The Bean Trees by Barbara Kingsolver is a novel about Taylor Greer, a young woman who leaves Kentucky for Arizona, where she unexpectedly becomes the guardian of an abandoned Native American child, learning about community and family along the way.
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The Bean Trees is the charming, engrossing tale of rural Kentucky native Taylor Greer, who only wants to get away from her roots and avoid getting pregnant. She succeeds, but inherits a three-year-old Native American girl named Turtle along the way, and together, from Oklahoma to Arizona, half-Cherokee Taylor and her charge search for a new life in the West.
Hers is a story about love and friendship, abandonment and belonging, and the discovery of surprising resources in seemingly empty places.
About the Author
Barbara Kingsolver is an American author, poet and essayist whose works explore social justice and political issues. She earned degrees in biology, ecology, and evolutionary biology at DePauw University and the University of Arizona. This explains why her novels so often have an environmental focus.
Barbara Kingsolver’s literary fiction is known for its richly drawn characters and compelling themes, which have earned her numerous awards and accolades throughout her career.
Has Barbara Kingsolver written any other novels?
Barbara Kingsolver has written several other novels. If you enjoyed this book, I’d recommend reading the sequel, Animal Dreams.
You may also enjoy Barbara Kingsolver’s standalone novels such as The Poisonwood Bible and Flight Behaviour. If you’re interesting in finding out more, the below link contains a full list of Barbara Kingsolver books in order.
