Rating: 
Summary: truly gorgeous
Review: An absolutely beautiful story of family, friends and relationships. The characters are warm and superbly individual, each with their own strengths and fears. But the best thing about this book is the tone that it is written in. The story is not about arriving at a destination, it's about the journey.
Rating:
Summary: This book changed my universe!
Review: The Bean Trees, by Barbara Kingsolver is literary fiction of the first order. Not only is it well-written, an interesting plot, and superbly characterized, it posesses a heartfelt moral vision of America and what America stands for, and should stand for. This book should be required reading for all Americans and Earthlings. Whether one agrees or disagrees with Ms. Kingsolver's politics (I agree) one must admit that a moral vision is presented in this book without being preachy or self righteous or "whiny" as much as that is hated these days. The Bean Trees is about the fact that what we've been brought up to believe is not necessarily true for others or for ourselves. It is a novel of compassion, hope, family, and the fact that the cult of "American individualism" is not only a lie, but is unnatural and wrong and unhealthy for human beings; we all need to help and be helped. Your life will be richer for reading this book!
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Summary: Asimple REVIEW of us, ROger Ling, RAymond Gao,& Jonathan Bau
Review: Dear Friends, WE have read this book, and other reviews, and WE have made a conclusion for myself. This book is a visionary, it leaves you open mouthed and sleeping (drooling too.)... although it seems to contain good topics such as friendship and love in the book, it is SO scrambled that the book turns into a jumbling piece of literature. The book contains random events that have nothing to do with each other, yet somehow Barbara Kingsolver uses extremely bad writing and a strong Tucson accent to tie all the events together. All in all, WE,Roger Ling, RAymond Gao, and Jonathan Bau appreciate the hard effort that Kingsolver put into this "interestingly unique" book, but next time she wants to write another book alike this one, we shall say, "Thanks, but no thanks. Think of the future generations." P.S. WE were unable to finish the book due to the book's lack of quality.
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Summary: This book is a disgrace to English language
Review: Dear Friends, I have read this book, and other reviews, and I have made a conclusion for myself. This book is a visionary, it leaves you open mouthed and sleeping (drooling too.)... although it seems to contain good topics such as friendship and love in the book, it is SO scrambled that the book turns into a jumbling piece of literature. The book contains random events that have nothing to do with each other, yet somehow Barbara Kingsolver uses extremely bad writing and a strong Tucson accent to tie all the events together. All in all, I, Jason Xu, appreciates the hard effort that Kingsolver put into this "interestingly unique" book, but next time she wants to write another book alike this one, we shall say, "Thanks, but no thanks. Think of the future generations."P.S. I'm unable to finish the book due to the book's lack of quality.
Rating:
Summary: Very good...
Review: I really enjoyed reading this book. I think it is one of Barbra Kingsolver's best. I like the fact there were lives waiting to be pulled together, and Barbra followed them all. I also like that this book took place in the desert, it wouldn't have worked as well with any other setting. If you get a chance, read this book. It will be worth your time.
Rating:
Summary: Don't go through life without reading this one!
Review: As a librarian I'm asked daily for recommendations for "a good read." BEAN TREES is one of the very few books that immediately pop into my mind for almost any age or ethnic group. I tend to judge fiction by how long I remember its characters. Taylor has become real to me. I would know her in an instant if I saw her walking down the street.
Rating: 
Summary: It had it's good moments
Review: I'm not sure what to say about this book, I THINK i liked it... it's about a woman who wants to start out somewhere new, and on the way she gets a daughter and meets people... I wish turtle had said more... Barbara seems to ramble on and on... I'm not even sure if i would recommend it... I THINK i would...
Rating:
Summary: Full of heart-felt emotion
Review: Clear-eyed and spirited, Taylor Greer grew up poor in rural Kentucky with the goals of avoiding pregnancy and getting away from her home town. But when she heads west with high hopes and a barely-functional car, she meets the human condition head-on. By the time Taylor arrives in Tucson, Arizona, she has taken responsibility for a three-year-old American Indian girl named Turtle, and must somehow come to terms with both motherhood and the necessity for putting down roots. Hers is a story about love and friendship, abandonment and belonging, and the discovery of surprising resources in apparently empty places. "The Bean Trees," by Barbara Kingsolver, gives readers something that's increasingly hard to find today -- a character to believe in, laugh with and admire. Talyor Greer is a feisty woman who readers love to relate to. Kingsolver uses character development by showing Taylor's compassion and determined spirit when she encounters new-found Central American refugees. The simple use of dialogue shows the feelings of the characters. From the use of dialogue, the reader experiences the human condition through Taylor's eyes.
Rating: 
Summary: Great book! First Chapter lacks hook.
Review: This book was written with seamless literary connections, and was fun to read at the same time. The author's characters are multidemintional and real. The story is flawless. My only complaint is the first chapter lacked a hook to catch the reader, but the rest of the book will keep anybody from putting it down!
Rating: 
Summary: Politically Correct Reading
Review: During the first 3/4 of the book, someone could have snatched the book away and I wouldn't have blinked an eye, although the characters were well-drawn and the the dialog was full-bodied. The author was full of missionary zeal about illegals, as if all undocumented entries were made of the pure material of the two portrayed in this book. The book sang of spirit and hope, no wonder it is required reading for the students in Arizona.
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