Super Short Summary

The Bean Trees by Barbara Kingsolver follows Taylor Greer as she leaves Kentucky, travels across the US, and unexpectedly becomes the caretaker of a toddler named Turtle. In Tucson, Arizona, she forms a close-knit community with other marginalized individuals, including single mother Lou Ann and Guatemalan asylum seekers Estevan and Esperanza, as they navigate challenges related to poverty and discrimination. The novel references death by suicide, child sexual abuse, and racism.