Twenty seven years ago (1988) I read "The Bean Trees" by Barbara Kingsolver and I loved it. It was her first novel and since then I have read almost everything she has written. But I couldn't remember much about this book (27 years of accumulating dead brain cells does cause memory lapses) and when I saw it on CD at the library, I knew I had to listen to it.
What a great story! It's difficult to summarize the plot because it is such a simple tale but one with so many human touch-points. Loss, redemption, kindness, civil rights, love, and so much more. The main character, Taylor Greer, wins you over from the very beginning with her skewed view of the world and she develops from an innocent kid to an articulate, generous woman. (In 1988 my best friend at that time actually named her first child Taylor, after the character in this book.) I don't remember being so moved when I read it in 1988, but this time I had tears in my eyes many times while listening to it.
If you haven't read it, get it out of the library and read it. It's short, you can finish it in two days and it will be well worth it. And if you haven't read any other Kingsolver books, do yourself a favor and check out a few of her other books.
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