By far the best novel of the year, Kingsolver's Poisonwood Bible is not only her best work yet, but it is also the best book I've read in years (and I read a lot!). The story starts off a bit slowly, but soon you will find yourself attached to the characters and emotionally involved in the text. I seriously could not put it down. Don't let the general subject (the lives of a mother and her four daughters doing mission work in Africa) scare you off. Kingsolver's story is simultaneously beautiful and treacherous, joyous and heart-wrenching, complex and yet wonderfully simple. Reading it is doing yourself a favor. If you liked her other works, you MUST read this. If you've never read Kingsolver before, read this and become a devoted fan.