and lived briefly in the former Republic of Congo in her early childhood. Kingsolver earned degrees in biology at DePauw University
and the University of Arizona
and worked as a freelance writer before she began writing novels. Her widely known works include The Poisonwood Bible
, the tale of a missionary family in the Congo, and Animal, Vegetable, Miracle, a non-fiction account of her family's attempts to eat locally.
Her work often focuses on topics such as social justice, biodiversity and the interaction between humans and their communities and environments.
At some point in my life I'd honestly hoped love would rescue me from the cold, drafty castle I lived in. But at another point, much earlier I think, I'd quietly begun to hope for nothing at all in the way of love, so as not to be disappointed. It works. It gets to be a habit.
He was wounded. I suppose some sharp thing in me wanted to sting him, for making me need him now. After he'd once cut me to the edge of what a soul will bear. But that was senseless.... I looked at this grown-up Loyd and tried to make sense of him, seeing clearly that he was too sweet to survive around me. I would go to my grave expecting the weapon in the empty hand.
Libraries are the one American institution you shouldn't rip off.
Every minute with a child takes seven minutes off your life.
It kills you to see them grow up. But I guess it would kill you quicker if they didn't.
A wife is the earth itself, changing hands, bearing scars.
Her body moved with the frankness that comes from solitary habits. But solitude is only a human presumption. Every quiet step is thunder to beetle life underfoot; every choice is a world made new for the chosen. All secrets are witnessed.
We're animals. We're born like every other mammal and we live our whole lives around disguised animal thoughts.