The Thumbnail Book Reviews

by John Q McDonald --- 2 March 1998

The Bean Trees

by Barbara Kingsolver

Kingsolver's first novel is an exploration of Taylor Greer's personal and political experiences and growth from her mountain home in Kentucky, to the deserts of Tucson, Arizona. The book grabs the reader, emotionally, lulling one into a sense of security with the witty prose and rich characters. Then, Kingsolver challenges her characters with some painful experiences. The protagonist seems uneven as the reader moves through her development, sometimes wiser to her world than seems natural for her. Then she'll suddenly revert to her southern backwater persona. Kingsolver's later work, Animal Dreams develops a similar story in a more evenhanded manner, but The Bean Trees should not be overlooked. This reader had tear-filled eyes as he finished its last bittersweet chapter.

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Also by Kingsolver:

[Holding the Line]
[Pigs in Heaven]
[High Tide in Tucson]
[Prodigal Summer]
[The Poisonwood Bible]
[Unsheltered]

[Other Women Authors]