The Bean Trees

Description

Barbara Kingsolver’s 1988 debut novel is a classic workof American fiction. Now a standard in college literature classes across thenation, and a book that appears in translation across the globe, The BeanTrees is not only a literary masterpiece but a popular triumph—anarrative that readers worldwide have taken into their hearts. The Los Angeles Times calls The Bean Trees “the work of a visionary. . . . It leaves you open-mouthed and smiling.”

Clear-eyed and spirited, Taylor Greer grew up poor in rural Kentucky with the goals of avoiding pregnancy and getting away. But when she heads west with high hopes and a barely functional car, she meets the human condition head-on. By the time Taylor arrives in Tucson, Arizona, she has acquired a completely unexpected child, a three-year-old American Indian girl named Turtle, and must somehow come to terms with both motherhood and the necessity for putting down roots. Hers is a story about love and friendship, abandonment and belonging, and the discovery of surprising resources in apparently empty places.

“The work of a visionary. . . . It leaves you open-mouthed and smiling.” “As clear as air. It is the southern novel taken west, its colors as translucent and polished as one of those slices of rose agate from a desert shop.” “An extraordinary good novel, tough and tender and gritty and moving.” “So wry and wise we wish it would never end….The chatty, down-home audacity of Barbara Kingsolver’s remarkable first novel hooks us on the first page.” “The Bean Trees is the work of a visionary. . . . It leaves you open-mouthed and smiling.” “A major new talent. From the very first page, Kingsolver’s characters tug at the heart and soul.” “An astonishing literary debut….For a deep breath of fresh air, spend some time in the neighborhood of The Bean Trees.” “Idealistic and exhilerating, The Bean Trees is a book that combines the most careful craft with a moral code that is loving and expansive.” “This is the story of a lovable, resourceful ‘instant mother,’ one who speaks, acts and learns for herself, becoming an inspiration to us all.” “This funny, inspiring book is a marvelous affirmation of risk-taking, commitment and everyday miracles…An overwhelming delight, as random and unexpected as real life.” “A lively first novel…an easy book to enjoy.”