8 thoughts on “Barbara Kingsolver’s Small Wonder”

  2. Michelle Post author

    Jacqueline, when I read The Poisonwood Bible there were so many quotes I wrote down because I didn’t want to forget them.

    “It struck me what a wide world of difference there was between our sort of games – “Mother May I?”, “Hide and Seek” – and his: “Find Food”, “Recognize Poisonwood”, “Build a House”. And here was a boy no older than eight or nine. He had a younger sister who carried the family’s baby everywhere she went and hacked weeds with her mother in the manioc field. I could see that the whole idea and business of Childhood was nothing guaranteed. It seemed to me, in fact, like something more or less invented by white people and stuck onto the front end of grown-up life like a frill on a dress.”

    – Leah Price, The Poisonwood Bible

    “Why why why, they sang, the mothers who staggered down our road behind small tightly wrapped corpses, mothers crazy-walking on their knees, with mouths open wide like a hole ripped in mosquito netting. That mouth hole! Jagged torn place in their spirits that lets the small flying agonies pass in and out. Mothers with eyes squeezed shut, dark cheek muscles tied in knots, heads thrashing from side to side as they passed.”

    – Adah Price, The Poisonwood Bible

    “My little beast, my eyes, my favourite stolen egg. Listen. To live is to be marked. To live is to change, to aquire the words of a story, and that is the only celebration we mortals really know.”

    – Orleanna Price, The Poisonwood Bible

  3. Barbara S

    Another great find, Michelle, thanks for pointing this one up. The previous post, Eavan Boland – oh how I love her essays on writing: how they spoke to me in all the stages of raising kids and told me I could, if I dared.

  4. Julie

    Writing a place in the world! I love that! I love the quotes in your comment, too.

    Yes, Barbara Kingsolver is amazing. Thanks, Michelle!

  5. christine

    We write to learn, don’t we? I’ve heard you express similar thoughts in some interviews you’ve done, Michelle.

  6. odessa

    i love this quote! always, thanks for sharing Michelle. i will have to put The Poisonwood Bible on my “books to borrow from the library” list.

  7. hames1977

    hi michelle,

    i had a feeling that your poetry blogs caters to women poets across the globe. i hope that my presence is not to be misinterpreted as an intrusion. i am amazed with the wide spectrum of good poetry in here and i think i need to add your site to my blogroll.

    i firstly i thought of putting my comment on your about page to commend you for making your page a melting pot of culture and poetry. sorry for using this blogpost as my spring board. great insight here.

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