The Bean Trees: A Novel

"The Bean Trees is the work of a visionary. . . . It leaves you open-mouthed and smiling." -- Los Angeles Times

An acclaimed bestseller that has come to be regarded as an American classic, The Bean Trees is the novel that launched Barbara Kingsolver's remarkable literary career. Kingsolver has gone on to win the Pulitzer Prize for her novel, Demon Copperhead, and is the recipient of the National Book Foundation's Medal for Distinguish Contribution to American Letters

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.

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272 pages

Average rating: 7.8

80 RATINGS

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5 REVIEWS

Community Reviews

caileytebow
Dec 01, 2024
10/10 stars
okay, i officially LOVE everything barbara kingsolver. i knew not even half way through this book that it was going to be a new all time favorite and by the time i finished it, i was sobbing on public transport. feminism, rural american poverty, immigration, indigenous land, child abuse, motherhood, suicidal ideation, wrong place wrong time romantic love, friendship, raw and lovable and complex characters, and everything in between- this book is complete and utter excellence.
Cyneelou
Sep 08, 2024
Wonderful book.
E Clou
May 10, 2023
8/10 stars
I love this compact book about the sustaining love of friendship, the difficulty (and beauty) of empathy for the whole world, and the difficulty going on, and finding the hope to do so.

I also loved how set this story is in time and space. It feels like the 70s, and you can see the beauty and dangers of Arizona and Oklahoma in the narrative.
Noodle
Dec 02, 2022
9/10 stars
Coming of age traveling young woman from Kentucky ending her travels in AZ where majority of the book takes place. This was such an adventure to read. If you love a good and strong girl protagonist you’ll love this. It tackles the resiliency of children, feminism, the need for community when facing hardships, and politics of the time. It was written in the 80s and a little of the language shows, but it’s still great at pointing out the sexism, migrant struggles and racism that plagues America today.
sonoma_g
Jun 22, 2021
read it a long time ago in my freshman year of high school, but I’ll always remember it because to me it was a moving story I’ll definitely have to reread it sometime soon

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