The Bean Trees by Barbara Kingsolver

 

"Mi'ija, in a world as wrong as this one, all we can do is to make things as right as we can."

    -Estevan to Taylor, from the novel

I have read novels by this author so when this one was offered on Kindle at a discount, I purchased it. I discovered later it is Kingsolver's debut novel. Perhaps, that is why it was not as compelling as others. I will rate it a 3.

In rural Kentucky young Marietta "Missy" Greer is dissatisfied with her life and decides to take off on her own heading west. After making a stop in Oklahoma on Cherokee land, a stranger forces her to take a 3-year-old Native American girl with no explanation. She and the child, whom she calls Turtle, then continue on until they reach Tucson, AZ. Somewhere early in this journey to a new life, she changes her name to Taylor.

In Tucson, Taylor takes her limping vehicle to Mattie, the owner of Jesus Is Lord Used Tires, who ends up giving her a job. She also meets Lou Ann Ruiz, who coincidentally is from Kentucky, and they become roommates and friends.

Mattie gives safe haven to refugees, including the Guatemalan couple Estevan (quoted above) and Esperanza. In getting to know these two, Taylor empathizes with their struggle to seek a better life. Late in the book she says to Estevan, "But how can you say a person is illegal?" (A question I ask myself.)

I was curious about the title since I had never heard of bean trees. I learned that the wisteria plant after flowering produces seed pods that look like beans. After a quick bit of research, it seems these are poisonous.

Kingsolver is a skilled writer so I am sure I will read more of her work.

Photo shows a "bean tree."