Have you ever found yourself in absolute poverty with a child in your care? I certainly have not. But in the book The Bean Trees by Barbara Kingsolver, the main character, Taylor, finds herself in this exact situation. For me, it was the one of the most complete views of poverty I have seen or read. Taylor leaves home hoping for a better life than one as the wife of a poor farmer in a little Kentucky farm. While on her journey to get away, she is given a young Cherokee girl to care for. Taylor temporarily names the girl Turtle because that is what fits her. When Taylor and Turtle finally get to the place where they end up staying, Tucson, Arizona, they have almost nothing in their possession. Taylor has a beat up car with four bad wheels, Turtle, the clothing the two of them share, and not much else. Taylor's only job experience was carrying test tubes and x-rays in a hospital. When she and Turtle get to Tucson, they are in extreme poverty. They have no clue where their next meal is going to come from. This sort of poverty is unimaginable to me. I have always had enough food to eat. I have always had two parents who I know can take care of me. They will pay for my clothes, food, school things, and anything else I need which they feel is absolutely necessary. To read about Taylor who must provide for herself and Turtle at a young age and with very few skills, is like looking into another world. Turtle's only family which loves her is Taylor, not a blood relative. This I can partially understand through talking to friends who are adopted. Her biological family abused her at such a young age which is a devastating idea. I know it happens, but that does not make it any more conceivable to me. As much work I do for people who would be considered "underprivileged," it is still hard for me to comprehend their lives. A book such as The Bean Trees is just one window that helps me to try.

The Bean Trees Link

http://www.harpercollins.com/catalog/guide_xml.asp?isn=0060915544