Barbara Kingsolver's 1988 debut novel is a classic workof American fiction. Now a standard in college literature classes across thenation, and a book that appears in translation across the globe, The BeanTrees is not only a literary masterpiece but a popular triumph€"anarrative that readers worldwide have taken into their hearts. The Los Angeles Times calls The Bean Trees €œthe work of a visionary. . . . It leaves you open-mouthed and smiling.€Â