Wednesday 22 June 2011

Kingsolver, Barbara "The Bean Trees"

Kingsolver, Barbara "The Bean Trees" - 1988

After having read "The Poisonwood Bible" and "Prodigal Summer" with the book club, I just had to read more of this fabulous author's novels. I only learned later that this had been her very first one. Quite an interesting plot about a girl who ends up with a baby that is just left to her. But a lot of other people appear in the novel, abused women and children, illegal immigrants, people who help and people who don't.

I think Barbara Kingsolver can write about any subject, whatever she chooses is interesting, she has a way about her that just makes you want to keep on reading.

There is a follow-up to this story: "Pigs in Heaven".

Book Description:

"Plucky Taylor Greer grows up poor in rural Kentucky with two goals: to avoid pregnancy and to get away. She succeeds on both counts when she buys an old car and heads west. But midway across the country motherhood catches up with her when she becomes the guardian of an abandoned baby girl she calls Turtle. In Tuscon they encounter an extraordinary array of people, and with their help, Taylor builds herself and her sweet, stunned child a life."

I have also read other books by Barbara Kingsolver, you can find my reviews here.  She remains one of my favourite authors.

3 comments:

  1. Marianne-- Thanks for visiting me at The Key to the Gate. Just like you, I did not initially realize that this was Kingsolver's first book. I think her writing has developed a great deal since. I started reading The Lacuna but I could not get into it. I am going to give it another try because I have liked her other books very much.
    Happy Reading!
    Rebecca @ The Key to the Gate

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  2. You're welcome. I loved your review.
    About "The Lacuna", I think it is different from her other books but I liked it just the same. Doesn't mean everyone else has to, as well. Sometimes a certain book is not for us. I'd still try some of her other books, you will probably like "Flight Behaviour" (which I have just finished) a lot better, it's more like The Bean Trees.

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