We've got your back. With the Tough-O-Meter, you'll know whether to bring extra layers or Swiss army knives as you summit the literary mountain. (10 = Toughest)
(3-4) Base Camp
The Bean Trees is narrated by its protagonist, Taylor Greer. Although Taylor is definitely a young woman with smarts, she's not too big on hoity-toity language or roundabout ways of speaking. Reading Taylor's story is like having a good long chat with a friend: she's warm, familiar, and downright hilarious when the mood hits her right. You get what you see with Taylor, and the same can be said of The Bean Trees as a whole, too.
With that said, Taylor's narration does pose one challenge: it's limited. If there's something crucial that Taylor doesn't know or understand, you won't get the full picture either. So, it's down to you to decide how far you can trust Taylor's perspective, and that's a decision that demands lots of thoughtful attention and good critical thinking.