Reviews for Bookclub-in-A-Box Discusses: The Poisonwood Bible

The average rating for Bookclub-in-A-Box Discusses: The Poisonwood Bible based on 2 reviews is 4.5 stars.

Review # 1 was written on 2020-08-30 00:00:00 Gary Stover I'll be honest, I didn't want to read this book. My aunt gave it to me and said, "I'd like you to read this and tell me what you think of it," so I did. It was VERY hard to get into at first. There are a ton of characters, many with similar names, almost all with titles or positions that are important to the story, so it's really a lot to keep straight. Never mind the number of foreign (perhaps made-up, perhaps Vietnamese or Chinese) words that the authors use.... However, once I began reading the story I was curious to see how it would turn out. I am not all that familiar with US foreign policy but I see through this book that it is a flawed system. From the ambassador who doesn't understand the language or customs of the country in which he serves, to the manipulation of the government both here and abroad, to the manipulation of facts to persuade the people, there is a great deal of corruption which leads to a loss of life. There were several quotations in the book that interested me: "'I'm not sure we have either the faith or the clear vision in America anymore.... Unfortunately only a hungry, scared, motivated nation is efficient today. What America needs is a bad depression. Then we'd have some true believer's [sic] again"' (Lederer and Burdick 137). And, on the next page: "'The most powerful nation on earth is being kicked around out there because back here we're talking and meeting and memo-ing ourselves to death'" (139). What saddens me is that I am sure this is a fairly accurate picture of what is happening in countries around the world even today, and that we are actually FURTHERING communism or what-have-you because we give aid that is unnecessary (although we truly BELIEVE that we are doing good) which is then used by corrupt officials to further their own cause. And when presented with information, most government agents will only accept the information that supports their own agenda as fact. A tough read but I think worth it, although it doesn't exactly leave the reader feeling very confident in his government!

Review # 2 was written on 2015-07-27 00:00:00 John Cornelius 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.