Pigs in Heaven

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Summary: This book was very thought provoking and intense.
Review: I am 15 years old. I read both "The Bean Trees" and it's sequel "Pigs in Heaven" for a book report for my English class. I am currently working on dialectical journals for both. Barbara Kingsolver sprinkles her text with Kentucky dialect and never slowed the story down. I'm having a hard time trying to figure out the peak of action. Her books aren't exactly action packed, but they do make the reader think about themselves and the world around them. I noticed that her books are very autobiographical. She has interwoven somesome of her life experiences into the stories. I recommend these books to anyone who is interested inNative American studies, or anyone looking for a good read on a rainy day (or any day for that matter)

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Summary: thought provoking, humorous tale by an imperfect heroine
Review: Ms Kingsolver writes exquisitely. She manages to captivate the readers imagination with wit and style. Her use of the English language is delightful. Yet, she does not get so involved with the prose that she forgets the tale. She does an excellent job developing the plot line. The reader is deliciously surprised by some unexpected twists and turns. The family is key without being maudlin.

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Summary: A great book! I wanted more after I finished reading it.
Review: Lately I have been enjoying books written by contemporary women authors. I have especially enjoyed books written by Barbara Kingsolver. She does not resort to hard core sex and violence in her books as do most of her contemporary male counterparts. Although she deals with disturbing issues, she effectively implies her intensions without graphic details. Barbara Kingsolver is genuine and sensitve in her writing and has the ability to keep her readers attention. She has written three books which are a continuation of one another: The Bean Trees, Animal Dreams and Pigs in Heaven. I have read all three and will not miss a fourth if she publishes another in her series.

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Summary: A strong, sweet story.
Review:

I loved this book. The plot was serpentine without being intricate. I love plot surprises and this book had a few good ones. The characters were developed perfectly; vivid, real, and interesting. The story educated me; it showcased American Indian family values and the hardships of single parenthood.

But, the thing I like most is the author's style. Some authors have the gift of turning a phrase that resonates with the reader on multiple levels. Ms. Kingsolver has that gift and it increased my enjoyment tenfold of her already excellent story.

This was the first book by Kingsolver that I have read; I will definitely seek her out in the future.

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Summary: Wonderfully powerful imagery, engaging
Review: I was immediately captured on the first page. Kingsolver's ability to draw the reader into the story is a fine gift. I could readily visualize the people, scenes she describes as well as empathize with the emotion accompanying the descriptions. The characters are very real and call forth memories of similar individuals in my own past--their stories are not "business as usual" but have some unexpected turns and twists. Kept me engaged throughout.

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Summary: It Doesn't Get Better Than This!
Review: Pigs in Heaven is the type of book that you must own just so you can touch it every now and then, just so you can let the pages fall open where they will so you can sample even a paragraph of Kingsolver's brilliant lyrical style.

A sequel to The Bean Trees but a full novel unto itself, this is the continuation of the story of Taylor Greer and her adopted Cherokee daughter Turtle, the abused child given to Taylor in a parking lot some 3 years earlier. Now fully bonded as mother and child, Taylor and Turtle are living a happy iconoclastic life as only Kingsolver can describe. Turtle has come far from her earlier trauma, although not completely healed. And Taylor's fierce adoration of her child cannot be disputed.

Through a series of unbelievable events, Taylor and Turtle appear on the Oprah show, and catch the eye of Cherokee lawyer-activist Anawake Fourkiller, who immediately determines that she must wrest the child from her non-Indian mother and return her to the fold of the Tribe. On the face of it, Anawake seems the enemy and Taylor and Turtle her victims. But nothing is as it seems. With the addition of such unforgettable characters as Taylor's irrascible mother Alice, plus a real-life Barbie doll cum waitress who latches on to the family and won't let go, and the various tribal members, this is a book rich in meaning, deep in thought, and brimming with human truth that transcends all barriers, racial or otherwise.

And that, of course, is the point.

If you have not read Kingsolver before, start with this brilliant offering. You won't be sorry. She is a voice not to be missed.

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Summary: Pigs in Heaven not very heavenly
Review: Pigs in Heaven starts out well, but then we get dragged through the emotional mud of 2 women who can't relate to others in a healthy way. As the reader, I couldn't relate to or sympathize with either charachter. Kingsolver deals with Indian American issues as they pertain to adotion and slams everyone from adoptive parents to Mormons in the process! She tries to tie it all together with a happy ending that is far-fetched and just a little too easy. She wants to tackle major social issues and then turn it in to a happily-ever-after and I just didn't buy it. Not one of her better books.

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Summary: I liked it better than The Bean Trees
Review: I liked The Bean Trees a lot, but I loved this one. Ultimately, the story, to me, is about how Taylor and her mom, Alice, learn about where and with whom they truly belong. An uplifting, feel-good story. The writing often amazed me - there were observations and details that made the people and places seem very real.

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Summary: Not my favorite Kingsolver book
Review: Not my favorite Kingsolver book, but it's a nice story about a white woman's adoption of an Indian child. The purpose seemed to be to explain the Indian Child Welfare Act, but I found much of it hard to understand.

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Summary: The Story of Turtle
Review: PIGS IN HEAVEN by Barbara Kingsolver

PIGS IN HEAVEN is the sequel to Barbara Kingsolver's book THE BEAN TREES. The novel continues the story of the Cherokee child named "Turtle" and her adoptive mother Taylor Greer. In this sequel, we find Turtle and Taylor living together in Tucson along with Taylor's boyfriend, a life that is not quite what would be called the most perfect of environments. They live in poverty, barely making ends meet. Although Taylor does her best, her income is limited, but she gives Turtle a lot of love, and along with her boyfriend, Turtle has a new family. Turtle seems happy, and after years of being mute due to a history of abuse, she's learned to talk, and all seems to be going well.

Unfortunately, Cherokee attorney Annawake Fourkiller accidentally discovers the existence of 6-year-old Turtle, and learns that Taylor had illegally adopted Turtle outside the Cherokee nation. Annawake is ready to rectify this problem. As far as she's concerned, Turtle needs to be raised by the Cherokee. Taylor, however, does not see this, and does what she can to protect her child.

Turtle and Taylor are now on the run, fleeing from their home in Tucson and leaving the boyfriend behind. They live from motel room to motel room, eating what they can afford. It gets to a point where Taylor does not know what to do next, in fear that she and Turtle will be discovered and eventually Turtle will be taken away from her. Yet, she wonders if what she is doing to Turtle is the right thing to do. When Alice Greer, Taylor's mother, gets involved, the story takes a surprising turn, and soon Turtle's biological family gets involved as well. I was glued to the book, wanting to know whether Taylor gets to keep Turtle, or is told to hand over the child to the Cherokee Nation.

Many important issues are brought up in PIGS IN HEAVEN. Should a child of American Indian heritage be allowed to live away from his or her tribe? Should the child be allowed to be raised among the white people, never knowing his true heritage? Turtle was completely happy with Taylor, and she did not know any other mother or life. The issue of whether it was a moral crime to separate the two is a big theme, with a fitting conclusion at the end of the story.

I really enjoyed this book, having already read THE BEAN TREES, which I loved as much as this one. Both stories center on the welfare of Turtle, an endearing little Indian girl that will capture your heart. However, after reading PIGS IN HEAVEN, I doubted that what Taylor did was right. It actually gave me a different perspective on the first book.

The two books should be read in sequence, but reading one or the other will not detract in the enjoyment of either. I highly recommend both books. For those that have read Kingsolver's POISONWOOD BIBLE or PRODIGAL SUMMER, neither book is comparable to these two. The four seem to be written by different authors, simply because the style and tone of these books are very different. I give PIGS IN HEAVEN 4 stars.