The Poisonwood Bible Notes

Notes

• In 1959, a preacher, named Nathan Price takes his family on a mission trip to the Belgium Congo. 
• Upon arrival the Price family learns that they are the only American family that will be living in the Kilanga village.
•  They all begin to adjust to the abnormal setting they have moved into, especially Orleanna and the daughters. 
• Rachel just wants to just be an American teenager again while the twins, Leah and Adah, enjoy the culture and the nature of the village. 
• Mr. Price soon learns from Anatole that the chief is unhappy with his church. 
• The day after Ruth May breaks her arm and Nathan has to take her to Stanleyville.While they are talking to the doctor he tells them that they should leave because the Congo will gain independence. 
• A little while later Brother Fowles visits the village and the family are shocked at how well his approach is to his work of a missionary. 
• One Sunday while Nathan is preaching the chief, Tata Ndu, interrupts the sermon and takes a vote to see if the people declare Jesus as their God. 
• The vote shows that the people don't think Jesus is their God. 
• Meanwhile a hunt takes place and Leah kills an antelope, but the chief's son is to embarrassed to admit that Leah shot it down. 

•  Later that night, the chief's servant, Nelson, is worried that someone is trying to kill him so the daughters sprinkle ashes around the chicken house where he sleeps. 
• The daughters awaken and check the house to see that a poisonous snake was in the chicken house. As it leaves, it strikes Ruth May and she dies. 
• Orleanna places Ruth May's body on a table outside and takes the daughters and leaves town.
•  On the way, leah suddenly gets malaria. Once the reach Bulungu, Orleanna makes sure that Rachel leaves the Congo. 
• She decides to take Adah to the embassy so he can go back to the United States and leaves Leah with Anatole.
•  Brother Fowles comes with saddening news to Leah that her father was killed while migrating from village to village preaching.
•  Rachel spends the rest of her life in Johannesburg, South Africa managing hotels and becomes a successful business woman. 
• Adah goes to college in Atlanta to become a doctor while Orleanna becomes active in the Civil Rights Movement. 
• Orleanna can't get over the guilt of Ruth May's death, but Ruth May's spirit tells Orleanna that she needs to forgive herself for the death. 

Main Characters

• Nathan Price- An evangelical baptist preacher who moves his family to the Congo to become missionaries. He later dies while visiting many different villages. 

• Orleanna Price- Nathan's wife. She devotes herself to protecting her daughters in the Congo, but can't forgive herself for Ruth May's death. 

• Leah Price- One of the Price twins. Very intelligent and later gets malaria. 

• Adah Price- One of the Price twins who is born with a disorder. Even though she can speak she chooses not to as a child and teenager. 

• Rachel Price- The eldest of the Price daughters. She cares for her appearance and knows that she is beautiful too. 

• Ruth May Price- The youngest of the Price daughters. She dies by a poisonous snake. 

• Tata Ndu- The chief of the Kilanga village who isn't happy with what Nathan Price is doing. 

• Anatole- a school teacher who is a translator for Nathan during the church services.