Play Audiobook Sample
The Bean Trees Audiobook
Play Audiobook Sample
(3.00) - 61,286 listener ratings
Quick Stats About this Audiobook
Total Audiobook Chapters:
Longest Chapter Length:
Shortest Chapter Length:
Average Chapter Length:
Audiobooks by this Author:
Publisher Description
“The Bean Trees is the work of a visionary. . . . It leaves you open-mouthed and smiling.” — Los Angeles Times
A bestseller that has come to be regarded as an American classic, The Bean Trees is the novel that launched Barbara Kingsolver’s remarkable literary career.
It is the charming, engrossing tale of rural Kentucky native Taylor Greer, who only wants to get away from her roots and avoid getting pregnant. She succeeds, but inherits a three-year-old Native American girl named Turtle along the way, and together, from Oklahoma to Arizona, half-Cherokee Taylor and her charge search for a new life in the West. Hers is a story about love and friendship, abandonment and belonging, and the discovery of surprising resources in seemingly empty places.
Download and start listening now!
"by the time she hits arizona i was more than hooked. a couple of tiny things bothered me...as a parent. i feel like you would know if your child could swim or not if you had her for a year and she was a baby when you got her. right? but as a whole i did not want to say good bye to the characters in the least. and there were definitely justice issues that hopefully will touch readers across the board."
— Devon (4 out of 5 stars)
Quotes
-
“An extraordinarily good novel, tough and tender and gritty and moving.”
— Anne Rivers Siddons, New York Times bestselling author -
“As clear as air. It is the southern novel taken west, its colors as translucent and polished as one of those slices of rose agate from a desert shop.”
— New York Times Book Review -
“So wry and wise we wish it would never end…The chatty, down-home audacity of Barbara Kingsolver’s remarkable first novel hooks us on the first page.”
— San Francisco Chronicle -
“This funny, inspiring book is a marvelous affirmation of risk-taking, commitment, and everyday miracles…An overwhelming delight, as random and unexpected as real life.”
— Publishers Weekly
The Bean Trees Listener Reviews
-
" Still my favourite of all her books. "
— Susan, 2/18/2014 -
" Not as good as subsequent Kingsolver novels, but I enjoyed the story and got wrapped up in the characters. "
— Sherri, 1/30/2014 -
" A lovely story of a Kentucky girl who moves to Arizona and picks up an abandoned child along the way. It's laced with feminist and Anti-American Latin American policy messages, but delivers those through a curious and gentle narrative voice. She gives a human feel to victims of Latin American oppression while combining that message with one of silent but poignant Native American plight. The fathers in this story are noticeably absent with the exception of the Latin American childless father. "
— Roxanne, 1/27/2014 -
" Barbara Kingsolver never disappoints and with this books comes yet another great adventure. "
— Anna, 1/20/2014 -
" Great book about a young woman who feels isolated from others in her community. She decides to leave her hometown with the hopes of finding something more. On her journey, she "adopts" an American Indian little girl. The story describes the love between the main character and her daughter, as well as the importance of community. Sweet and uplifting. . . reminded me of a Kaye Gibbons book. "
— Laurel, 1/13/2014 -
" I don't love the ideaology behind this book (or any of kingsolver's books... she seems to dislike men and religion) but her writing is compelling and makes me think, so I'll give it a positive review for that! :) "
— Melanie, 1/12/2014 -
" It was weird to have Taylor fall "in love" with Estevan, but I otherwise really liked this story. It made me want to know what happened to the characters and was sad to finish the book. "
— Katy, 1/9/2014 -
" Quite enjoyed it, but the way of life and people and places described proved difficult for me to associate with. Beautifully written of course. "
— Jeannie, 1/9/2014 -
" Really enjoyable book on families of all kinds. "
— Megan, 12/21/2013 -
" Beautiful and Magical. "
— Stevelvis, 12/18/2013 -
" Good story but really disappointed in the lack of research.... "
— Lahoma, 12/14/2013 -
" One of my all-time faves! "
— Bree, 12/2/2013 -
" Extremely well-written, and powerful. "
— Jen, 11/30/2013 -
" One of my favorite authors, although this is my least favorite book of hers. "
— Maggie, 11/29/2013 -
" Found this on the bookshelf at the train station and needed one more book for my trip to Phoenix. I really liked this very much. For a first novel, the whole thing really hangs together remarkably well and the language is really natural. "
— Roxanne, 11/17/2013 -
" I really liked the main character, Taylor. she was a strong young women who was determined to get more out of life than her small Kentucky town had to offer. "
— Jodi, 9/29/2013 -
" Great characters, beautiful language. I love Kingsolver. "
— Alyb, 7/17/2013 -
" This book deals with difficult topics but just pulls you along in its prose. Beautifully crafted and it was a great book club read. "
— Jana, 7/10/2013 -
" Wonderful story and great characters "
— Barbara, 5/29/2013 -
" This was excellent. I love Kingsolver's skill with language. "
— Sally, 4/16/2013 -
" A great story and enjoyable. "
— Lina, 1/15/2013 -
" I'm really into Barabara Kingsolver at the moment. This book has a multitude of great female characters, strong & loving female relationships, a sense of social justice & a lead character with an awesome sense of adventure. Love it. "
— agatha, 12/3/2012 -
" Read this at the suggestion of a friend. Fast paced, easy to read and a real feel good novel. I instantly liked the characters. It was sweet and funny and very heartwarming! I good beach book! "
— Keri, 5/30/2012 -
" I loved every page of this book. It was moving and had some very funny moments as well. I really like Barbara Kingsolver's style of writing and highly recommend this book. "
— Karen, 2/18/2012 -
" Have read many times and will read again. Her imagery, story line and writing keep me coming back. "
— Susan, 11/1/2011 -
" Made me giggle, but mostly it came off as too heavy-handed. An important message, but wasn't carried off well for me. "
— Kerri, 11/1/2011 -
" Beautiful, vivid writing; believable, tender moments; full bodied characters. Fantastic. "
— Kelsea, 9/30/2011 -
" It was a nice, meandering read. Sweet, pleasant ending. "
— Sharon, 8/3/2011 -
" Really enjoyable. Kingsolver creates some characters whom you really feel for. I crossed my fingers for the last thirty or so pages, hoping everything would turn out all right. "
— KC, 6/28/2011 -
" One of my favorite books - about community, motherhood, family and love. "
— Deborah, 6/28/2011 -
" Another good book by Kingsolver. Strong female protagonist. "
— Mimy, 6/27/2011 -
" Great characterization, as usual, by Kingsolver. Would probably give it 3.5 stars. Quick, easy read that I liked almost as well, overall, as the Poisonwood Bible. "
— Eric, 6/27/2011 -
" It was a little sappy, even for me, but what a nice traveling book. Great summer reading. "
— Jill, 6/26/2011 -
" Highly recommend. Very different voice than The Poisonwood Bible, but really good. Pretty quick read. "
— Seri, 6/21/2011 -
" I read this a couple of years ago and I couldn't put it down. It is definitely different from any book I have ever read and has some thrilling twists! The main character Taylor is very familiar, and the struggles she faces make you question what you would do in her situations.<br/> "
— Melissa, 6/21/2011 -
" This is the third time I attempted to read this book and I finally made it all the way through. It was worth reading even though you can tell this was Kingsolver's first novel. Loved the ending and the idea of family being what you make it. "
— Rebecca, 6/20/2011 -
" Kingsolver is an amazing author. I read her Poisonwood Bible years ago and raved about how well crafted it was. I think this was one of her first books. I wish I had read it before now, but I'm really glad that I finally picked it up. "
— Rick, 6/20/2011 -
" I remember that I liked it. "
— Beth, 6/19/2011 -
" My decision might have been influenced by the fact this book was one of my English projects, but I still found it to be enjoyable. It is a scintillating novel about self discovery and motherhood which can be enjoyed by all ages. "
— Tiffany, 6/16/2011 -
" I was assigned this book for school, and it turned out to be much better than most books I'm assigned to read. It's like if my two favorite authors had a baby. Which would be weird, because they're both women. "
— Clara, 6/16/2011 -
" A good summer reading book. Loved the creative titles of each chapter. "
— Rachael, 6/15/2011 -
" Pretty good story, not ype of book I usually read. <br/> "
— Lesley, 6/15/2011
About Barbara Kingsolver
Barbara Kingsolver is the author of more than ten New York Times bestsellers, including works of fiction, poetry, essays, and creative nonfiction. Her work has earned literary awards, including the National Humanities Medal, our country’s highest honor for service through the arts, as well as the prestigious Dayton Literary Peace Prize for her body of work. She is the founder of the PEN/Bellwether Prize.
About C. J. Critt
C. J. Critt is a veteran of Broadway, regional theater, poetry slams, and solo shows. Hailed “Spoken Word Queen” by the Dallas Observer, Critt is a produced writer-director, an Audie nominee, and a CableACE Award winner.