1. Told from the point of view of the three daughters of the Reverend Nathan Price and his wife, it chronicles their experience as missionaries in Kilanga, Belgian Congo. You see the tribulations they face throughout the process, along with the repercussions that will last for the rest of their lives. Fanatically religious, Nathan Price rules as head of the Price family not with a soft heart but with an iron fist. The world of Africa is so different than their hometown in Georgia that it becomes increasingly difficult to adapt and simply survive each day in the sweltering heat or rain-soaked mud. In the midst of extreme famine and a disease-ridden country, Reverend Price takes it upon himself to baptize as many natives as possible, even at the cost of his family's lives. He becomes more and more obsessed with the idea and slowly loses his sanity in the process. After the tragic death of her youngest daughter, Ruth May, Orleanna finally reunites her family and moves on. Although Rachel and Leah choose to stay in Africa, and aim to get married to their “fiancé”. Only Adah and Orleanna return to Georgia. What follows is the story of the rest of their lives into adulthood and the different paths each of them took as a result of the Congo changing their lives forever. In an attempt at redemption for the death of Ruth May, all the women suffer from guilt and seek every opportunity to repent of their guilt.2. Nathan Price - An extremely devout Baptist preacher who took it upon himself to baptize all the people of Kilanga. Fanatic and a little crazy, he essentially sacrifices his family and puts the word of the Bible before his sanity. After being traumatized during World War II as a soldier, he ... middle of paper ... the way she received a strictly protected religious education. Leah is constantly unforgiving of herself, blaming her little ups and downs on her religious faith and the work of her almighty God. In the extremely uneducated Congo, it is natural for people to view every instance as an act of God. However, as Anatole reveals that God has nothing to do with Congo, as he believes that Congo is outside the jurisdiction of God and urges Leah to see him in a different light than that of her father, the only vision she has ever known. Through this explanation Leah is able to determine and possibly choose which reasoning she agrees with. The simplicity of "life happens" is demonstrated in Anatole's words and as Leah grows older she considers them a new religion, one she can identify with and transition into leaving behind the reverend's teachings...