The Bean Trees

written by Barbara Kingsolver

A while back, I had read Kingsolver's The Poisonwood Bible and although I found parts of it disturbing and sad, I did like her writing and had sort of been wanting to read some more of her fiction. So I picked up this little beauty at the library, not knowing at first that it was in fact her first novel. As you might expect, the plot's definitely a little thinner than what you see in Poisonwood, but I must say, it's a witty and touching little story. Whimsical and entertaining, with just enough depth.

The book's narrated from the perspective of Taylor Greer, a young woman who leaves Kentucky (with almost no money and a car that's barely functional) to make her way in the world. Shunning the hillbilly lifestyle of many of her former classmates, some of whom ended up pregnant before their eighteenth birthdays, she figures she'll head west and see what kind of life she can make for herself. By the time she gets to Arizona, her new unfettered lifestyle has already come to an end. She has become, quite unexpectedly, the unofficial custodian of a mysterious, nameless, baby girl — the infant was hurriedly and desperately handed to her by a frightened Native American mother who obviously feared for the infant's safety.

The rest of the book is a story of resourcefulness, friendship, loyalty, and sacrifice. You follow Taylor as she develops some amazing relationships in her new surroundings and gets her bearings in the unfamiliar world of motherhood.

Really cool elements:

• I love first-person narratives where the protagonist is so colorful. And Taylor's youthful but streetwise manner is so entertaining and easy, you feel like you're sitting right there listening to her as she tells her story. I especially love her folksy grammar and vocabulary; it's kind of like a Junie B. Jones book for grownups.
• Taylor's friendship with Luann is just beautiful — a mirror image of the many real-life friendships among the zillions of women out there who find themselves in trying circumstances and help to hold each other up. Though I've never been in such dire straits as Taylor and Luann, I can definitely say that I've had some similar friendships that have seen me through some hard times.
• There is a heart-tugging side plot here about an immigrant-smuggling Good Samaritan and some of the things she teaches Taylor, by example, about doing the right thing and laying down your life for your friends.

Not-so-cool elements:

• I really wish there had been more closure to the story of Esperanza and Estevan, an immigrant couple that Taylor ends up helping to transport to safer territory. Their story became so intertwined with Taylors that I would've liked to know more about the outcome of their struggles.
• Am I beginning to relax my standards, or is it just a coincidence that I don't have much to whine about in the books I've read lately? No other complaints on this one!