Good continuation of the story in the Bean Trees about Taylor and adapted child. ( )

Reason read: ROOT, discusses Native American issues
I read the first book many years ago and had heard that this was not as good as the first book but I liked it. It is observed that there are ratings from 1 to 5 with an average of about 3.9. The story is about a mother daughter relationship and also the Cherokee Nation and laws to protect Native American Children. What is more important, that children stay in their culture and be a part of the tribe or stay with a mother who has raised her and to whom the child is bonded. So it is a social political novel. It has been the recipient of some minor awards and the first book by this author to be on the NY Best seller. ( )

This book is a sequel to The Bean Trees, in which a two or three-year-old Cherokee girl had been unexpectedly thrust into the arms of Taylor Greer while she was moving from Kentucky to Arizona. Taylor adopted the girl (in an unauthorized manner) and has given her a loving home. As the sequel opens, Taylor has moved in with boyfriend, Jax, a musician. Her daughter, Turtle, has been with Taylor for approximately three years.

Taylor and Turtle take a vacation to Hoover Dam, where a dramatic episode ensues, resulting in an appearance on Oprah Winfrey. Annawake Fourkiller, a lawyer for the Cherokee Nation, sees them on television, and decides to contact Taylor. Annawake’s brother had been lost to an outside family when they were young. She knows how difficult it is for native children in society and worries about her loss of tribal identity. Taylor, of course, does not want to lose the daughter she loves, and flees with Turtle.

The author portrays both sides of a difficult situation such that the reader can appreciate each viewpoint. The narrative is filled with both drama and humor. Kingsolver knows how to knit a story together and her characters are memorable. I very much enjoyed the first three quarters of the book. It gets a bit melodramatic and there are many coincidences near the end. I recommend reading The Bean Trees first in order to fully enjoy Pigs in Heaven.
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Absolutely loved it!! Claudia gave it to me to read. She. It’s not a bookclub book (yet!!)

Didn’t want to put it down. Resonates home since we’ve lived in Oklahoma most of our lives. ( )

I highly recommend this book. In retrospect, it could be called a mystery but the way the story unfolded initially didn't have that feel. The excellent character descriptions made each character so distinct even I couldn't confuse them after I had let the book set midway for a week. The story moved seamlessly. I don't usually pick up books of this genre, but I was intrigued by the title. I am very glad I picked it up. ( )