The Bean Trees by Barbara Kingsolver

From the Back (because I can't summarize this book any better): "Clear-eyed and spirited, Taylor Greer grew up poor in rural Kentucky with the goals of avoiding pregnancy and getting away. But when she heads west with high hopes and a barely functional car, she meets the human condition head-on. By the time Taylor arrives in Tucson, Arizona, she has acquired a completely unexpected child, a three-year-old American Indian girl named Turtle, and must somehow come to terms with both motherhood and the necessity of putting down roots. Hers is a story about love and friendship, abandonment and belonging, and the discovery of surprising resources in apparently empty places."

I initially read this book junior year of high school for our yearly research paper. It was my first exercise in literary research, and I think it kept me from enjoying this book as thoroughly as I did during my re-read. I love Kingsolver's style: the way she has of discussing serious matters and saying something important without getting all high-and-mighty about it. The book grapples with some serious stuff--child abuse, the plight of illegal immigrants who come to the U.S. to escape persecution without the means of actually proving that persecution to U.S. immigration courts, economic disparity, friendship, love, the limits of parents' ability to protect their children, racism, etc., etc. Yet, the tone is regularly lighthearted and sweet. The only real villain is "the way things are," which, in this story, is of course frustrating. All the characters in the novel are so sweet and disarming and quirky that you have to cheer for them, especially when they're lost and making bad decisions. And the book is uplifting; without spoiling it, the ending has an excellent message and leaves you thinking, but not sobbing.

I don't think I can quite put how excellent this book is into words. It's even better the second time through (probably helped along by a bit of "life experience").

My rating: 10/10

Other reviews:
A Lifetime of Books
The Written World
**If I've missed your review, let me know via comments, and I'll add your link**

Up next: the sequel Pigs in Heaven by Barbara Kingsolver