The Bean Trees : A Novel

Rating:
Summary: Simple & Sweet
Review: I first read Kingsolver's "The Poisonwood Bible" which I thought was a great book. "The Bean Trees" is her first, and although not as layered and thematic as "...Poisonwood", it still stands on it's own feet as a quiet, solid, well written story of a woman named Taylor Greer and the three year old American Indian girl named Turtle who comes into her life. Kingsolver manages to make the most simple moments full of wonder and heart felt honesty. Admittedly the book has the feel of a "chick book", and alot of guys would probably be turned off by it. Yet the themes of parenting, and belonging, love and personal growth to me ultimately transcends gender, and speaks of what it is to be human.

Rating:
Summary: It's a chick book...
Review: Taylor Greer, one of the few girls to manage to get out of a rural Kentucky high school without being pregnant ventures westward on a boondoggle that only a few brave teenagers get to try in their lifetimes and some adults only wish they had. Enroute to her westward destination, she has been involuntarily chosen to care for a baby left with her by an estranged woman. The two find themselves busted flat in Tucson, which becomes home and comes with an odd assortment of friends and acquaintances

Plain and simple, it's a chick book, dear reader. The majority of the characters are female and they act without reason or accountability. A few male characters enter the picture, only to be immediately described in some way as threatening or just plain, old bad. The one male character who the narrator of the story actually does speak kindly of is immediately liked for his exceptional good looks and his personality is a measure of all things that compliment his looks. His wife thinks so, too.

So there ya have it. A story that babbles on about women who approach things without reason or accountability and want for men and things that they can't or shouldn't logically have. Guys, skip this one, you'll be bored senseless.

Rating:
Summary: An interesting tale
Review: Barbara Kingsolver has a way of telling stories about people's everyday lives which causes the reader to become very interested and involved with the characters. In this book, young Taylor Greer has spent her adolescence in a rural area of Kentucky with her main objectives being to keep from getting pregnant and to complete high school. This accomplished, she decides after working in a local hospital for awhile that she needs to go to another place to live. On her way to her eventual destination, she is given a young Indian child by someone she meets on the way. Not sure of where she'll end up or what she will do with the young child, she continues her journey and manages to find a job, a place to live, and some friends. Another feature of Kingsolver books is that the reader is lulled with everyday occurances until something very monumental and sometimes unexpected happens. This book is true to form and a lurking background of dysfunction gives way to a promising future.

Rating:
Summary: A beautifully life affirming and uplifting novel
Review: Barbara Kingsolver is a wonderful novelist, honest and truthful in her observations and compassionate in the treatment of her subjects. She is also extremely funny and had me doubled up in stitches at the most unexpected moments. When she writes about social injustice, colonial prejudice or racial discrimination as she does in "The Bean Trees" ("BT"), she is disarmingly understated and all the more slyly suggestive and powerful in her delivery. BT, her debut novel, is a beautifully conceived little gem that will warm the cockles of your heart. As soon as Taylor drives off in her weatherbeaten car in search of a life and headed for nowhere, she find herself landed with an abandoned child of Indian (native) origin whom she names Turtle and with her in tow embarks on a journey of self discovery. As she travels in search of work and accommodation, she strikes up a friendship with a group of people including the bighearted Mattie, the mousy worrier and some time single mother Lou Ann, and the troubled Cherokee Indian couple, Estevan and Esperanza, who has lost their child. Not surprisingly, Turtle becomes a natural catalyst for the emotional catharsis they will each experience as their lives entwine, separate and unfold. In their own ways, they are transformed and healed by their friendship which has taught them what it means to be human. As the plot unrevels, you realize that there are just no stereotypes to humanity, the motto being "we should always be ready to be surprised". How else would you explain the role reversal in the positions of the confident Taylor and the insecure Lou Ann by the end of the novel ? Kingsolver's multiple name identities for her characters (eg, Estevan/Steven, Esperanza/Hope, Marietta/Taylor, etc) is also a subconcious metaphor for the myriad realities of life. I loved Kingsolver's balanced and finely judged prose, which has a steady clarity and lucidity about it that reaches its peak in the chapter about nature and the elements, preceding the telling of the terrible incident that set Turtle's recovery back. Kingsolver is obviously knowledgeable about botany and vegetation because she uses her expert knowledge to great effect. BT is serious, yet incredibly funny and life affirming in its values. I found reading it a thoroughly entertaining and uplifting experience and I highly recommend it to anybody who loves excellent and unpretentious writing.

Rating:
Summary: Excellent!
Review: The Bean Trees is a superbly crafted story of a young woman raised in a small Kentucky town. Upon finishing high school, Taylor sets out on a cross-country journey that lands her in Arizona. In route, she stops at a bar and encounters a woman who abandons her daughter on the seat of Taylor's car. Once in Arizona, Taylor is befriended by a woman who owns a tire repair shop that doubles as a safe haven for persecuted refugees. As Taylor searches out a life for herself and newly acquired daughter, she meets a host of people who serve as mentor, family and friend. She also begins to see the world from a perspective beyond that provided in small-town Kentucky. Through this lens, Taylor is able to see that people are connected by common experiences - different magnitudes, but common none the less - and that this commonality is the glue that keeps us connected.

Kingsolver has created a set of characters that give life and credibility to the novel. Her story telling ability is as creative as her writing. A master of the metaphor and a skilled technician with language, Kingsolver has written a coming-of-age story that differentiates itself with a focused critique of human rights violations and Immigration policy. A mature novel filled with wisdom and compassion; nature and nurture. After reading The Poisonwood Bible, I didn't think that any of her other work would measure up. The Bean Trees did. Enjoy!

Rating:
Summary: The Bean Trees
Review: I read this book for school, and from the first page, I knew this book would be different from any I've read. It's extremely insightful and passionate and the story is written so well. The main character, Taylor, starts off on a journey to get away from home, but ends up running into everything she ran away from. She meets new people, unexpectedly receives an abused child, and learns from mistakes and decisions for herself. From this she grows and experiences, and gains a new respect for life, love, and why she ended up where she is. I definitely recommend this to anyone who wants to read a great book.

Rating:
Summary: A Tale Of Feminism
Review: A sad tale of feminisim in which every man in a bad influence and every woman has something catastrophic occur in their lives. These woman are independent though, or at least they want to be. If your a woman who hates men, listens to Destiny's Child , or has ever shouted the phrase "GIRL POWER!", you'll love this book.

Rating:
Summary: My new favorite book!
Review: Best book I've ever read! I couldn't put it down! Read this-it will be a delight!

Rating:
Summary: A High School Students Opinion
Review: This novel was very innovating and moving. Barbara Kingsolver's usage of language and imagery made me feel like I myself was actually on this journey to Arizona. This novel was simply about a girl who leaves her small hometown to seek a new and different life. Yet, during her journey, she is given the responsibilty of being a mother to an abandoned Indian child. The two move to Arizona where they settle in, make new friends, and find themselves in some dangerous situations. I gave it 4 stars because of how touching and remarkable a book it was. Kingsolver is brilliant and made me want to read more. I applaud Barbara Kingsolver on all her techniques used, and unique story she told.

Rating:
Summary: A compelling novel!
Review: This story of Taylor Greer, a young woman looking to get out of her backwater town and make something of her life, who finds an abandoned Native American child she names Turtle, is touching and well-written.

Some moments sizzle with humor, and some are rich in description. Kingsolver's writing got a tad repetitious, but overall this was a compelling novel. The dark, important themes - abandonment, abuse, etc - are underscored by irony and humor, and the action is colored by interesting characters (Mattie, who owns Jesus Is Lord Tires, Lou Ann, the nesting, worrisome, recently abandoned mother, and many others.) Still, at times the book does tend to go off on tangents (when Taylor works at a burger place for a few days, when she's searching for an apartment and roommates and interviews with some drugged out hippies) and it's cluttered with too many subplots to count. But, whatever plot problems the story has, Kingsolver covers with style and good writing.

This is actually my favorite Kingsolver novel, personally, as I feel it's the most light-hearted (though it's still very meaningful) of her books.