One review on 30 Nov 2023

First Published: 1993

Fiction

Pigs in Heaven

Author: Barbara Kingsolver 

Summary: Follow on from The Bean Trees, Taylor and Turtle's journey continues as Turtle is introduced to her roots

Publisher:
Faber & Faber
Date first read: Thu 30th Nov 2023

Format:   Paperback

Catalogued: 2nd Dec 2023

Synopsis

Taylor has a boyfriend, Jax, a musician, and she and turtle seem somewhat settled as a family having moved in with Jax. On a trip to rand Canyon they witness a man fall into a drainae channel at the Hoover dam. As a result the man is rescued and Turtle (and Taylor) are invited to appear on Oprah. Watching the broadcast is Annawake Fourkiller, a cherokee lawyer, who recognises Turtle as being Cherokee and things there is something fishy about the adoption story. Indan kids are not supposed to be adopted without the approval of the tribal council in order to preserve their culture.

Annawake tracks them down and tells Taylor that the adoption is probably leally flawed and shouldn't have been allowed if there are any living relatives, and Turtle may have to be given back.

This causes Taylor to go on the run as she can't let that happen. After some adventures spiralling down, livin in cheap motels with deadend jobs and mounting shortae of money, Taylors Mum, Alice, determines to go to the Cheroke nation and talk to Annawake.There she finds a new life, or is tricked into one, and persuades Taylor to come and face the music.

Reviews

Another stunning american social-realist novel

by rogerco on Thu 30th Nov 2023.

With three or four linked storylines (Taylor & Turtle as the main thread, Jax, Alice, Annawake, and Cash as a strong ensemble, and Barbie for comedic value) it keeps yoou reading as they get woven together. With a satisfyng and open-ended conclusion - what happens next? - and plenty of neat observation about relationships, gender and identity, age and youth, cultureand sub-cultures, alon the way.