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lavoiture's review
5.0
Part 2 in Bean Trees, this book follows Turtle and Mom to the Indian reservation in Oklahoma. Powerful and, yes, thought-provoking, it makes you question what family means, and who can and should adopt children. Lovely.
hexagong's review
3.0
Kingsolver is an amazing writer. The story for the most part kept my attention, I did really enjoy reading the book but seemed a little long at times. The characters are so real, so developed and unique and interesting, that it feels like you are peering into a day in the life of these people. I think i liked "the bean trees" more, but perhaps that was because it was my first kingsolver book.
mselvis's review
5.0
This was first BK book, loved it so much, I had to read all her books. I loved the humor and the humanity if her charters.
melissamalicious's review against another edition
emotional
informative
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25
leahreadsalot's review
3.0
I had forgotten that I read this one, so it obviously wasn't that memorable. I remember feeling so-so about it. I picked it up because it's a follow-up to Bean Trees.
jessicarc88's review
2.0
Oh dang. Such a Barbara Kingsolver letdown. Maybe this book is the reason she has yet to write another sequel. "The Bean Trees" was good, although a bit underdeveloped compared to her more recent works. But "Pigs in Heaven"... It was nice to catch up with the characters that I liked from the the first novel. It was nice to see Turtle having a personality. But it read too much like a love story. I hated that. I wanted development on the parts of the women growing into themselves, not growing into men. Maybe for these characters that was growing. But it sucked. The plot tension was awkward and not handled too well. Really? A lawyer wanted to take a child away from their parent "for the good of the tribe" and then hatched a plan to set up the biological grandfather with the adoptive grandmother (who isn't even divorced yet, she's barely left her husband) so everyone can be happy? Unrealistic and sad. Also, what was the point of the Barbie character?
ssofia_reads's review against another edition
4.0
I listened to Pigs in Heaven directly after finishing the first part of Taylor and Turtle's story in The Bean Trees. The second book takes place a few years after the first book has finished. Taylor and Turtle live with Taylor's boyfriend Jax and life is generally going fine until Turtle's existence makes the national TV and a Cherokee solicitor, on seeing this, takes it upon herself to dig into the circumstances of Turtle's adoption. After all, abandoned and orphaned Cherokee children should be placed with Cherokee families.
Just like The Bean Trees, parts of this book lack focus a little and the story doesn't progress. However, overall I preferred this second book to the first. I learned a lot about the Cherokee Nation and the status of Native Americans in the United States but the suspense of whether Taylor and Turtle are allowed to stay together is kept up right until the last chapter. There is also a whole host of weird and wonderful characters who surprise you at every turn.
Just like The Bean Trees, parts of this book lack focus a little and the story doesn't progress. However, overall I preferred this second book to the first. I learned a lot about the Cherokee Nation and the status of Native Americans in the United States but the suspense of whether Taylor and Turtle are allowed to stay together is kept up right until the last chapter. There is also a whole host of weird and wonderful characters who surprise you at every turn.
val_henderbonks's review against another edition
3.0
Turtle wishes she could put the words she said back in her mouth and eat them. They would taste bright and sour, like dimes.
You talk about Taylor as if she is the Notre Dame Cathedral.
She is. And the Statue of Liberty and Abbey Road, and the best burrito of your life.
Alice breathes a little deeper. Sympathizing over the behavior of men is the baking soda of women's friendships, it seems, the thing that makes them bubble and rise.
People's always curious for the details, but seem like that's just because we're hoping somebody else's life is a worst mess than ours.
You talk about Taylor as if she is the Notre Dame Cathedral.
She is. And the Statue of Liberty and Abbey Road, and the best burrito of your life.
Alice breathes a little deeper. Sympathizing over the behavior of men is the baking soda of women's friendships, it seems, the thing that makes them bubble and rise.
People's always curious for the details, but seem like that's just because we're hoping somebody else's life is a worst mess than ours.