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The Bean Trees Barbara Kingsolver 9780812474947 Books

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The Bean Trees Barbara Kingsolver 9780812474947 Books

I'm sad to say I was never assigned The Bean Trees while in high school as many people were, and yet at the same time I might not have appreciated it as much as I have at this point in my life. The book is beautifully written, and the characters are easily relatable, as well as lovable. I was quickly captivated by this coming of age story and the main character's profound journey into motherhood.
I highly recommend this to anyone with heart. You will laugh, cry, worry and feel a sense of relief and accomplishment as each struggle evolves into a life lesson worthy of contemplation.


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The Bean Trees Barbara Kingsolver 9780812474947 Books Reviews

I read this for high school and remembered this for it's language and it's protagonist leaving one life for another. Now, I decided to read this again, just for the sake of reading. The characters were what set me up to be interested in this story again. Taylor, sarcastic and deadpan, is the star of the book. Her narration reminds me of a high school girl and her trials and tribulations of raising a Native American girl (named Turtle) is the prime reason to read this book. The supporting characters do their job well. Lou Ann Ruiz is a divorce reconstructing her life when she meets Taylor, Mattie is the boss of a mechanics that specializes in tires that Taylor works at, and a couple later joins the cast as well (forgive me for not knowing their names, I have not gotten there yet.) The story isn't perfect, though. As much as I should know about their pasts, I felt that men got the short end of the stick, but I haven't fully read the book yet, so I might not know. Another is in later in the book. I won't spoil it, but it left me with a small taste that made me shudder. If you like books that have a spunky female lead that takes place in the past, give it a read.
This was my first book from Barbara Kingsolver, and I really like her style. It is always fun to read about the places I've been to, because it keeps my attention. The main character is a young woman, traveling out in the world to make it on her own, when she receives the gift of a little girl. The people, who had the girl were not good to her, so a Good Samaritan got her out of that world. This leads to an adventure, gaining more new friends, as they get to AZ. I thought I knew what was going to happen, and then she surprised me. A very good book.
This cleverly written, engrossing tale of Marietta/Taylor Greer's escape from her birthplace in Kentucky, and what eventually happens to her in Arizona.
The story (and it's a good story) is about family, friendship and our responsibilities as people.
To give an example of Kingsolver's style (of which I have long been a fan) her description of Taylor's first stop, a bar in Oklahoma
"..and the black grease on the back of the stove looked like it had been there since the Dawn of Man. The air in there was so hot and stale it felt like I had to breathe it twice to get any oxygen out of it." - p. 21

At this point Taylor is 'given' an Indian baby girl - whom she callsTurtle.

And this, a description of the house she ends up sharing with Lou Ann and her baby Dwayne Rae
"The house was old and roomy, there was plenty of space for Turtle's bed in my room. It was the type of house they called a "rambling bungalow" (the term reminded me somehow of Elvis Presley movies) with wainscoting and steam radiators and about fifty coats of paint on the door frames..." - p. 191

SPOILER ALERT!

Taylor has a job, and gets to know two Guatemalan refugees who are being helped by Mattie, Taylor's boss. Now Taylor is starting to understand the sort of problems other people face, and so when she decides to try to sort out her own legal standing with Turtle, she volunteers to take Estevan and Esperanza with her.

This scene where the Guatemalans are posing as Turtle's natural parents, giving Taylor permission to adopt her, was heart-wrenching
"Esperanza...held her against her chest, rocking back and forth for a very long time with her eyes squeezed shut...the rest of us watched... Here was a mother and her daughter, nothing less. A mother and child - in a world that could barely be bothered with mothers and children - who were going to be taken apart. Everybody believed it." - p. 291

How appropriate for this time!
Barbara Kingsolver is an amazing writer. I have loved some of her books and been unable to read some, so I never can approach her knowing what is coming. This book along with "Pigs in Heaven" is one of my favorites. She loves and respects the characters and even the landscape becomes a living part of the story. There is a great tenderness among these people. There is a villain in the background but we are never introduced to him, only to the pain he has caused, and one damaged ex. Everyone else is just a decent human trying to make his or her way. BTW, there is an audio version of this which reminded me just how much I loved it, which is why I bought a new copy of the book.
I'm sad to say I was never assigned The Bean Trees while in high school as many people were, and yet at the same time I might not have appreciated it as much as I have at this point in my life. The book is beautifully written, and the characters are easily relatable, as well as lovable. I was quickly captivated by this coming of age story and the main character's profound journey into motherhood.
I highly recommend this to anyone with heart. You will laugh, cry, worry and feel a sense of relief and accomplishment as each struggle evolves into a life lesson worthy of contemplation.