OPHELIA/ORLANDO: discussing THE POISONWOOD BIBLE with ~ELIZABETH SUAREZ!!~

WELCOME to the Ophelia Orlando Hour!!! Our very FIRST episode is a really long, chaotic and deep convo with one of my best best friends, ELIZABETH SUAREZ!! We are talking about Barbara Kingsolver's beautiful book, The Poisonwood Bible.
This book was recommended to me by my astrologer, shoutout to him!! It couldn't have hit harder, couldn't have connected more to so much of how I feel about the world and women, family, fathers, colonialism, whiteness, surviving and loving as a mother and child, strength, weakness, corruption, beauty... and it's just gorgeously written. I wanted to start off reading quotes but realized I would just be reading the whole book out loud.
YES... this is a long convo and it may not make a ton of sense if you haven't read The Poisonwood Bible!! Just starting off here, so please receive this effort in its imperfections :) Hope you enjoy any bit of it you catch and stick around for more great book and movie discussions.
AI had this to say about our conversation: "They explore themes of colonialism, family bonds, women's roles, and personal growth, while sharing personal reflections and insights. Kate emphasizes the power of poetry and the importance of women's voices in literature and film." That sounds pretty good!! Here are some timecodes!!
00:00 Introduction to the Ophelia Orlando Hour
00:28 Meet Kate Phillips: Filmmaker and Book Lover
00:46 Why Ophelia and Orlando?
02:43 Film Bro Culture and Overlooked Movies
03:58 The Power of Poetry and Books
08:22 Discussion with Elizabeth: Technical Glitches and All
10:25 Analyzing Characters and Themes
13:03 White "Mission Trip" Culture
30:57 The Archetype of Prosperity
31:36 Congo's Resistance to Western Ways
32:27 The Flattening of Culture
33:36 White Woman's Perspective on Africa
35:11 Sisterly Reflections
35:25 Character Identification: Leah and Rachel
39:23 Leah's Complex Relationship with Authority
51:14 The Night of the Ants
54:21 Mother's Betrayal and Survival
01:04:01 The Power of the Earth
01:05:06 Concluding Thoughts on The Poisonwood Bible