The Complete Fiction: The Bean Trees / Homeland and Other Stories / Animal Dreams / Pigs in Heaven

by Barbara Kingsolver

A boxed set containing all three of Kingsolver's bestselling novels and her only collection of short stories. Includes: The Bean Trees, Homeland and Other Stories, Animal Dreams, and Pigs In Heaven.

Genres: Fiction

Paperback Boxed Set

First published October 11, 1995

About the author

Barbara Ellen Kingsolver is a Pulitzer Prize-winning American novelist, essayist, and poet. Her widely known works include The Poisonwood Bible, the tale of a missionary family in the Congo, and Animal, Vegetable, Miracle, a nonfiction account of her family's attempts to eat locally. In 2023, she was awarded the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction for the novel Demon Copperhead. Her work often focuses on topics such as social justice, biodiversity, and the interaction between humans and their communities and environments.
Kingsolver has received numerous awards, including the Dayton Literary Peace Prize's Richard C. Holbrooke Distinguished Achievement Award 2011 and the National Humanities Medal. After winning for The Lacuna in 2010 and Demon Copperhead in 2023, Kingsolver became the first author to win the Women's Prize for Fiction twice. Since 1993, each one of her book titles have been on the New York Times Best Seller list.
Kingsolver was raised in rural Kentucky, lived briefly in the Congo in her early childhood, and she currently lives in Appalachia. Kingsolver earned degrees in biology, ecology, and evolutionary biology at DePauw University and the University of Arizona, and worked as a freelance writer before she began writing novels. In 2000, the politically progressive Kingsolver established the Bellwether Prize to support "literature of social change".

Reviews

[Brother Odd · Rating 2 out of 5]

OK, I've only read The Bean Trees, but it was the most pointless and emotionless book I've ever read. The text is plain and simple, no colorful descriptions. We don't get inside the characters' thoughts either. It's a pretty straight-forward simple story. I honestly don't know how it can be classified as literary at all. There is nothing literary in the book.

BTW, the physics of the tire exploding are completely wrong. Tire ratings are in PSI, which is pounds per inch, not pounds in general. A 40psi tire is going to explode with more than 40 pounds of pressure. It is 40 pounds of pressure for every inch of the tire. An object that can only hold 40 pounds of pressure would be crushed by a 3500 pound car. I know its a tiny detail, but it irritates when authors don't do their research on a topic that they talk about for awhile.

I would like to stress that I have not read the other three stories in the book. The Bean Trees was so terrible for me that I have no interest in reading the others, but Homeland, Animal Dreams, and Pigs in Heaven do not deserve the 2-star rating from me.

[Jeffield · Rating 3 out of 5]

The edition that I read is not the one pictured. The edition I read was just The Bean Trees but I didn't see it on the list. Anyway....

The story is of a young woman (a few years after high school) who leaves her small Kentucky town for California. She makes it as far as Arizona and while she was traveling through Oklahoma a child was left in her care, abandoned actually. She develops friendships with a small, relatively close set of people.

I was impressed by the author (this is the first of Kingsolver's books that I have read). By the time I was done I thought I could taste and smell the desert. Her insights into relationships made me ponder from time to time and I thought her characters were real. The thing that bothered me is I felt bleak, dry, and weary through the entire book. Though those are feelings that are appropriate for much of the book they shouldn't be there at the end but they are.

[Ruth Jolley · Rating 2 out of 5]

I gave up on this book and this is something I NEVER do.

[Amanda · Rating 5 out of 5]

I discovered Barbara Kingsolver through my high school Spanish teacher, first reading The Bean Trees and then her other fiction successively. I immediately loved her writing style, being both relatively simple and beautiful. I was also pleased to read the works of a Kentucky native like myself. The Bean Trees is still my favorite of the set, but all of them have true merit and ring really true to me.

[Baranie · Rating 3 out of 5]

I just finished The Bean Trees and it follows Taylor when she first gets Turtle. Since I had already read Pigs in Heaven and it is the later story, I thought I would really enjoy the book. I was disappointed in the plot- learning to care for Turtle, an abused girl. It didn't keep me turning pages like Pigs in Heaven did. The subplot was about Guatemalan refugees and wasn't developed enough. I liked the characters, but the political background was lacking.

[Lynne · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read The Bean Trees at the end of 2007. I finished the story while riding the bus home from work, and sobbed so hard that a tear dropped off my chin onto my coat. In public. ;) I devoured Pigs in Heaven in about three sittings, the final one in front of a friends house. That time I sobbed alone. I can't wait to read the rest!

[Patty · Rating 4 out of 5]

It took me a bit of time to really start enjoying the trilogy, once I did I could not put the books down. As for the short stories, I listened to them over the course of a long car trip and her storytelling really made the trip speed by. Kingsolver has an eloquent way with some of the most pedestrian concepts.

[Lyndsey Bookish Nature · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have read all of these novels, twice each. I love this author! these stories encompass Native American culture and take place in southwest US. they all have strong heroines and focus on family, culture and love. a great series of books. (however, not like her other novel The Poisonwood Bible)

[Janet · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm thrilled to see these books are being taught in high schools. Wow, what a superb story teller! It's been years since I read these books, and I still want to crawl back into them and luxuriate in Kingslover's beautiful writing. These books will grab you by the heart, sneak in to your soul, and fill you up with something utterly joyous and tearful at the same time.

[sara · Rating 3 out of 5]

I have a compilation that has all these books except 'Homeland' in it. It was good to read, though not nearly as strong as Poisonwood Bible. Middle school kids should read these books. Remind me that I said this later.

[Kara · Rating 3 out of 5]

Animal Dreams is one of my favorites. It's a book that ends well. Great images and landscape. Kingsolver paints a beautiful picture. Not the biggest fan of Bean Trees and Pigs in Heaven. Not very believable.

[Ruth · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was Kingsolver's first novel and I loved it! It's humorous, suspenseful with well-developed and colorful characters. It treats some serious subjects like illegal immigration. It's sweet and full of gentle wisdom.

[Melinda · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am a huge Kingsolver fan. Her writing is intelligent, savvy, and moving. I've read everything she's written (more than once) and wish she would write more. I also love her passion for her characters.

[Nuthatch · Rating 5 out of 5]

I actually sent Barabara Kingsolver a letter once. AND she wrote back, because she rocks too.

[Jamie · Rating 5 out of 5]

These three books I read separately but was just thrilled with them.....what texture....

[Shannon Albert · Rating 2 out of 5]

Ok... I've made it through Bean Trees and now I'm on Animal Dreams. I'm enjoying Animal Dreams better. I'll pull out some quotes for you later and as Lisa says "I will update you when I finish."

[Sandra · Rating 4 out of 5]

Nice little series, not overly done, with great characters. Again, lots of class issues, which I love reading about.

[Becca Sheade · Rating 5 out of 5]

everything by barbara kingsolver is good; even if it's bad.

[Sumiko · Rating 5 out of 5]

I bought this boxed set because I had read The Bean Trees, Animal Dreams and Pigs in Heaven and loved them enough to want to read them more than once.

[Mom (Belinda) · Rating 4 out of 5]

I finished Pigs in Heaven and enjoyed it. But I think I needed to read The Bean Trees first. Oh well, this won't be the first time I started reading a series in the middle.

[Lissa · Rating 2 out of 5]

Ok, not crazy about her book the Bean Trees but she is a very discriptive writer.

[Missy Chatham · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read these many years ago, but love this collection.

[Caroline · Rating 4 out of 5]

She is an amazing author.

[Shari]

Animal Dreams by Barbara Kingsolver (1991)

[Patty · Rating 5 out of 5]

Actually, the Homeland short stories aren't my favorites, but I love the others.

[Michelle · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read these last summer and really enjoyed them. They are stories about women who survive issues/events and come out on top. They are my go to books when I need a some inspiration!

[Kate · Rating 4 out of 5]

I used to read these three over and over and over again!

[Sarah · Rating 4 out of 5]

One of the best authors around.

[Denidevine · Rating 4 out of 5]

As soon as I read her I wanted to read everything she had writen....