The Bean Trees is written from the first-person perspective of Marietta “Taylor” Greer, a young woman who decides to leave her rural home in Pittman County, Kentucky, using her beat-up Volkswagen.

Determined to escape a life of limited opportunities, she heads west with two goals: taking a new name of Taylor, and staying wherever her car happens to breaks down.

Taylor's car fails in Oklahoma, in the Cherokee Nation, and she finds herself at a bar where a stranger abruptly leaves a baby girl in her care.

She learns about the political turmoil in their country and the dangers they faced, including the kidnapping of their daughter, Ismene, whom they were forced to leave behind.

As Taylor navigates her new life, she faces challenges caring for Turtle, whose traumatic past manifests in silence and attachment issues.

Taylor eventually discovers her real name is April, but continues to call her Turtle due to her tenacious nature.

The novel concludes with Taylor and Turtle embracing their future, filled with uncertainty but also hope, symbolized by the wisteria vines, also known as bean trees, that thrive in even the most unfavorable conditions.

Barbara Kingsolver's interest in nature is reflected in the Bean Trees, as it is full of descriptive landscapes and characters' passion towards the environment.

The use of nonwhite mythology, anti-western sentiment, and not using the typical form of male adventure, allowed the author to explore the world where women were powerful and had a voice.

[4] The protagonist is raised by a single mother, which helps to develop themes of motherhood and nontraditional family values throughout the story, as Taylor, herself becomes Turtle's parent.

It conveys the idea of interdependence and interaction, community's importance to each individual's life, and balance between independence and a sense of belonging.

The underlying themes not always recognized include those about mockery toward the judicial system, the flawed coping strategies of current-day issues, and the strength of friendship.

Jack Butler wrote for the New York Times, "The Bean Trees is as richly connected as a fine poem, but reads like realism.