The Bean Trees

Book: The Bean Trees
ISBN 13:  9780812474947 (or 9780060915544 for the alternate cover)
Average Rating: 3.91
My Rating: 5 out of  5 Bean Trees 

     This is the second book of Barbara Kingsolver's that I've had to read for school (the other being the Poisonwood Bible) Because obviously she's the only writer from the 21st century good enough to be taught in  high school English class, in the eyes of the my school! Not that I mind of course, 
  I think Barbara Kingsolver has a really great style, when you read her books they have this deep southern feel to it and I think she captures it so well because she actually is from Kentucky. I always think of mason jars full of lemonade and farm houses when i'm reading -even though her descriptions aren't always positive- 
       Kingsolver is honest with her gritty descriptions of the things like Newt's death and poverty within Taylor's community. She also allows her life experiences to influence her writing. I know a lot of writers do this but she wrote this book right after a divorce and she just bottled up all of that 'I don't need a man to make me happy *head roll, snap*' and unleashed it into this novel. 
       
          And there's her obsession with palindromes! Are they in all of her books? This was written first and Taylor and Estevan discussed them pretty briefly in this book, but then they were all over the Poisonwood Bible in the mind of Adah Price. Is there some kind of significance to them? 
          Speaking of Estevan! I wanted to mention the whole Estevan/ Esperanza/ Taylor love triangle. I see badly written love triangles in YA books all the time so I think I have a right to say that this was the right way to do it. Allie Condie, Stephanie Meyer, take notes! Taylor obviously cared for Estevan but she respected the fact that he was married. She didn't resent Esperanza and came to support her when Esperanza almost killed herself. If Taylor did harbor some resentment or jealousy toward Esperanza it was because of her relationship with Turtle. 
       
             Turtle was such a strong character for a little kid. She was raped, beaten, abandoned in a strangers car -no offense to Taylor- all before the age of 3. And then months later she was attacked again in the park. But little Turtle bounces right back and learns to talk and laugh like any other child her age. I think that's why her and Taylor were such a great mother/ daughter match because Taylor didn't exactly have an easy life either. She grew up in a tiny town where there wasn't any opportunity for her to be anything more than a pregnant farmer's wife. But she hung on, graduated high school and got the courage to leave Kentucky. I think when Turtle grows up she's going to be just as stubborn as her mama is. Speaking of Taylor and Turtle growing up, there is a sequel to this called Pigs in Heaven that i'm considering reading. Maybe once I finish some other books I'll come back to it. Anyway!
                                                                                Thanks for Reading! 
                                                                                                                         - R