Description

The Bean Trees by Barbara Kingsolver (1992 ed.)

Barbara Kingsolver’s The Bean Trees is a warm, compassionate novel about self‑discovery, chosen family, and the quiet strength found in unlikely connections. The story follows Taylor Greer, a young woman who leaves rural Kentucky determined to avoid the narrow future set before her. On her westward journey, Taylor unexpectedly becomes the guardian of a silent Cherokee toddler she names Turtle, setting her life on an unplanned course.

Settling in Tucson, Arizona, Taylor builds a makeshift community among women whose lives have been shaped by hardship, resilience, and hope. As she learns to care for Turtle, Taylor confronts questions of responsibility, motherhood, and belonging—while the novel also weaves in themes of displacement, immigration, and the struggles faced by Native American communities.

Written with humor, empathy, and vivid Southwestern detail, The Bean Trees explores how people take root in new places and create meaning through care and connection. A beloved modern classic, the novel celebrates independence, compassion, and the power of human relationships to sustain and heal.

Copyright: Originally published in 1988. This paperback copy was published by [publisher] in 1992 with cover art including “AUTHOR OF PIGS IN HEAVEN AND ANIMAL DREAMS” and “‘As clear as air. It is the Southern Novel taken west, its colors as translucent and polished as one of those slices of rose agate from a desert shop. Barbara Kingsolver can write.’ – New York Times Book Review“.

Condition: Okay. Used. Vintage.

ISBN-10: 0060915544

ISBN-13: 9780060915544

Dewey Decimal: 813.54