Rating: 
Summary: Enchanting book
Review: A friend encouraged me to read this book, as a "change of pace" from my usual choice of reading material. I have to say, it was an enchanting book. Kingsolver's style is very readable. Her use of dialect creates characters that are both three dimensional and enjoyable. Her attention to the small details of environment instill a strong sense of visual reality to what she describes and elicit an emotional commitment from the reader with a success that many authors fail to acheive. The journey of Tayler, nee Mariette, Greer is one not only through the landscape or even through time, but through life's experiences. She seems to grow in depth as she takes on each new challenge. Her involvement with others and their dependence on her show a strength that many of us would like to claim as our own. A very companionable book.
Rating: 
Summary: A Charming Novel
Review: One of the greatest novels written in a long while about womanhood, coming-of-age, and real life. Very funny and smart, it is as passionate about Southern culture as Shakespeare's works were of English life!
Rating: 
Summary: The Bean Trees
Review: The book started off a bit vague, lacking something necessary to hold my attention. Once past the second chapter the characters lives picked up and the plot became more interesting, the chapters had a tendency to skip between two characters toward the begining, this left me confused where these characters would later coralate in the book when finally as the climax came their paths crossed, and I found the book to be quite enjoyable.
Rating: 
Summary: The Bean Trees
Review: I have tried to read this book, and could not get past the 2nd chapter. I found this book very shallow and unreal. Being in a bookclub I was forced to read it, however I just started skimming through, and this was also a waste of time. I did not enjoy the book or like the characters. In today's society, a free-spirited, independent person would not have just taken someone else's child without a care in the world for herself or the child. Our club suggested reading the sequence, Pigs in Heaven, which by some great blessing was vetoed. I could not have even skimmed another book continuing with these people.
Rating:
Summary: Barbara Kingsolver is the queen of smooth transitions
Review: Barbara Kingsolver is the queen of smooth transitions. She can gather idiosyncrasies, cultures, ethnicities, languages, philosophies, and interweave them in a story with no seams. And it works! A common flaw that I find in contemporary novels is that sometimes the author brings in situations or characters, deals with them for one and a half pages, and never brings them back for the rest of the book. BK develops characters and plots deeply, and does readers like me a big favor by not leaving us with more questions than it is necessary. This is a beautiful book, and a good introduction to the works of BK. I enjoy the presence of nature throughout the pages (BK has a background in Biology/Botany, and nature is a common focus point in her books). She is also very concerned about those less fortunate than us, and makes her point clear with the characters of Esteban and Esperanza, the Guatemalan refugees. The sequel to this book, Pigs in Heaven, is my least favorite of her books, and I found it miles away from this one.
Rating: 
Summary: Kingsolver at her best (and that is sad)
Review: I just reread this book on a return flight from Italy. I fell in love with the characters Taylor Greet(Greer) and Turtle many years ago. These are two characters I often think about when I see press reports about single parenthood.(Why?) The book is just as fresh and real today as ever(Liar). Thanks to the talent of a terrific writer this book should be considered as a classic, must-read for all young people(This woman is either drunk or not sober).
Rating:
Summary: touching
Review: Barbara Kinsolver has written a very touching story about family, friendship, love and strength. Almost all the characters are women and it is wonderful to see how they all grow in their own ways! Turtle is so precious and fragile, you want to pick her up and hug her! I love this book, it is a story that can make you believe in the goodness of people.
Rating:
Summary: Kingslover at her best
Review: I just reread this book on a return flight from Italy. I fell in love with the characters Taylor Greet and Turtle many years ago. These are two characters I often think about when I see press reports about single parenthood. The book is just as fresh and real today as ever. Thanks to the talent of a terrific writer this book should be considered as a classic, must-read for all young people.
Rating:
Summary: A memorable adventure
Review: I read the bean trees about a year and a half ago, but the novel is still freah in my mind i don't think i could ever forget Taylor Greer. Or anyone else from this novel. I loved it, it ranks right up there with aminal dreams and the poison wood bible... But i reccomend that you read this before any of those, you will cry, and laugh. It is remarkable the amount of sheer emothion that was put into this novel. So read it. I am Frrrr
Rating:
Summary: Fate Follows
Review: For years it seems people have been telling me that I need to read anything by Barbara Kingsolver. As a matter of fact so many people have told me to read her and she has been on so many reading lists that I did not want to read her. But I yesterday I found THE BEAN TREES on the bargain table and figured what the heck, it was really inexpensive. I am so happy now that I have read this book. Kingsolver tells a wonderful story about love. About the love a person feels for friends, family and children even when the children are not biologically their own. Taylor Greer is a woman who has taken her life into her own hands. She managed to escape the fate of most of her contemporaries in her rural, Kentucky town. She was able to reach adulthood without becoming barefoot and pregnant. She saved money, bought a car and headed west. Free at last. Then fate stepped in a two year old girl was left in the front seat of her car. I am actually glad that I waited so long to pick up a book by Kingsolver because now I have so many books of hers to look forward to reading.
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