description The Bean Trees Overview
The Bean Trees is the first novel by American author Barbara Kingsolver, published in 1988 by Harper & Row. The story follows Marietta "Missy" Greer, a young woman from rural Kentucky who drives west and settles in Tucson, Arizona, where she is unexpectedly given an abandoned Cherokee toddler named Turtle. The novel explores themes of found family, cultural displacement, and social justice, drawing on Kingsolver's experiences living in the American Southwest. It was followed by a sequel, Pigs in Heaven (1993), continuing the story of the protagonist and child.
insights Ranking position
The Bean Trees ranks #47 of 60 in the Bildungsroman ranking, behind Agostino, ahead of The Adolescent.
help The Bean Trees FAQ
Why does Taylor leave Kentucky in The Bean Trees?
Taylor Greer leaves rural Kentucky determined to avoid the limited future she sees around her, including early pregnancy. She drives west in a Volkswagen and eventually settles in Tucson, Arizona.
How does Turtle come into Taylor's care?
A woman places the small child in Taylor's car during a stop in Oklahoma and asks her to take her. Taylor calls the girl Turtle and gradually becomes her parent despite having begun the journey with no plan to raise a child.
What role does Mattie's tire shop play in the novel?
Mattie owns Jesus Is Lord Used Tires in Tucson and gives Taylor work and practical support. The shop also connects Taylor to Mattie's efforts to shelter refugees from Central America.
Is Pigs in Heaven a sequel to The Bean Trees?
Yes, Barbara Kingsolver returned to Taylor and Turtle in Pigs in Heaven, published in 1993. That novel examines Turtle's Cherokee identity and the legal and cultural consequences of her adoption more directly.
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