The Bean Trees, written by Barbara Kingsolver, is a novel about a small town girl who leaves Kentucky with an old beat up car in hopes of starting a new life. During her expedition, she changes ... is a foil to Lou Ann because she faces her fears while Lou Ann only cowers away from them, and unlike Lou Ann, she is completely unprepared for motherhood. Taylor has the courage to face her fears while Lou Ann only cowers away from them. Taylor, for example has a fear of tires because she once saw a tractor tire explode and throw a grown ... man through the air. "I had never thought of tire expl...

• Word Count: 459
• Approx Pages: 2
• Grade Level: High School

This summer I read The Bean Trees by Barbara Kingsolver. In this novel Marietta "Missy" Greer runs away from her hometown in Pittman, Kentucky. As Missy drives away from home, she tells herself that she will change her name to the first town she has to stop in. She ends up in Taylorville, so she becomes known as Taylor Greer. While traveling through the Cherokee Nation of ... hit two flat tires in Tucson, Arizona where they stumble upon Mattie, the owner of a local tire shop. Mattie runs a safe house for Central American refugees. I see Mattie being the perfect respectful person because of th...

• Word Count: 371
• Approx Pages: 1
• Grade Level: High School