The Complete Fiction: The Bean Trees, Homeland, Animal Dreams, Pigs in Heaven

Rating:
Summary: Great individually, but repetitive together
Review: Each of the books is a great read. They provide insight about the way a child's mind works, what drives us to leave one place and call another home, and the need to find both community and solitude. However, the fact that the exact same comment applies to all of the books in the set is an indication of how similar they are to each other. It's true that if you like one of the books you'll probably like them all, but I found I didn't get much more out of reading all four than I did any one.

Rating:
Summary: Not as good as its prequel
Review: I am a huge Kingsolver fan and I absolutely loved the Bean Trees and Animal Dreams. However, I felt that this novel was a bit too preachy, especially because of the character of the young Cherokee lawyer. Being a minority myself, I believe she grossly exaggerated the predicament of minorities growing up in America. This entire novel had the feeling of denoument--it seemed to exist merely to tell fans what happened to the beloved main characters of The Bean Trees, nothing more.

Rating:
Summary: Synopsis of "The Complete Fiction:..."
Review: I first read Kingsolver's "The Bean Trees" in high school and thought it was wonderful. I've just finished reading "Animal Dreams" and Kingsolver continues to impress me with her portrayal of strong women such as Codi Noline.

Rating:
Summary: The book to take with you on vacation!
Review: If you can only take one book with you on vacation, make it Barbara Kingsolver's new fiction collection. Once you read one of Ms. Kingsolver's books, you will be hooked. Congratulate yourself for buying the collection and saving yourself a trip to the bookstore when you would rather be sunning yourself on the beach or swaying in a hammock. Skillful, evocative writing and characters you care about make Ms. Kingsolver's work truly memorable. You'll love this collection!