Genesis:
Leah:
Leah:
- her family carried tools w them to the Congo
- they hid the necessities
- Leah is bothered by the things but happy to go to Africa
- the family meets Reverend and Mrs. Underdown at the airport
- they get on another plane to go to Kilanga
- the village greets them when they get there]
- she says that all of the black people belong to the Tribe of Ham
- Ham was a bad son to Noah
- she says it is different in Georgia because of Jim Crow laws
- she notices the bad smell when they are greeted by the village
- she doesn't like the conditions
- villagers celebrate in church
- Nathan stands up and preaches
- Nathan shames a naked woman, then some other women leave
- she sees the world differently because of her hemiplegia
- she notices that the villagers are modest
- the sisters help to set up the house
- she goes to help her dad plant a garden
- they are watched by Mama Tataba
- Brother Fowles gave the family a parrot
- Mama Tataba warns Reverend of the Poisonwood tree, but he doesn't listen so he gets rashes
- Reverend wants to baptize people on Easter, but people in the church don't want to
- almost everyone goes to church supper
- Orleanna cooked lots of chicken for the church supper
- Reverend is upset that baptism didn't happen
- Mama Tataba says that her neighbor lost her legs in a fire but is still caring
- no one pays attention to disabilities
- she hears her parents arguing about how the people use their bodies
- rain storm ruins the garden
- her and her dad replant the garden
- they plant them the right way so that they grow healthy
- Reverend talks about how anything is possible
- Reverend preaches about baptism
- Mama Tataba gets mad and leaves the family
- she asks Reverend what Mama Tataba said
- the villagers are against the baptism because a crocodile ate a girl near the river, so no one lets the children near the river
The Revelation:
Leah:
Leah:
- the sisters have to work on their schoolbook
- they teach themselves the native names of flowers
- Leah and Adah see that Eeben Axelroot owns a radio
- Ruth May starts playing with the village children and the sisters join
- over the next couple of days, the kids start to stop coming but Pascal stays
- she spies on secretive people she sees meeting
- she breaks her arm
- Eeben flies her to a doctor
- he has a bag of diamonds but gets mad and threatens her when she sees it
- the doctor and Reverend get into a fight
- Anatole comes over for dinner
- Anatole warns Reverend of what could happen, which makes him mad and he kicks him out
- he grabs Orleanna because he is still so mad and breaks a platter that she loved
- Leah goes ahead of Adah when they go to get water
- a lion follows Adah but she is smarter than it
- Adah goes to the hammock without anyone seeing
- Tata Ndu comes and says that the lion had killed her, but Adah shows everyone that she is fine
- Nelson helps the family in exchange for shelter and food
- kakaka is a fatal digestive bug that comes over the village
- Orleanna makes all of the girls stay in bed
- Leah gets malaria
- they get needlework tools for Christmas
- more people go to church because they believe Adah was saved form the lion by Jesus
- Leah has a baby owl but Nelson and Pascal don't like it
- Anatole says that the Congolese think owls eat dead souls
- Reverend punishes Leah for her pride of the owl
- She lets the owl free
- the Underdowns show up and say that the Congo will declare independence in June
- Orleanna is shocked
- the Underdowns say the family should leave before the election and the Reverend gets very mad
- the election candidates are represented by symbols
- only men can vote
- Tata leaves chicken bones outside of the family's door
- Reverend flies to get more medicine
- he learns that Patrice Lumumba won the election
- the Underdowns send a letter to tell the family to depart
- Orleanna wants to leave but Reverend doesn't
- Nathan and Leah are the only ones to get on the plane for evacuation
- Rachel tries to get on the plane but he doesn't let her
- Ruth May and Orleanna stay in bed
- Leah lands and notices difference in wealth
- the parrot is eaten by a predator
The Judges:
Leah:
Leah:
- the family is struggling with no money
- Mama Mwanza still brings them food
- Orleanna and Ruth May stay in bed
- She has a lesson with Nelson
- Ruth May and Orleanna are still sick
- Orleanna wants to go home with the girls
- Leah gets Ruth May to come play with her
- Anatole brings food for them
- Nelson gives Ruth May a nkisi
- Orleanna feels better and cares for the family again
- Orleanna tries to find ways out of the Congo
- Brother Fowles comes to the village
- Brother Fowles talks to Orleanna about religion
- Nathan and Brother Fowles argue about religion, but Brother Fowles wins
- the girls follow Brother Fowles
- there is a drought
- Ruth May gets sicker
- Tata Ndu visits every day because he wants Rachel to be his wife
- Rachel does not want to marry Tata Ndu
- Ruth May's bed is moved to the main room
- they find her medicine that she was supposed to be taking on the wall where her bed was
- Ruth May has malaria
- They pretend that Rachel and Eeben Axelroot are engaged
- Eeben works for the CIA
- Rachel wants to use him to fly Orleanna and Ruth May home
- Rachel turns 17 years old
- Ruth May gets better
- Leah reads with Anatole
- Rachel and Eeben go on a walk and kiss
- Eeben tells Rachel that Patrice Lumumba is going to be killed
- Adah spies on Eeben
- ants infest the village
- Leah runs towards the river and loses track of her family
- Anatole finds her and tells her to stay where she is and he will find the rest of her family
- she tries to get on a boat and is pushed off
- her mirror breaks
- Orleanna runs with Ruth May
- Orleanna gives Ruth May to someone else
- Ruth May cries
- Orleanna doesn't know whether to save Adah or Ruth May
- Orleanna keeps Ruth May but yells to Adah to follow along
- Adah falls and Anatole carries her to the river
- Anatole and Ruth May get in a boat with Leah
- Leah tells Anatole that she loves him and he tells her to never say it again
- they return to Kilanga two days later
Bel and the Serpent:
Leah:
Leah:
- Tata Ndu wants an election to vote on the religious controversy of the village
- Jesus loses by a lot in the election
- the ongoing famine calls for a fire hunt
- people argue about whether Leah should be in the hunt
- they vote that she will participate in the hunt
- Nathan doesn't want Leah to do the hunt, but she does it anyways
- Anatole wakes up with a mamba snake next to his bed
- Adah, Ruth May, and Orleanna help skin the meat
- Leah kills an antelope but Gbenye takes credit for it, but Nathan proves him wrong
- Rachel goes home
- the villagers fight over dividing up the food
- the girls wake up to a mamba snake
- Ruth May was bit by the snake on her shoulder
- Leah can't move because she is scared
- none of the girls can move
- they watch Ruth May turn blue and die
- the girls are scared to tell Orleanna
- they tell her and she goes to wash Ruth May's body
- Nathan only says that she had not yet been baptized
- the villagers perform rituals for her
- Nathan baptizes the village children in the rain
Exodus:
Leah:
Leah:
- the Price women flee Kilanga
- Leah gets a fever and has to stop
- men help and carry Rachel the rest of the way
- Leah has malaria and spends weeks in a hut
- Rachel leaves the Congo on Eeben's plane
- Anatole cares for Leah
- Leah wants to stay in the Congo and marry Anatole
- Eeben and Rachel fly to Johannesburg in South Africa
- they pretend to be married for the meantime
- Adah and Orleanna head for Leopoldville
- they hide in leaves at night to avoid the soldiers
- an army truck catches them but Orleanna scares them
- the soldiers drive them to Leopoldville and give them to the Belgian embassy
- they are cared for in the hospital for their diseases
- they fly to Georgia on a hospital plane
- Orleanna and Adah move into a cabin in Georgia
- Orleanna starts gardening
- Adah studies science at Emory College
- Anatole and Leah go to Stanleyville
- Leah goes to a French mission
- Anatole gets arrested on the way back
- Rachel is happy but wants Eeben to actually marry her
- Rachel plans to steal the husband of her best friend
- Anatole marries Leah after getting out of prison three years later
- Adah goes to medical school
- Leah and Anatole visit Orleanna and Adah
- Anatole and Leah have three sons
- they live in Kinshasa in poverty
- Rachel is left lots of wealth in the will from her previous husband
- she is upset that none of her family comes to visit her
- Leah and Anatole visit the US with their sons for the education
- Leah studies agricultural engineering
- Anatole studies political science and geography
- Anatole is arrested when they go home
- Anatole and Leah are going to start a farm commune
- Orleanna buys a Land Rover
- Adah, Rachel, and Leah reunite
- Leah tells them that Nelson is dead
- Orleanna moves to Sanderling Island
- Adah works for the Center for Disease Control
- Leah and Anatole struggle with their farm commune
- Leah and Anatole have four sons
Songs of the Three Children:
Rachel:
Rachel:
- Rachel is satisfied with her life
- she only regrets living apart form the American culture
- Leah and Anatole's kids are all grown and out of the house
- they live in Angola on an agricultural station
- Adah stops studying medicine and focuses on scientific research
The Eyes in the Trees:
- Ruth May says that the okapi lived another year because it was scared away
- Ruth May goes on to tell them of different events that occurred, but from an outside perspective
- Ruth May forgives Orleanna
- Ruth may asks Orleanna to forgive herself