Orleanna Price

Orleanna Price is the mother of the Price family, and the wife of Nathan Price. Orleanna is one of five narrators of The Poisonwood Bible, and narrates the beginning of every smaller book within the novel. Her main role as a narrator is to fill in the blanks on what happened before, and after the Congo. After Nathan returned from the war, his new persona slowly broke down Orleanna until she became much too passive to ever stand up to her husband. Orleanna is aware that Nathan is hurting her children's innocence, and blames herself for their loss of their childhood, but does nothing to try to stop it. Nearing the end of the novel, only after the death of one of her children does she stand up to Nathan by leaving the Congo with her three remaining children. During her last narration, Orleanna asks her lost child for forgiveness, and states that she is still consumed with guilt over what happened in the Congo.