The Poisonwood Bible Book 5, Chapter 1 Summary

How It All Goes Down

Bulungu, Late Rainy Season, 1961.

  • Mother, followed by her three living daughters, trudge through the mud toward Leopoldville.
  • A few of the village women chase after them with oranges and water for their trip.
  • Fighting through thick clouds of mosquitoes, they arrive in the village of Kiala, where Mama Boanda's relatives live. She invites them in and feeds them.
  • They reach Bulungu on the third day, and Leah is consumed with fever. It's so high, she starts hallucinating.
  • Leah's not sure how long they're there for, before Rachel flies away with Eeben Axelroot and her mother leaves with Adah.
  • Anatole promises to send Leah home when she recovers, but Leah loves Anatole, and she wants to stay. Africa is now her home.