory. The multiple narrative perspectives added to the level of characterization, as well as an interesting twist on typical literature. Not to mention that all the narrators were women, which is very rare in historical fiction..