Bookclub-in-A-Box Discusses: The Poisonwood Bible Book

This novel, written by the same authors who wrote "The Ugly American", is set in a fictional country in Southeast Asia called "Sarkhan". It was written several years after "The Ugly American", and I thought it was better than the earlier novel. The novel is dark, and traces a stable Southeast Asian nation as it descends into a Communist insurgency and is taken over by a Ho Chi Minh type insurgent who ironically takes over the country with the unwitting support of the United States. Although this novel is a bit predictable, especially if you read "The Ugly American", it is must reading for anyone who is interested in counterinsurgency politics and warfare. I would highly recommend this book for those interested in counterinsurgency, the history of US policy in Southeast Asia and those who like a good political thriller.