SOURCE: “Barbara Kingsolver's The Bean Trees: A New Classroom Classic,” in English Journal, Vol. 86, No. 8, December, 1997, pp. 61-3.

In the following essay, the Kellys discuss the major themes, symbolism, and literary style of The Bean Trees, arguing that the novel holds excellent instructional value for high school students.

Barbara Kingsolver, author of The Bean Trees, has produced three national bestsellers, and we realize that using bestselling writers in the high school classroom carries some potential hazards. Nonetheless, we, secondary school teachers with some experience, think The Bean Trees has the earmarks of becoming a new classroom classic.

Barbara Kingsolver

Barbara Kingsolver is an award-winning writer whose works have been published in more than 65 countries around the world. Her works are available in a range of media: she has recorded her novels and personal essays on audio tape, and she has at least one story on the World Wide...