The Bean Trees

De: Barbara Kingsolver

Narrado por: C. J. Critt

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.

©1988 Barbara Kingsolver (P)2004 Recorded Books, LLC

a dear favorite

I have long been a fan of the story of Taylor and Turtle Greer and their search for family (this book and Pigs In Heaven, the sequel). I read these in hard copy when I was living abroad, and they made me so nostalgic for home that I cried. They may not be as grand and sweeping a tale as The Poisonwood Bible, but they feel true and real in a tangible way. Taylor is matter of fact, practical, insecure, and wryly funny. I feel a deep connection to her. I thought CJ Critt's narration was perfect for Taylor (despite the lack of a Southern accent) as her tone is perfectly humble, heartfelt, and sarcastic. These books are a great coming of age story and I'll re-listen many more times in my life.

Some special moments

Is there anything you would change about this book?

The story seemed a little disjointed, characters that made an appearance but didn't add to the outcome of the story. The ending was inconclusive.

What did you like about the performance? What did you dislike?

The performance was ok, but the narrators voice was too old for the character.

A little slow

I read the book years ago and loved it, the narrator was pleasant but seem slow so I listened to it 1.25 speed and seemed right.

Performance Missed

I was sorry that BK did not narrate this book herself. C.J. Critt was a complete miss match for the main characters in this book, namely Taylor, Luann, and Turtle. While I’ve loved all of Barbara Kingsolver’s books that she herself narrated, this one was a disappointment.

timeless

revelant today as when she wrote it. what is society, but to care for another

Not my favorite

I also wish that Barbara would’ve read this story. The narrator’s intonation here sounds like she should be reading kid’s bedtime stories & I don’t mean that negatively, only that her talent is misplaced. The voices she uses for the 20-something main characters all sound like little old ladies. I was hoping that once an ACTUAL little old lady was introduced to the story, that she might recognize her mistake & change, but no. Anyway, the story here wasn’t really engaging & the prose is nowhere near on the same level as some of her other books; Flight Behavior, Prodigal Summer & Poisonwood Bible in particular, which are all EXCELLENT cover-to-cover & I would read again in a heartbeat. This one, not so much.

Barbara Kingsolver’s writing is magic.

This is my first Kingsolver novel and I finished it in two days. Tonight I plan to begin the second Turtle book. The writing is magical, the phrases are musical. Kingsolver is a master of description and comparison. Her characters are fully developed and grow as the plot progresses. This is an author I I plan to follow.

Needed for plot twists

I enjoyed the writing style and the set up. I just kept waiting for more to happen!??!! There was potential in the story for more development of the plot. By the end, there just wasn’t enough happening to make me go wow.

What a great book!

I didn’t want the story to end! I want more ! Well written and the development of characters was fantastic ! Great summer read/listen

Marvelous

Wonderfully written, touching and a bit funny, I fell in love with the main characters.