Response on "The Bean Trees"

I just finished the marvelous novel The Bean Trees by Barbara Kingsolver. This was a really interesting book even though it doesn't look like it from the cover. (Never judge a book by its cover). In the beginning, it's about two different people in two different places. Between the beginning and the middle, they become a family and the story just becomes one. This book is about Taylor Greer (whose actual name was Marietta) and Lou Ann Ruiz and Taylor's daughter Turtle (whose actual name is April Turtle Greer) and Lou Ann's son Dwayne Ray. Taylor and Lou Ann have many hardships that they help each other to solve.

Taylor has the most problems in my opinion. Some lady came up to Taylor's car and gave her Turtle saying that it was her dead sister's daughter. Taylor didn't want to take her but the woman forced her too. When she took Turtle to the doctor later on in the book, the doctor said that Turtle was closer to three, had fractures, and that she may have been molested. Over the time Taylor was taking Turtle to the therapist, it had come to the attention of the Child Protection Services Division of the Department of Economic Security that Taylor had no legal claim on Turtle. Taylor didn't even have any legal papers or know anyone from Turtle's real family. She went out in the search of the family.

Lou Ann Ruiz doesn't have that many problems. She just has problems with her husband. Her husband left her and she can't seem to go on. He comes back once in a while and gives checks but she still loves him. He even says he wants a divorce but Lou Ann can't go on. She can't even get herself to tell her mother that she and him aren't living together anymore. She just sulks around and takes care of Dwayne Ray. When she gets a job she finally takes her mind off of him and moves on in a way. I really liked this book and I would recommend it to anyone. Just don't judge it by its cover.