Rating: 
Summary: I loved this book
Review: Kingsolver is an excellent writer; the book is an accurate portrayal of everyday life. Nothing particularly eventful is described, but Kingsolver tells the story with a sense of humor, and with details that make it come alive; it isn't difficult reading. I highly recommend this book
Rating: 
Summary: The Bean Trees
Review: I have read this book on a school assignment. I am a young black male and I found this book great even though it had nothing to do with blacks. I also read a review saying this book is too sexual, well let me tell you this right now if this book was too profane on sex for that person they must get offended very easily. The author seemed to show great dislike in pornography. Several times in this book she makes negative remarks on a local porn shop by the main characters job. This story is a wonderful tale of a young, explorious women who leaves her small town for adventure. It marks her tales of travel and on the way is forced with a young indian child from a reservation(this is not a spoiler its on the back of the book). This book is funny but also keeps you thinking of possible outcomes.
Rating:
Summary: An Amazing Book!
Review: I have fallen in love with two books in my life, The Grapes of Wrath and The Bean Trees. This book was required reading my sophmore year of high school and I have read it more than a few times. If nothing else, Barbara Kingsolver is an incredible storyteller and has earned my respect. Since The Bean Trees, I have read two more of her books and have enjoyed them both.
Rating: 
Summary: not one of Kingsolver's best books, but shows promise
Review: Does Randle-el understand the rating system? He writes scathing reviews of Kingsolver (when he's not writing cryptic, weird ones) but he always gives her four stars. Randle-el, if you don't like the book, give it one or two stars. Four stars means that the book was very good. Anyway, this book is not as enlightened and wonderful as Poisonwood Bible, but it doesn't deserve the negative, often incoherent reviews it's received here. I think people are misinterpreting Kingsolver's message. As the Poisonwood Bible makes clear, Kingsolver is not out to patronize other races but rather to promote interracial understanding.
Rating: 
Summary: What is with this book?
Review: This book is one of the worst I ever read. Now, I can't say I have read a ton of books, but I have read enough to say that you'd be better off not reading this one. That is, of course, unless you like being bored.One thing I did not like about the novel was it's depiction of Tucson. The author makes it out to be a nice place, where I, a native Tucsonian, whould describe it as a barren wasteland. Even though the auther lives in Tucson also, I would still have to disagree with her perception. Also, I found the author's fascination with a certain part of the male anatomy (I'm not sure if it would be appropriate to name it) particularly insulting. Almost every other object in the book had to do with either that or sexual intercourse. She even compared a man's amputated leg to that body part. Another one of the things I found boring about this novel was that there were too many insignificant characters and scenes. If I summarized the book into the important parts, about five characters (out of about 23 that I can remember) and one scene in Tucson, the main setting of the book, would show up. Besides, one of those characters only says names of vegetables. Even Lou Ann, one of the main characters, does not have much purpose in the novel as a whole. In my opinion, it was basicly a slugish book following the main character as she hopped over some minor hurdles in life. It has no entertainment value whatsoever, and you get nothing out of it. However, it was short and easy to read for class. Hence, the one star.
Rating:
Summary: Another Must-Read by Kingsolver
Review: In "The Bean Trees," Barbara Kingsolver manages to create a strong, independent female figure who anyone can admire. This novel lets us follow along as Taylor Greer learns how to cope with Turtle, an abused and abandoned Native American child who is forced upon Greer without warning. "Trees" will make you laugh and cry as Taylor tries to make a life for herself and Turtle.
Rating:
Summary: What a WONDERFUL book!
Review: Let me just say that this is the best book I've ever read. I'm only in high school, but this book is uplifting and has cryptic messages that, once found, mean so much. This book has helped give me a new perspective on life.
Rating:
Summary: Wher do you find yourself?
Review: Taylor is a young woman growing up in Kentucky. She decides to leave her home and search for a new life. She ends up in Tuscon, Arizona with a child to raise. She has many interesting experiences with her child Turtle and with the people she meets in Tuscon. The characters in the Bean Trees have a true interdependence with one another. The Bean Trees is an excellent book about growing up and finding the right place for yourself.
Rating:
Summary: Where do you find yourself?
Review: Taylor is a young woman living in Kentucky. She decideds to leave her home in search for a better life and new challenging experiences. She ends up Tuscon, Arizona with a child to raise. Taylor has many experiences with her child and all the people she meets in Tuscon that help her learn more about life and resposibilty. In the novel the characters share a true interdependence with one another. The Bean Trees is an excellent novel about finding the right place where you belong.
Rating:
Summary: The Bean Trees
Review: The theme of the Bean Trees has to be strength in my estimation. Marietta, later Taylor, receives a gift of self-esteem from her Mother which from the very beginning shapes Marietta. Her strength has a way of delivering the right decisions at the right time. Marietta has memories of being a "nutter" during her high school days. A nutter is someone who picks up walnuts from the ground and lays them on the road for cars to crack the shells for easier access to the meat inside. Consequently, her fingers become blackened by this work. She becomes an outcast along with other nutters, but they provide each other with strength as a group. She has to keep Turtle, because like her she was an outcast and also needs someone that cares for her and to keep her safe. This reflects back to her Mother who, throughout her formative years as well as high school, gave her the ability to deal with almost anything. An excellent book about relationships and love without restrictions.
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