What a lovely book. Kingsolver has such a way of describing nature. It is wonderful and always makes me want more. This book is a nice story about people caring for others. It made me want to hug someone and tell them everything will be alright. ( )

Small town girl leaves home, has a baby handed to her in her travels. Meets characters in her travels to help her care for Native Indian baby. Found the story line to be unbelievable in the strange characters she meets who help her look after the baby. Her relationship with her mother although strong , strange as she leaves her home and sets out with no goals. ( )

The Bean Trees is a fun book concerning issues a young, single, woman could face as she makes a life for herself. The protagonist, Taylor Greer is a witty girl who gives the book a light and intriguing story. She decides to leave her mundane life in Kentucky and start anew by taking a road trip cross country. She comes across a baby girl whom she names Turtle, and keeps her throughout her journey. Taylor learns about herself and matures in the story. She encounters several characters with whom she grows to love, and ends up creating a happy ending for herself with her new daughter.

Personally, I enjoyed reading this book. I found myself laughing out loud several times, and I was never bored. I would reccommend Kingsolver's book to females, because I feel it includes several themes that women would respond to better than men. This is a great book for anyone looking for an easy and relaxed read, and it offers insight on popular issues in America today. ( )

One of the best books about growing up and motherhood it has ever been my privilege to read. Kingsolver has a voice and she uses it in a very satisfactory way. ( )

Barbara Kingsolvers' first novel, "The Bean Trees" is a well written, fast read, that left me smiling. (Missy) Taylor Greer is the main character with two goals; to avois pregnancy and to get away from her poor Kentucky home. She takes on an American Indian child and ends up in Tucson at The Jesus is Lord Used Tires where she meets up with Mattie, Central American refugees, and Lu Ann. The characters are down to earth, gritty, and interesting. This is going to be one of my favorites! ( )

Tess Davis
August 23, 2009

The Bean Trees
The Bean Trees begins with the main character Taylor Greer, who I thought was a strong character for many reasons. She knew what she wanted in life, which did not include staying in Kentucky any longer, and that she did not want to become pregnant like all the other girls in her small town. Taylor wanted to escape and find adventure in life. Since the story was told from her point of view it made it very enjoyable to read because it was humorous and filled with her thoughts. She was independent and opinionated, yet did not seem very good at expressing affectionate emotions. I also thought Taylor Greer was very responsible because she cared for Turtle. Turtle was an abandoned child who was abused, that Taylor found and cared for. I thought it was funny how Taylor named the child Turtle because of how clingy she was, just like the mud turtles back at her home in Kentucky. It was heartbreaking to me that Turtle had been abused physically and sexually.
The character Lou Ann Ruiz was very different from Taylor. Lou Ann and Taylor became friends because Lou Ann needed a roommate when her husband left and Taylor and Turtle needed a place to stay. Lou Ann was sensitive, unlike Taylor, yet always seemed to be stressed or worried about something. Despite their differences these girls became friends right away. I thought of Lou Ann as a concerned and accountable mother who always put her baby son Dwayne Ray first. The aspect of this character I did not like was that she always seemed to be paranoid and a little uptight. However, both of these characters were from Kentucky, good friends to each other, and cared for a child.
A touching moment from the story was when Taylor selflessly helped a Guatemalan refugee couple, named Estevan and Esperanza escape to an illegal immigrant sanctuary. In return, the couple reciprocated; by pretending that they were Turtle’s parents so that Taylor could keep the baby and not lose her to social services. For me, this was one of the most moving chapters in the entire story. Despite having several great story lines and good character development, there were also two themes that were reoccurring throughout the book.
One theme that I found very important in this book was the role of women in society. Over many years women have had unequal treatment, compared to men, and have gone through many hardships, which I feel this book displays. At such a young age Turtle had been forced to face a terrible hardship and maybe if she wasn’t a woman she would not have had to go through that. The story also talked about how Lou Ann went through some troubles with men. Esperanza, a Guatemalan refugee, had already faced troubles that came with being a woman along with being an illegal immigrant. She had very limited education and little job opportunities compared to men, but she ended up overcoming her difficulties. Even though this book is set in the early 1980s in Arizona, I feel that women still face many of these struggles today. This story displays the many roles of women in general and not just as individuals.
Another significant theme I recognized in this book was the effect that nature and the environment have on everyday life. The character Mattie, who owned the tire shop that Taylor worked at, had a beautiful garden in the back of her shop. The beauty of this land made all who saw it respect the environment and care for other things as well. The garden and the bean trees symbolized the cycle of life. Crops would be planted and they would grow and flourish with the help of many things such as the sunlight, rain, and soil, just like the surroundings in our lives that help us grow. Then the plants would be harvested to eat. Finally, they would die off for the winter and come back in the spring, thus finishing the cycle of life.
I really enjoyed The Bean Trees because of the strong characters that were able to overcome many difficulties. I liked how the book was told through Taylor’s point of view because it showed that she has strengths and weaknesses just like everyone else. Lastly, the underlying themes of the book easily relate to everyday life and the struggles many people face throughout their lives.

We are first introduced to Taylor Greer and Turtle in this novel. Taylor is a carefree spirit, who leave Kentucky to head west to Arizona. She is left with an abandoned toddler, Turtle and is suddenly responsible for the welfare of this child. Kingsolver brings many interesting characters into this story, while infusing some real-life issues. Excellent book ( )

This is the first book that I've read by Barbara Kingsolver, and I wasn't impressed. She does have a beautiful knack for describing characters and their varying personalities, but it's as if she doesn't know what to do with them after they've been introduced. The actions don't match what she describes. She's very inconsistent. For instance; the main character is supposed to be very close to her mother, but rarely calls or writes. In fact, when her mom gets remarried, she doesn't even attend or visit. Doesn't this seem odd for such a close and tight relationship? She then supposedly found a friend in a girl at a fast food joint, but drops the friendship as soon as she's fired from the joint. Why introduce such a character and describe a fondness, then drop them like a hot potato? She then fell in "love" with Estevan; a man who is married and she barely knows. All she knows for certain is, "that he speaks fine English". Now, really...what a nitwit! Barbara Kingsolver portrays the main character as an independent young woman (at the beginning), but as soon as she's threatened with a little snag (Turtle being taken away) she becomes helpless...and uncaring. I felt that the only reason she kept and fought for Turtle was jealousy. As soon as she saw the love and adoration between Turtle and Esperanza, she realized that she wanted her?? The main character is completely selfish and this was a horrid story. I will give Barbara Kingsolver the benefit of the doubt and try one more book, but if she continues to tease me with her entry of lovely characters and then the unexplainable disappearance of them, I shall put her on my forever "do not read" list. ( )

I enjoyed this novel - not my favorite by Kingsolver, though. A young girl has just graduated from high school and leaves her mother behind (they are very close) to see what she can make of her future. At one of her stops, a woman approaches her car and gives her her baby. The girl doesn't really know what to do but can't say no. It is apparent that the baby has been horribly abused - she does not talk or laugh. She stops at a motel, where she is able to find work. Eventually, she gets on the road again. Her car breaks down, and she ends up a tire place where she again finds work. The owner of the tire place houses illegal immigrants and is a kind, no-nonsense woman. The girl moves in with a woman whose husband has just left her. This woman worries about everything and is very insecure. Her character is a very likable one. This is a story of this girl growing up and learning to trust herself and her instincts, while learning how to love this little baby and ease her out of the protective shell she has created.

An excellent novel! I loved Kingsolver's language, tone, characters and storyline. The book left me really happy and satisfied! I'm looking forward to reading the sequel! ( )

A gripping read, with great characters. Heartbreaking and heartwarming at the same time. ( )

http://baronette.free.fr/blog/index.p... ( )

Much inferior to her later works, this is nevertheless an engaging if lightweight read about failies and connections as we follow a young woman on a journey across America as she acquires a child, mother, and a sister, all more or less by accident. A fairly simple-minded plot provides minimal structure for a good character study. ( )

I read this as part of my job - I worked in the special services dept. at my local high school and I have to say, it's a good read! The way the author develops the characters is intriguing and kept my attention. I love the little girl's name (I love turtles!!!) and I think this book progressed in a wonderfully revealing way.

Miso ( )

I thoroughly enjoy Barbara Kingsolver's writing. Her characters are colorful and the voice always seems genuine. This was a sweet story about family, in whatever form it takes, and the fortitude of the human spirit. ( )

This novel was a little slow to start for me. Once I finished, though, this fact seemed fitting because the antagonist, Taylor, was also a little slow to figure out where her life was heading. Oftentimes, I find that many novels are either plot driven or character / relationally driven. This book is definitely relationally driven. Once I figured this out, I devoured it. Marietta Greer needs a drastic change in order to give her life direction. Once she decides to make this drastic change for herself, she leaves home determined to drive until her car wears out. Before long, Marietta is starting over with a new city (Tuscon), a new name (Taylor), and a new member of the family (a toddler abandoned in her car that she has named Turtle). As cheesy as it may sound, this book finds a not cheesy, but poignant way of illustrating how it is not the place around us, but the people around us that make us feel at home. ( )

My bad! I finished this book over a week ago and haven't gotten around to writing anything about it. I'm already well into the next book, and some of my memories of The Bean Trees have faded.

This is the second Kingsolver book I've read, the first being Prodigal Summer. I was going to get Animal Dreams, but it wasn't on the shelf. The Bean Trees was the next alphabetically, so I picked it up. It was a random, but lucky move.

I enjoyed this book. Barbara Kingsolver's characterization is FANTASTIC. I felt like I knew the characters: Taylor, who successfully navigated adolescence without dropping out of school or getting pregnant; Turtle, the 3-year-old child that is quite literally dropped onto her; Lou Ann, a young single mother whose personality and sense of quirky humor develop throughout the book; Esperanza and Esteban, a couple from Guatemala with a sad past. The book begins with the stories of Taylor and Lou Ann, eventually coming together in Arizona. Each with a child to support, they relate to each other despite their differences (Taylor's hardnosed drive and independent spirit; Lou Ann's silliness and insecurities) and help each other out.

It was a simple book. Not too overwhelming, it kind of took me along like an easygoing river. The outrageous things that happened made me raise my eyebrows, not fall back out of my chair. I finished it in about a week and enjoyed every minute of it.

I really like it when I find an author that I like - I can pick up any book by her and figure that it'll be worth reading. It's been a while since I've been able to do that - I'm excited to read the rest of her books, but I don't think I'll mindfully go towards her books. I think I'll just let them come into my life when they feel like it. ( )

This is an enjoyable story about a woman trying to find herself by escaping her life and moving to Arizona. At the same time Taylor does not want any responsibilities and suddenly finds herself the caretaker of a small, painfully quiet, abandoned little girl. As she starts trying to move on with her life, Taylor can't help but think that something horribly wrong has happened to the girl, who she names Turtle.
This is a beautiful story of the love and trust that Taylor and Turtle manage to find with each other, despite the odds and the problems they encounter.
You won't be disappointed in this wonderful book. And don't miss the sequel--Pigs From Heaven. ( )

Pretty good story of a young girl who adopts an Indian baby and moves to Oklahoma. ( )

Taylor (née Marietta) Greer was born into poverty in rural Kentucky but had the great good fortune of choosing a tough, loving, totally supportive mother, who cheered her on. Successful in her twin goals of avoiding pregnancy and escaping, driving a beat-up VW bug that has no working starter, Taylor starts her odyssey by crossing the Pittman County line, promising herself that she will keep driving west until her car just simply stops running.

This more or less comes to pass--but not until she has had thrust on her by the aunt an Indian baby girl outside a run-down diner in Oklahoma; the girl, whom Taylor estimates to be around 18 months old, has been sexually abused.

Not exactly sure what to do about the situation but feeling a curious bond with the child Taylor drives on with the child who never makes a sound until the VW gives up with not one but two flats in front of the Jesus is Lord Used Tire mart in Tuscon, Arizona.

Kingsolver has an amazing ability to write about the economic underclass that is composed of women and usually, in her stories,Native Americans as well. Set in the 70s or 80s (the timeframe isn’t clear), The Bean Trees is a remarkable story of survival--of tough women who learn to depend on “the kindness of strangers” but who also learn to depend on one another. It is also the time of the sanctuary movement in the US, started by Archbishop Raymond Hunthausen in Seattle, when churches of all denominations and people of all faiths quietly smuggled Central American refugees, illegal aliens, especially at that time from Guatemala,to safe houses and new lives in the US. The story of one such couple figures prominently in the book.

Kingsolver’s prose is off-beat, her dialogue true to character, and her humor wry, as befits the people and the situations she is describing. She manages to portray the life these people lead realistically--not as some rosy dawn that is about to break in their lives but as a struggle to survive but with hope and dignity. It is a remarkable achievement--to be able to entertain but do so in a way that illuminates lives that are a far cry from those that most of us live and do so empathetically and with humor.

Highly recommended. ( )

My daughter read this for her 8th grade class, and I felt inspired to read it so we could talk about it together (what a treat!). It's a really sweet story, and I enjoyed it. Had I read it when I was younger, I probably would have given it a higher rating. I liked it enough that I would read Pigs in Heaven, which continues the story. The characters are interesting and endearing, and the book is well written. These days, however, I prefer books with a bit more ambiguity, and without so much of a hard-hitting lesson to convey. This is a perfect book for young adults, and I like the sentiments it delivers. ( )

I really enjoyed my first Barbara Kingsolver. I can hardly wait to listen to "Pigs in Heaven." The characters are fully explored and there is enough drama and humor to make it enjoyable. ( )

I read this book twice, several years apart, and both times it made me laugh out loud.

I read this book twice, several years apart, and both times it made me laugh out loud.

This definitely isn't a novel that I expected to love. I mean, what could the tale of a woman starting a cross-country trip to find herself, illegal immigrants, and accidental motherhood have to do with me? A whole lot more than I would expect, it turns out.

Marietta Greer grew up in one of the poorest areas in Kentucky, in one of the poorest situations. Little by little, she begins to realize that she can change her own life. She buys a car and starts driving, forming her life on accidents as they come. Her new name is chosen by a city she stops in; she adopts a daughter because of where she grabbed dinner. A place to live is determined by things out of her control as well. She becomes paired with Lou Ann, who thought her life was just about perfect until her husband decided that he was worthless and made Lou Ann feel that she was as well.

The Bean Trees is much about families in any form they take, and the acknowledgment that sometimes the best families are the ones we create ourselves. The protagonist surrounds herself with strong friends, and it was surprising how well Lou Ann and Marietta balance each other. The women have little intrinsically in common but form their basis for a relationship through accidents in a way that somehow comes out stronger than a mutual interest. Kingsolver likens these bonds to an invisible web, and points out that they are no less a miracle than all of the many rebirths in the novel's pages.

Kingsolver slips humor into unexpected places, making the laughter seem more realistic. Literature buffs will also enjoy tracing the less obvious themes that pop up in the novels, but it is by no means necessary to think about symbolism to "get" the book. The novel isn't fast-paced but is a page turned because you learn to care for the characters as they learn more about each other. The Bean Trees is told through the lens of women working together, but anyone who has their own "found family" will see themselves in the novel quite easily. ( )