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Summary: One of the Best Heroines in the History of Literature
Review: First let me just say this novel is superb in every way. Dialogue, prose, everything is just beautiful. However, it is in writing characters that Kingsolver really shines. Taylor Greer is one of my favorite characters of all time. She has all the qualities one wants in a heroine-wit, intelligence, courage-with enough flaws to make her realistic and interesting. This woman is right up there with Scout Finch, Spyder Baxter, Thursday Next, and Death(Sandman version) on my list of great female characters. Read this book, if only to meet Taylor Greer.
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Summary: Barbara Kingslover -- These aren't your typical beans...
Review: This book is set in The Southwest during the 1970s-1980s. It tells of a young woman's journey from indifference within her society and her need to elevate herself from what was inspected of her life in a small town: grow up, go to high school, get pregnant and married, remain in town until death. Taylor (Missy) Greer has avoided the stereotypical expectations by graduating from high school, getting a job as a hospital aide, saving money to buy herself a broken-down relic of a car, and leaving Pittman County, Kentucky, forever. Taylor decides to leave her small town and begin her search for her own independence and identity. Whereas she begins her travels with carefree attitude of "no strings attached," she is quickly elevated to the position of surrogate mother to a small Indian child who is given to Taylor in a moment of panic. Little Turtle is three years old, has been physically and sexually abused, and cannot speak aside from guttural sounds. (We find out later on during the course of the novel that her name is April.) Taylor finally settles in Tucson, AZ, and becomes Lou-Ann's (ironically another young girl who originally settled there from Kentucky) roommate. From that point on, Taylor meets several colorful as well as mournful characters: Mattie, who owns the Jesus is Lord Tire Company; Estevan and Esperanza, illegal aliens from Guatemala who have escaped a revolution; and Edna Poppy and Mrs. Virgie Parsons. Through a series of adventures and mishaps, Taylor learns that taking care of someone also helps you to grow and learn about yourself. After a very close incident where Taylor was in the process of giving Turtle to Estevan and Esperanza, she reneges and she and Turtle eventually return to settle in Tucso Barbara Kingslover does a marvelous job using vivid details to move the plot along. While the story begins at a seemingly slow pace, the plot is accelerated throughout the novel until it reaches its fantastic close. Definitely a book to read
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Summary: So-So
Review: This book isn't one I would run out and HAVE to buy there were parts I laughed at and parts I was saddened by and there were parts that I was thinking alright on with it already so all in all this book is O.K. that is all I can say if you are bored try it.
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Summary: H8ted it
Review: I thought that it was really boring, and the struggles that a lot of the characters overcame weren't really that intersesting. I thought that Taylor didn't bother to look at the world from any point of view but her own and was obnoxious. I also hated her friend and I pretty much thought that the only reason that the people's lives were as bad as they were is because they didn't try to improve it with everything they had. They were too clingy. And the entire Talor kissing the married guy really stupid and unsensitive on her part.
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Summary: Beautiful story
Review: Much better than the sequel, Pigs in Heaven, this is a beautiful written story with engaging characters and an important social message. Taylor Greer, a young woman from rural Kentucky, becomes a mother when she is handed an Indian child at a bar. By taking on the additional unexpected responsibility, she learns about herself.
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Summary: A story of life
Review: I've not yet finished this novel but I'm on my way to it. I'm reading this novel for literature circles in my high school english class. I've enjoyed it very much so far because it teaches lessons to Taylor, one of the main characters, about life, and you can learn them also while reading it. If you like to read about other persons journey's throughout life, this is the book for you. E-mail me to talk more.
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Summary: bean tree
Review: The bean tree was not so good in the begain but by the end i was very intested in the book. the book was about good but there was spots it could be better. it was about this girl(taylor) and see should people that she was differnt then the rest. thought her experenses i learnd alot. i have seen others reviews and i agree with them. the book was alot more intersting at the end because the chacters came out more and showed there real self. many peopele believe this book was ok because of the begain of the book. but most say the same that i do the end was great and made the book one that you'd like to read. taylor was a great main chacter because she had hard times and had to overcaming things but then over came them and became a better person.
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Summary: review & breif summary
Review: It all depends on what kind of books you are interested in reading. In my case I personally was not interested while reading this novel. If you are one, not to be able to follow books if not interested in the reading I wouldn't recommend "The Bean Trees".
The character Marietta Greer whom is called Missy describes in the beginning of the novel how she was raised with out a father. She mentions that she was part Cherokee Indian from her great grandfather who was Cherokee. Missy decides to leave her home town in a beat in up 55' Volkswagen Bug. She decided she would travel west until her car broke down. At one point she ended up in Taylorville where she decided to change her name to Taylor Greer.
Taylor ended up with a child in which she did not know the name. She eventually named the child turtle due to the fact she wouldn't let go of objects. Taylor then entered Tucson Arizona where she had two flat tires and had to stay for a while to come up with the money to fix it. Here in Tucson she ran into another lady named Lou Ann.
Lou Ann had it rough well that's what I believe. About 3 years ago her husband lost his leg and just hung around the house. She would do everything for him. She put him before herself. He eventually left her and she placed an, add for a room mate. Taylor, replied to the, add and she moved in with Lou Ann, that is how they got acquainted.
In chapter 8 Taylor and Lou Ann finally believe they figured out the baby's name. They would randomly say names till the child would turn. Once they named April the child looked at them as it was familiar. So they assumed her name must be April.
Through the rest of the novel there are more characters and relationships that are made and enhanced. There is a couple, Estevan and Eseranza. Estevan is worried about his wife Eseranza because she tried to commit suicide. Through the novel Taylor and Estevan's relationship grow. They start to hang out more and have long conversations. Taylor came to realize that she likes Estevan but she won't say anything to ruin his marriage.
At the end Taylor attempts to get custody of Turtle by becoming the foster parent. She succeeds and lets Lou Ann know, that Turtle is legally Taylor's daughter now. After leaving the court house in Oklahoma she tries to explain to Turtle that they are going home, to Tucson Arizona.
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Summary: My View of The Bean Trees
Review: The Bean Trees was a book that surprised me greatly. When I first started reading I felt as though this would not be a book that kept my interest at all. I did not like the laid-back southern Kentucky setting. I felt as though the book would be boring and not have much point to it. Although, I really started to like it after finishing the first two chapters.
The Bean Trees was kind of a compliment to woman; giving you the feeling that if woman came together they could conquer life, and happiness. The main character in the novel, "Taylor" Greer, was one of my favorites. She was smart, opinionated, and independent. She became sick of living her same life so she packed up and headed out to wherever her car broke down. Taylor ended up in Tuscon, Arizona where she was given a baby by a random woman while stopping to eat at a restaurant. Taylor was able to fix her own problems by finding a house, getting a job, making new friends, and raising a child that was not even hers. Instead of giving up with her fears and depressions of being alone and unstable, Taylor rose above and proved nothing could beat her down.
This book gave you the feeling of no matter where you are, you'll always find family. It produced a comforting mood showing how Taylor interacted with new found friends that helped her raise her child. Taylor also became the legal guardian by driving all the way out to Oklahoma to produce adoption papers.
I found that The Bean Trees had great elements of foreshadowing. Throughout the book there are mentionings of a garden in one of Taylor's friend's backyards. Even though they are in Arizona, in the desert, with hardly any trees or plant life many beautifully colored flowers bloomed through the dry desert. This goes to show that even when you are in an ugly place in your life there are always ways to build hope, and life. Just as Taylor was put in a sticky situation, being left a child, she made it work out for the best and learned to love her.
There weren't very many parts of this novel that I didn't enoy except that it seemed a little far fetched. In my current understanding of life I dont see how a girl could venture out on her own leaving everything she had behind, including her family. On top of trying to find somewhere to go, and somehow to survive she was basically forced to raise a small child. She didn't have any connections with anyone so she walked into a town, started conversing with people, and ended up with a job and a roomate in a very short period of time. Unless you found somewhere extremely giving I just don't think that would happen. Although, the theme of this book is the power to succeed in any situation I think this situation requires an incredible individual in real life circumstances.
In conclusion, I think The Bean Trees was a well-written novel, and I would recommend it to readers. As a warning I would say if you're not up for seeing how well things can work out in the worst of situations then this book is not for you.
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Summary: Bean Trees
Review: The Bean Trees was a very uplifting story. It was about a young woman named Taylor who decides to move from her small town home in Kentucky, out west. On her journey she stops in Oklahoma when something goes wrong with her car and a woman stops her and insists she take a small baby with her because no one wants it anymore. Taylor takes the baby and names her Turtle because she clings on to everything she can get her little hands on. The two make it out to Arizona and meet a lady named Mattie who owns a tire shop called "Jesus is the Lord Used Tires." Mattie and Taylor develop a bond and Taylor learns that Mattie helps immigrants from Guatemala escape their deaths. She has a "sanctuary" for them above her shop. Taylor moves in and develops a close relationship with a single mother named Lou Ann, whose husband walked out on her and their son. While in Arizona Taylor learns that she does not have any claim over Turtle and that she would need to adopt her.
I can relate to Taylor the most because we share the same view about some things. We both believe that this world is in fact an awful place. People are proud to pick on those who can't defend themselves, such as the poor and the weak. Some people have it in their minds that everyone should be like alike and if you're different, you are something to be feared, and we deal with fear by being defensive. Taylor and I both think that people need to learn to love others' differences instead of considering differences as undesirable.
I fully enjoyed this book. I wish I had read it in high school because I had a hard time with cruel people. Girls would make fun of me because I was smarter than they, or they called me ugly when they had no one else to say it to. I choose not to judge others because I hate being judged myself. My life was made so much harder because I was surrounded by little-minded people who put others down to try and make themselves feel better. I am still wondering if this actually solves their problems. I wish I didn't have to see the world as it really is, and instead I could be naive and view it as I would like to.
I would recommend this book to anyone and everyone. There were many times when tears would fill my eyes with the heart-felt things that Taylor would say. Sometimes I thought it was myself talking. I believe that everyone was put here for at least one reason: for others to love. I know my parents and many other people love me and often times that is all that keeps me going. Everyone deserves to be cared about and helped. Someone who has been teased or taunted and wishes the people in this world had something better to do than put others down would enjoy this book the most. But I would also like to recommend it to those who are the "teasers" and tell those people to grow up and learn to be kind.
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