In her early twenties, Marietta Greer, buys a cheap VW bug and sets out from her tiny town in KY to seek a new life. She decides to change her first name as well when she happens upon a place that sounds good. She stops in OK on the Cherokee reservation. There a woman walks up to her car and gives her a toddler that seems to be in shock and walks away. The only other people are a couple of disreputable men. She takes the child and continues, ending up in Arizona. During the course of the book Taylor (her new name) and Turtle (the name she has given the toddler) form a bond. They meet up with a variety of unique characters that all help Taylor discover what she really wants in life. I got great enjoyment on rereading this and remembering all the details. ( )

First read in 1999/2000, after reading Pigs in Heaven in English class. Listened to the audiobook September 2024.

"Missy" Greer made it through high school and a few years post-grad in her small Kentucky town without getting married or pregnant, and now she's saved up enough to buy a car and get out of town, with her mother's blessing. On her way west, she renames herself Taylor, but at a stop in Oklahoma, a woman hands her a baby and insists she keep it. With the child - dubbed Turtle for the way she clings - in tow, Taylor continues west until she drives over glass and has to stop in Tucson, Arizona. Despite her fear of exploding tires, she finds work with Mattie at Jesus Is Lord Tires, and finds a place to live with fellow Kentuckian Lou-Ann, whose husband Angel has left her to return to the rodeo circuit.

As Taylor adjusts to the southwest and motherhood, she realizes that Mattie is helping refugees from Guatemala and elsewhere. She makes friends with Esteban and Esperanza, and when they're forced to move, Taylor drives them back east to a safe house in Oklahoma - but first, they try to find Turtle's relatives so Taylor can officially adopt her. Their effort fails, but Taylor concocts a risky plan: Esteban and Esperanza pose as Turtle's biological parents, and without ID for any of the three of them, an Oklahoma City official approves the paperwork (setting up for the sequel, Pigs in Heaven, set a few years later). ( )

This books contains a lot of bad language and has some parts that made me uncomfortable. ( )

Adversity

KY single travels to tuscon and gains a child on way. Story of learning who you are. Good story.

Kingsolver wrote a good one here. ( )

The beginning of the novel was a bit slow for me. But it got more interesting when Taylor and Lou Ann met. I see [b:The Bean Trees|30868|The Bean Trees (Greer Family, #1)|Barbara Kingsolver|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1443483961l/30868._SY75_.jpg|1095121] as a story of community and its importance in our lives. All those people Taylor's met in Arizona, made up her little family and helped her overcome her doubts and problems. The author also raised the issue of refugees' fate, making the story tense. And it was interesting to learn more about the culture of Native Americans. Overall, I wanted to know what happens next but it wasn't a very compelling read for me. ( )

I like Barbara Kingsolver and I liked the idea but it was just a little too slow for me ( )

An enjoyable story told in a folksy manner about two young women who happen to find one another through happenstance. In the process they experience transformation while deriving inspiration from their inner connection whether they realize it or not. Barbara is a good storyteller though not in the same league as Richard Russo when it comes to the folksy narrative, but enjoyable just the same. ( )

CW: Evidence of horrific child abuse seen on babies body. ( )

Good story of young Taylor who moves out West and ends up adapting an Indian girl she names Turtle. Kind of quirky but nice. ( )

A young woman leaves home in Kentucky and heads off to establish a new life. Protagonist Marietta has never liked her name, so along her journey she changes her name to Taylor. In Oklahoma, her car breaks down. After repair, she goes to a restaurant, where a Cherokee woman bundles a small child into her car and drives away. The child appears to have been abused. When her car breaks down once again, Taylor and the child land in Tucson, Arizona. She rents a room from Lou Ann Ruiz, also from Kentucky, and they become fast friends. Lou Ann has a baby and has been abandoned by her husband.

This is a story of forming a sense of family with close friends and establishing a sense of home in a new location. It is a story of the relationships the foursome develops with the other characters, such as a pair of elderly ladies that watch the children and a woman that rescues Guatemalan refugees. It is a story of how a nurturing environment can help a child flourish. The title is fitting, as horticulture serves as an important symbol for the healing an abused child. Taylor’s lack of official parental authority is eventually questioned, which leads to the climax of the story.

I cared about the characters. They grow and develop over the course of the narrative. Taylor is a spirited protagonist and the dialogue reflects her it. She rubs off on Lou Ann, who initially lacks self-esteem. If you like novels about strong women pulling together to face life’s challenges, pick this one up.
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Just flat out enjoyed this book ( )

I am really enjoying reading all Kingsolver's books so far. Once again, I really like the characters and the story. One thing I really like about this one is it takes place in my part of the world so I understand the characters better than a lot of other books. This one actually takes place mostly in Tucson area where I was born.

This book is about family and friends and love and dedication. I highly recommend it. ( )

This was a bit slow moving at times, but it was a nice story and kept enough of my interest. It was a bit of a political statement about the immigration issue. I'm not sure about some of the facts in it, but still a good story. ( )

Kingsolver's later works (The Poisonwood Bible) are wonderful, but her early stuff really sings. Most books can't make me laugh and cry, but this one did. I really enjoyed the characters, all of whom were real, engaging, and complex. Yes, it's short, but it still feels complete.

Highly recommended. ( )

I liked this book, and its portrayal of a part of our American society that I have had no experience with. Taylor is on a road trip, her first, to get away from rural Kentucky and find her own place in the world. Almost immediately, she finds herself caring for a very young Native American child, thrust into her care, a child we later learn has been brutally abused. The two of them continue on their way, swapping work for motel rooms, until they reach Arizona and find a kind of family. But then Taylor discovers that she has no legal right to raise the toddler in her care, unless she can legally adopt her, and that requires a trip back. Interlaced with this is the story of immigrants from Latin America who are not legally allowed to stay in the U.S. ( )

A young woman leaves her home in Kentucky and heads west, "inheriting" a 3-year old Indian girl along the way. What follows is a novel about love and friendship, abandonment and belonging.

I basically enjoyed the story, but had to get past the implausibility masking as plausible, and the polemics. ( )

In my habit of reading authors chronologically, I converted to absolute Kingsolver groupie-dom with this first book of hers...not surprisingly. A girl who leaves her hometown, discovers a new name, and ends up in the southwest, along with haphazardly adopting a Cherokee girl and helping refugees from Central America and on. Sigh. ( )

I really enjoyed this book. A story of well developed characters, friendships and never giving up. ( )

The bean Tree takes you on an emotional yet humorous journey from Tennessee to Tucson Arizona. (Which is where I live so it was a fun read) A young woman who changes her birth name to Taylor, and her travel companion, Turtle, a toddler who was literally dropped off for her to take care of, share an intimate and heartwarming adventure. Kingsolver's writing is addictive and witty, yet she captures such a vivid picture of deep emotion and those moments in time that stand still. Highly recommend read! ( )

I enjoyed this book, it was an old Kingsolver for me. You can tell that this is one of her first - the characters are not as fleshed out as they are in her particularly brilliant more recent novels. ( )

#unreadshelfproject2020. Loved this book. Loved everything about it. What a fanstastic read. Look forward to the next one. ( )

I loved this story and especially loved the main character. What a character! might be the best way to describe her. She is love and truth and forthrightness all rolled into one unforgettable lady. Kingsolver is truly gifted. A great read about compassion, immigration, and the stark reality of a child's vulnerability. ( )