This was Kingsolver's first novel. At first I felt disappointed that the writing was not as poetic and lyrical as in PRODIGAL SUMMER, but then realized that that type of writing would not have fit this story. It needed to be gritty and real. I thoroughly enjoyed this story of a young woman's coming into her own and deciding what was important to her. I'm looking forward to the sequel, PIGS IN HEAVEN.
a simple pleasure:
I just re-visited this book...I tend to do that with favorites. It is a non-traditional family tale about a woman finding her way...including a move from Kentucky to Arizona, the "adoption" or a child, and the forming of new roots. It is told in a simple but lovely prose. I tend to pick slightly more "literary" novels but this is a reliable, easy read that always warms the insides.
Heartwarming Novel from Kingsolver:
Taylor Greer grew up in a town in rural Kentucky where the most expected out of most girls was to get pregnant early, marry the fathers of their illegitimate babies, and then raise those babies to do exactly the same things they did. Our protagonist refuses to succumb to this future, and finds work in a hospital, saving up enough money to buy a broken-down VW bug that has no windows and requires a special procedure to start. She decides to leave her dump town and drive across the United States without ever... more info
Great Character, Good Book:
"The Bean Trees" makes for a nice summer read. Kingsolver's remarkably evocative prose swept me up into the lives of her characters. Taylor, Lue Anne, Matty, Turtle, Estevan, Experanza, and the rest of the characters were so well drawn that they seemed like real people. The characters and Kingsolver's penchant for using wildly creative imagery are the best parts of this novel, which--as enjoyable as it was--sometimes verged on preachiness. The novel is about Taylor's... unconventional adoption of a... more info
