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Picking up where her modern classic The Bean Trees left off, Barbara Kingsolver's bestselling Pigs in Heaven continues the tale of Turtle and Taylor Greer, a Native American girl and her adoptive mother who have settled in Tucson, Arizona, as they both try to overcome their difficult pasts. Taking place three years after The Bean Trees, Taylor is now dating a musician named Jax and has officially adopted Turtle. But when a lawyer for the Cherokee Nation begins to investigate the show more adoption-their new life together begins to crumble. Depicting the clash between fierce family love and tribal law, poverty and means, abandonment and belonging, Pigs in Heaven is a morally wrenching, gently humorous work of fiction that speaks equally to the head and the heart. show lessTags
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[Pigs in Heaven] by Barbara Kingsolver is the sequel to [The Bean Trees]. It's three years later. Turtle does something pretty remarkable that catches the eyes of Oprah Winfrey's minions. She and her mother appear on Oprah's TV show, where Annawake Fourkiller sees them and immediately recognizes Turtle as Cherokee. Annawake is Cherokee and a recently minted attorney who gloms onto what she sees as a child improperly separated from the tribe. She feels compelled to interfere with a mother-daughter bond to enforce a tribal bond. She reviews Oklahoma's adoption paperwork and arranges to meet Taylor Greer at her home in Tucson.
Standing in Taylor's kitchen, coffee in hand, Annawake begins their conversation with an admission:
Annawake tells Taylor of the Indian Child Welfare Act, which was enacted in 1978 because so many Indian kids were being separated from their families and put into non-Indian homes.
No sooner does the dust settle behind Annawake Fourkiller's departing rental car than Taylor is packing her car and departing Tucson with Turtle, the beginning of an odyssey to Las Vegas, Lake Tahoe, and on to the Pacific Northwest. At each stop, Taylor's resources and options dwindle.
This confrontation between maternal commitment and tribal rights is the linchpin of the plot. Yes, we read about Lucky Buster and his mother; about Barbie, who's obsessed with the outfits marketed for the doll she's named and modelled herself after; about Steve Kant, the wheelchair-bound air traffic controller. There's Gundi, Taylor's landlady, a quirky artist who's as likely as not to roam about her rental cottages in the buff. These are rich and entertaining characters. Kingsolver's a master of character and dialogue.
In the end, I felt disappointed because while the plot rummaged through the difficult, divisive, often (usually?) sorrowful issues of heritage, family, parenthood, and adoption, the characters were contrived and the plot manipulated to produce a heartwarming, everybody-wins finish. The solution in such circumstances is to have distant, dormant, unlikely-but-damned-convenient family relationships.
Bahh. show less
Standing in Taylor's kitchen, coffee in hand, Annawake begins their conversation with an admission:
show more
"I'm sorry," she
tells Taylor, "I've misled you…I'm not a reporter. I'm an attorney… I work in an office that does a lot of work for the Cherokee Nation. That's what I want to talk with you about. Turtle's adoption might not be valid."
Taylor's cup stops an inch from her lips, and for nearly half a minute she does not appear to breathe.
Annawake tells Taylor of the Indian Child Welfare Act, which was enacted in 1978 because so many Indian kids were being separated from their families and put into non-Indian homes.
"I don't mean to scare you," Annawake says quietly. "But I want you to have some background on the problem. We need to make sure our laws are respected."
Taylor turns around and faces Annawake, her hair wheeling. "I didn't take Turtle from any family, she was dumped on me. Dumped. She'd already lost her family, and she'd been hurt in ways I can't even start to tell you without crying. Sexual ways. Your people let her fall through the crack and she was in bad trouble. She couldn't talk, she didn't walk, she had the personality of—I don't know what. A bruised apple. Nobody wanted her." Taylor's hands are shaking. She crosses her arms in front of her chest and slumps forward a little in the manner of a woman heavily pregnant.
"And now that she's a cute little adorable child and gets famous and goes on television, now you want her back."
"This has nothing to do with Turtle being on television. Except that it brought her to our attention." Annawake looks away and thinks about her tone. Lawyer words will not win any cases in this kitchen. She is not so far from Oklahoma. "Please don't panic. I'm only telling you that your adoption papers may not be valid because you didn't get approval from the tribe. You need that. It might be a good idea to get it."
"And what if they won't give it?"
Annawake can't think of the right answer to that question.
Taylor demands, "How can you possibly think this is in Turtle's best interest?"
"How can you think it's good for a tribe to lose its children!" Annawake is startled by her own anger—she has shot without aiming first. Taylor is shaking her head back and forth, back and forth.
"I'm sorry, I can't understand you. Turtle is my daughter. If you walked in here and asked me to cut off my hand for a good cause, I might think about it. But you don't get Turtle."
"There's the child's best interest and the tribe's best interest, and I'm trying to think of both things."
"Horseshit." Taylor turns away, facing the window.
No sooner does the dust settle behind Annawake Fourkiller's departing rental car than Taylor is packing her car and departing Tucson with Turtle, the beginning of an odyssey to Las Vegas, Lake Tahoe, and on to the Pacific Northwest. At each stop, Taylor's resources and options dwindle.
This confrontation between maternal commitment and tribal rights is the linchpin of the plot. Yes, we read about Lucky Buster and his mother; about Barbie, who's obsessed with the outfits marketed for the doll she's named and modelled herself after; about Steve Kant, the wheelchair-bound air traffic controller. There's Gundi, Taylor's landlady, a quirky artist who's as likely as not to roam about her rental cottages in the buff. These are rich and entertaining characters. Kingsolver's a master of character and dialogue.
In the end, I felt disappointed because while the plot rummaged through the difficult, divisive, often (usually?) sorrowful issues of heritage, family, parenthood, and adoption, the characters were contrived and the plot manipulated to produce a heartwarming, everybody-wins finish. The solution in such circumstances is to have distant, dormant, unlikely-but-damned-convenient family relationships.
Bahh. show less
This is a truly wonderful book but then I've come to expect no less of Barbara Kingsolver. It tells the story of Turtle, a young Cherokee girl, who was handed to a young white women in a parking lot in the middle of the night. Her mother had died in an accident and her aunt, who had been caring for her, was in an abusive relationship. Her boyfriend was also abusing Turtle and the aunt felt the only way of protecting Turtle was to hand her to this stranger. Luckily for Turtle, the stranger was able to bond with Turtle (who was called that because for a long time she held on tightly to her adoptive mother just like a snapping turtle) and ended up formally adopting her. Then Turtle comes to national attention on the Oprah show and a young show more attorney for the Cherokee Nation decides the adoption was illegal and Turtle should be returned to her people. I can't reveal what comes next without spoiling the ending but I was torn between supporting the adoptive mother and agreeing that Turtle should not be separated from her roots. There are lots of great characters in the book and for that alone the book is worth reading. But the larger issues of separating native children from their tribes and child abuse and deciding what is in a child's best interest are very important themes that make the book especially important. show less
3.5 stars
Taylor adopted a little Native girl, 3-year old Turtle, after Turtle was "dumped" on her by a stranger saying to take care of her. When Turtle is 6, something happens to bring the two of them into the limelight, and they are noticed by Annawake, a Cherokee lawyer who insists the adoption is illegal and sets out to bring Turtle back to the Cherokee Nation and to her roots.
It was a bit slow at times, but whenever Taylor and Annawake interacted, I was riveted. But, there wasn't enough of that for me. I thought the ending was a little too nice and neat for me, very unrealistic, I thought. I liked some of the characters, well, particularly one: Taylor's boyfriend, Jax, who was quirky, but very likeable. Overall, it was still good, show more but I think it could have been better, although I don't know how I would have wanted it to end, but it just wasn't realistic enough for me. show less
Taylor adopted a little Native girl, 3-year old Turtle, after Turtle was "dumped" on her by a stranger saying to take care of her. When Turtle is 6, something happens to bring the two of them into the limelight, and they are noticed by Annawake, a Cherokee lawyer who insists the adoption is illegal and sets out to bring Turtle back to the Cherokee Nation and to her roots.
It was a bit slow at times, but whenever Taylor and Annawake interacted, I was riveted. But, there wasn't enough of that for me. I thought the ending was a little too nice and neat for me, very unrealistic, I thought. I liked some of the characters, well, particularly one: Taylor's boyfriend, Jax, who was quirky, but very likeable. Overall, it was still good, show more but I think it could have been better, although I don't know how I would have wanted it to end, but it just wasn't realistic enough for me. show less
I am always struck by how good Kingsolver is when I start one of her books. I don't know why I forget this in between. In all of Kingsolver's books that I have read she does a great job depicting women and women's community (something I am often impatient with but which rings absolutely true for me in her books), and in Pigs in Heaven the juggling of multiple character points of view and of multiple ways of seeing the world--and the way the reader is made to empathize with all of them--is particularly well done.
Pigs in Heaven is the 1993 sequel to Barbara Kingsolver’s The Bean Trees and it continues the story of Taylor Greer and her adopted Cherokee daughter, Turtle. When Turtle and Taylor rescue a man at the Hoover Dam, the media attention brings Turtle to the attention of lawyer Annawake Fourkiller, who believes that the child should be returned to the Cherokee Nation. When the adoption proves to be questionable and Turtle is proven to have a Cherokee grandfather who is looking for her, Taylor responds by first grabbing her daughter and running away. She eventually realizes that this nomad life is no way to bring up a child and with the help of her mother, returns to Oklahoma to fight for custody of her daughter.
This was another excellent show more story by Kingsolver who highlights the strong relationships between mothers and daughters with both Taylor and Turtle, and Taylor and Alice, her own mother. The author also gives attention to the customs, history and present living conditions of the Cherokee Nation. Taylor’s mother, Alice plays a large part in the story and this fantastic character helped give the book depth and humor. All the characters were well-rounded and most were truly intent on seeing to the child’s best interest.
Barbara Kingsolver is indeed a first class storyteller and Pigs in Heaven was a great conclusion to Taylor and Turtle’s story. I listened to an audio version narrated by C. J. Critt who did an outstanding job of bring this story to life. Even though the ending was a little too idealistic, I totally loved this story and I am looking forward to exploring more of this author’s works. show less
This was another excellent show more story by Kingsolver who highlights the strong relationships between mothers and daughters with both Taylor and Turtle, and Taylor and Alice, her own mother. The author also gives attention to the customs, history and present living conditions of the Cherokee Nation. Taylor’s mother, Alice plays a large part in the story and this fantastic character helped give the book depth and humor. All the characters were well-rounded and most were truly intent on seeing to the child’s best interest.
Barbara Kingsolver is indeed a first class storyteller and Pigs in Heaven was a great conclusion to Taylor and Turtle’s story. I listened to an audio version narrated by C. J. Critt who did an outstanding job of bring this story to life. Even though the ending was a little too idealistic, I totally loved this story and I am looking forward to exploring more of this author’s works. show less
Warning: Spoilers for The Bean Trees.
As I noted in my review of The Bean Trees, I was bothered by the plot device of the Cherokee child conveniently acquired without strings, and an adoption made legal by a deception that coopted other people. The sequel aims to fix this situation.
On a trip to the Hoover Dam, Turtle watches a man drop into a spillway and wonders how he’ll get out. Taylor didn’t see, but trusts that her daughter doesn’t make stuff up, so she pesters officials until someone pays attention and the man is rescued. Turtle becomes a local celebrity and is invited onto Oprah, where she is noticed by Annawake, a lawyer for the Cherokee Nation. Annawake checks out the adoption story and discovers a glaring discrepancy: show more Taylor said on TV that Turtle was given to her by the sister of the dead mother, but the official adoption papers are signed by a couple claiming to be the birth parents. Either way is a violation of the Indian Child Welfare Act, which stipulates that the decision belongs to the tribe.
Annawake drops in on Taylor in Tucson. Taylor panics and sets off with Turtle, keeping in touch with boyfriend Jax. Taylor’s mother Alice in Kentucky leaves her uncommunicative husband and joins Taylor and Turtle on the road. Annawake sends a letter explaining the law and the problems it is meant to remedy, which Jax opens and reads over the phone. Alice is sympathetic and figures she can visit cousin Sugar who married a Cherokee, and with whom she shares a Cherokee grandmother, to see what’s what. Cash, retreated from his Cherokee origins to Wyoming for a few years after family deaths and estrangements, is prompted by a disillusioning incident to return home and maybe find what happened to his granddaughter. So now Taylor is on the lam with Turtle realizing the perils of being alone, Alice is a welcome guest realizing the comforts of an extended family, and Annawake is trying to balance law and people. This is all a bit spoilerish, but the relevance of the strands is obvious early on. The essence of the novel is abundant humanity with a neatly wrapped package at the end.
So it’s a novel, and coincidental resolution is satisfying, but the loose ends are irritating. Where are Estevan and Esperanza, dramatically crucial to the adoption? They rate a sentence. Turtle was abused and that’s just kinda let go. It’s individual versus community, with colorful characters and a subplot of lactose intolerance. Oh, and also it’s told in present tense, so every time I picked up the book I was simultaneously looking forward to the story and bracing to readjust to the style. show less
As I noted in my review of The Bean Trees, I was bothered by the plot device of the Cherokee child conveniently acquired without strings, and an adoption made legal by a deception that coopted other people. The sequel aims to fix this situation.
On a trip to the Hoover Dam, Turtle watches a man drop into a spillway and wonders how he’ll get out. Taylor didn’t see, but trusts that her daughter doesn’t make stuff up, so she pesters officials until someone pays attention and the man is rescued. Turtle becomes a local celebrity and is invited onto Oprah, where she is noticed by Annawake, a lawyer for the Cherokee Nation. Annawake checks out the adoption story and discovers a glaring discrepancy: show more Taylor said on TV that Turtle was given to her by the sister of the dead mother, but the official adoption papers are signed by a couple claiming to be the birth parents. Either way is a violation of the Indian Child Welfare Act, which stipulates that the decision belongs to the tribe.
Annawake drops in on Taylor in Tucson. Taylor panics and sets off with Turtle, keeping in touch with boyfriend Jax. Taylor’s mother Alice in Kentucky leaves her uncommunicative husband and joins Taylor and Turtle on the road. Annawake sends a letter explaining the law and the problems it is meant to remedy, which Jax opens and reads over the phone. Alice is sympathetic and figures she can visit cousin Sugar who married a Cherokee, and with whom she shares a Cherokee grandmother, to see what’s what. Cash, retreated from his Cherokee origins to Wyoming for a few years after family deaths and estrangements, is prompted by a disillusioning incident to return home and maybe find what happened to his granddaughter. So now Taylor is on the lam with Turtle realizing the perils of being alone, Alice is a welcome guest realizing the comforts of an extended family, and Annawake is trying to balance law and people. This is all a bit spoilerish, but the relevance of the strands is obvious early on. The essence of the novel is abundant humanity with a neatly wrapped package at the end.
So it’s a novel, and coincidental resolution is satisfying, but the loose ends are irritating. Where are Estevan and Esperanza, dramatically crucial to the adoption? They rate a sentence. Turtle was abused and that’s just kinda let go. It’s individual versus community, with colorful characters and a subplot of lactose intolerance. Oh, and also it’s told in present tense, so every time I picked up the book I was simultaneously looking forward to the story and bracing to readjust to the style. show less
Another fine Kingsolver story. I initially avoided reading her books, despite recommendations from people I kind-of knew! The reason I avoided them was that they sounded too heavily laden with socio-political messages, and I don't read fiction to be preached at. However, what I've found is that this author is remarkably skillful in creating characters and situations with which I could identify and become emotionally involved, despite their apparent distance from my own situation. This story is a classic example. The obvious target audience groups are mothers and native americans, and to neither of which do I belong. Kingsolver sets up a story of Cherokee versus mother, but she does it in such a way that this reader felt equally drawn to show more both sides. The justice of both the mother's position and the Indian's position is made evident and we can't see how this can resolve satisfactorily. Of course the conclusion doesn't have to be completely satisfactory, because life isn't like that, but nonetheless, Kingsolver's ultimate message is that love does have the power to take us beyond motherhood or genetic ancestry. Yes, the last couple of chapters did move me to tears, but I'm that sort of person I guess. It definitely helped, but wasn't essential, to read "The Bean Trees" first. This was especially true because it set up the (geographic) landscape for me, a non-American. That landscape (both urban and rural) and the way it affects the people's lives is a major issue in these books, I think. show less
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ThingScore 63
The case for community is so one-sided and the outcome so predictable that the reader begins to suffocate in all the sweetness. You begin to cringe at treacly lines like "Heaven's on down the trail a little bit" and "I oftentimes have communication problems with my heart." Ms. Kingsolver is oftentimes a talented, funny writer in "Pigs in Heaven," but after a while you begin to wish she would show more invent a Hell, Okla., and make a case for living there, too. show less
added by jlelliott
Barbara Kingsolver's terrific new novel, "Pigs in Heaven," picks up where her highly acclaimed first novel, "The Bean Trees," left off. In this heart-twisting sequel, her feisty young heroine, Taylor Greer, is faced with the possibility of losing her 6-year-old daughter, Turtle.
added by jlelliott
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Author Information
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Barbara Kingsolver was born on April 8, 1955 in Annapolis, Maryland and grew up in Eastern Kentucky. As a child, Kingsolver used to beg her mother to tell her bedtime stories. She soon started to write stories and essays of her own, and at the age of nine, she began to keep a journal. After graduating with a degree in biology form De Pauw show more University in Indiana in 1977, Kingsolver pursued graduate studies in biology and ecology at the University of Arizona in Tucson. She earned her Master of Science degree in the early 1980s. A position as a science writer for the University of Arizona soon led Kingsolver into feature writing for journals and newspapers. Her articles have appeared in a number of publications, including The Nation, The New York Times, and Smithsonian magazines. In 1985, she married a chemist, becoming pregnant the following year. During her pregnancy, Kingsolver suffered from insomnia. To ease her boredom when she couldn't sleep, she began writing fiction Barbara Kingsolver's first fiction novel, The Bean Trees, published in 1988, is about a young woman who leaves rural Kentucky and finds herself living in urban Tucson. Since then, Kingsolver has written other novels, including Holding the Line, Homeland, and Pigs in Heaven. In 1995, after the publication of her essay collection High Tide in Tucson: Essays from Now or Never, Kingsolver was awarded an Honorary Doctorate of Letters from her alma mater, De Pauw University. Her latest works include The Lacuna and Flight Behavior. Barbara's nonfiction book, Animal, Vegetable, Miracle was written with her family. This is the true story of the family's adventures as they move to a farm in rural Virginia and vow to eat locally for one year. They grow their own vegetables, raise their own poultry and buy the rest of their food directly from farmers markets and other local sources. (Bowker Author Biography) show less
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Common Knowledge
- Canonical title*
- Les cochons au paradis
- Original title
- Pigs in Heaven
- Original publication date
- 1993 (1e édition originale américaine) (1e édition originale américaine); 1996-12-01 (1e traduction et édition française, Littérature étrangère, Rivages) (1e traduction et édition française, Littérature étrangère, Rivages); 1998-04-07 (Rééditio française, Poche, Littérature étrangère, Rivages) (Rééditio française, Poche, Littérature étrangère, Rivages)
- People/Characters
- Taylor Greer; Turtle Greer; Alice Greer; Annawake Fourkiller; Jax Thibodeaux; Cash Stillwater (show all 7); Sugar Hornbuckle
- Important places
- Heaven, Oklahoma, USA; Tucson, Arizona, USA
- Dedication
- For Camille
- First words
- Women on their own run in Alice's family.
- Last words
- (Click to show. Warning: May contain spoilers.)It's all over now but the shouting.
*Some information comes from Common Knowledge in other languages. Click "Edit" for more information.
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