The Bean Trees

Not bad; not as good as I'd hoped.

This was technically a reread; I read it for the first time in freshman English in high school, over a decade ago. Like many of you I was conscious only sporadically during that class, and I didn't remember it very well.

I decided to reread it after reading The Poisonwood Bible, also by Kingsolver, and it didn't do as much for me as that one did. It's... I don't want to say lower-stakes, but it lacks the gravitas lent by the Congo crisis, and it does not share the same cynicism. The opposite is true, in fact – The Bean Trees is a mostly optimistic book, bullish on shared humanity and community, not that it lacks conflict or trouble entirely. It concerns a girl from a backwater town who drives west to find her place with a little girl she is unceremoniously given along the way, and the people she meets when she does.

This one isn't a waste of time by any means, but it isn't the heavy, crushing experience of The Poisonwood Bible. Worth a look all the same.

I liked this book so much I'm giving it 5 stars, but that's not the same as saying it's flawless. I was touched by the characters and events, but at the same time a couple characters we're supposed to like had some dialogue I found racist or ableist. One character was supposed to be a mean old lady, but we find out there is more to her – but she is not a protagonist. The other character was not the main character, but next to it, and meant to be liked. I think some of the tone is based on the original publication date being 1988, and we're moving so fast as a culture that most books more than a handful of years old have moments that are discordant. One of the main theme of the story was about the power of kindness and connection, and a rejection of racism.

Ultimately, I'm very glad I read this book, and reminding myself that if I stopped reading older books that would be my loss, and I can only work to put it all in perspective. Characters can be flawed and still be worth knowing.