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A review by theresidentbookworm
The Bean Trees by Barbara Kingsolver
4.0
After the painful drudgery we went through with The Wedding, I think that my whole class was more than happy to move on to The Bean Trees. Compared to the other works we'd read, The Bean Trees seemed like a breeze. Easy to read and fairly enjoyable, here was a novel we could finally discuss without whining. Okay, so maybe there was a bit of whining, but clearly you have never taken a Mr. M quiz. It automatically induces whining. In fact, it's tortuous. But, I digress.
The Bean Trees would've never ended up on my bookshelf had it not been assigned to me in 20th Century Lit. There's a chance I might have found it at a garage sale or a used bookstore, but the fact it is in mass paperback and the summary probably would have meant a pass from me. How dumb that would have been. I was pleasantly surprised by The Bean Trees for several reasons, but the biggest being that is was packed full of strong female characters. First there's gutsy Taylor who sets off on her own for a better life and never believes she is less than anyone else because of where she comes from, who takes in Turtle and raises her to the best of her ability. Then there's Lou-Ann, a worrier by nature but loving and loyal to the people she cares about, someone who supports Taylor with her friendship and sets her straight when Taylor needs it. There's also Mattie, a woman with a heart as big as can be and compassion a mile wide, who does her best to help other people whether it be illegal immigrants like Esperanza and Estevan or clueless single mothers like Taylor. Even Esperanza, who struggles with depression over losing her daughter and leaving her home, shows tremendous courage in helping Taylor obtain custody of Turtle and manages to keep going despite all her sorrows. Of course, I can't forget Mama, a women who never let Taylor believe she wasn't extraordinary, who took pride in the work she did cleaning houses because it supported her daughter.
At its core, that was what The Bean Trees was really about: these strong women, their relationships, and how love and friendship get them through everything that comes their way. Yes, they're human and therefore flawed, but that's what I liked about this novel. Everything was so real. Life is hard and complicated, and sometimes the ending isn't entirely happy. Sometimes you have to say a hard goodbye as something else really good is happening. That's reality. I got really annoyed in class when a girl said she didn't like those kinds of books, the ones without a happy ending, because they were sad. I told her that was reality, that sometimes endings weren't happy or even final, and she told me she didn't like reality. What a twit!
I would definitely recommend The Bean Trees. I learned a lot more than I thought I would, and it was nice picking up a book I usually wouldn't on my own for school and genuinely enjoying. Take note, English teachers. Assigning better books equals happier students!
The Bean Trees would've never ended up on my bookshelf had it not been assigned to me in 20th Century Lit. There's a chance I might have found it at a garage sale or a used bookstore, but the fact it is in mass paperback and the summary probably would have meant a pass from me. How dumb that would have been. I was pleasantly surprised by The Bean Trees for several reasons, but the biggest being that is was packed full of strong female characters. First there's gutsy Taylor who sets off on her own for a better life and never believes she is less than anyone else because of where she comes from, who takes in Turtle and raises her to the best of her ability. Then there's Lou-Ann, a worrier by nature but loving and loyal to the people she cares about, someone who supports Taylor with her friendship and sets her straight when Taylor needs it. There's also Mattie, a woman with a heart as big as can be and compassion a mile wide, who does her best to help other people whether it be illegal immigrants like Esperanza and Estevan or clueless single mothers like Taylor. Even Esperanza, who struggles with depression over losing her daughter and leaving her home, shows tremendous courage in helping Taylor obtain custody of Turtle and manages to keep going despite all her sorrows. Of course, I can't forget Mama, a women who never let Taylor believe she wasn't extraordinary, who took pride in the work she did cleaning houses because it supported her daughter.
At its core, that was what The Bean Trees was really about: these strong women, their relationships, and how love and friendship get them through everything that comes their way. Yes, they're human and therefore flawed, but that's what I liked about this novel. Everything was so real. Life is hard and complicated, and sometimes the ending isn't entirely happy. Sometimes you have to say a hard goodbye as something else really good is happening. That's reality. I got really annoyed in class when a girl said she didn't like those kinds of books, the ones without a happy ending, because they were sad. I told her that was reality, that sometimes endings weren't happy or even final, and she told me she didn't like reality. What a twit!
I would definitely recommend The Bean Trees. I learned a lot more than I thought I would, and it was nice picking up a book I usually wouldn't on my own for school and genuinely enjoying. Take note, English teachers. Assigning better books equals happier students!