The first Barbara Kingsolver I read was The Bean Trees, which I really liked. So I decided to pick up another BK book and when I saw Pigs in Heaven at my favorite bookstore, Booksale, I bought it without hesitation.

Pigs in Heaven happens to be a sequel to The Bean Trees and I loved it too. It’s wonderful to see Taylor Greer now all grown up and mature and her daughter Turtle able to speak in full sentences this time.

Pigs in Heaven begins three years after Taylor Greer decided to formally adopt Turtle, an abused 3-year-old Indian girl who was left in her car on her way to Kentucky. When Taylor and Turtle became instant celebrities after Turtle witnessed a freak accident at the Hoover Dam, Turtle and Taylor’s relationship became the center of a cultural conflict of historic proportions. Is it in Turtle’s best interest to return to her roots in the Cherokee Nation or would it be better to leave her with Taylor, whom she already considers her own mother?

As usual, Barbara Kingsolver’s prose never ceases to amaze and amuse me. I must confess that I am now a fan of Barbara Kingsolver and I decided to read all her books! (Goodbye, book purchase ban resolution!). It’s a joy to read, and the allusions and allegories in Pigs in the Sky are simple but profound.

I never had any idea about American Indians, except for some folklore I read when I was in high school. So it’s wonderful to learn about the Indians, more particularly the Cherokee Indians, in this book. But more than an education in the tradition and culture of the Cherokee Nation, Pigs in Heaven is a colorful portrait of family love, relationships, and a sense of belonging. When is it said to be in a family? Who are the people your family should call? Is the family united by blood or just by the simple idea that you feel you belong to one regardless of race or filial affiliation?

“But when you never put a name to things, you’re just accepting that it’s okay for people to leave when they feel like it.”

“They’re leaving anyway,” Alice says. “My husbands left like houses on fire.”

“But you don’t have to accept that,” Taylor insists. “That’s what your family is, the people you won’t let go for anything.” p. 328.

I must say that although I enjoyed The Bean Trees, I like Pigs in Heaven better. Additional characters, such as the flamboyant Barbie, the always-in-love Taylor Jax, and the empowered mother Alice, have added color to the story. The lawyer, Annawake Fourkiller, is also of greatest interest and feels very close to home. The legal and ethical issues of adoption within the Cherokee Nation are very informative and interesting.

I love how the story ends beautifully at the end. It’s the kind of story that makes you sigh with satisfaction after turning the last page. Furthermore, the ruling on the connection of the book’s title to the story is a revelation that will make the reader think long and hard. Pigs in Heaven is a very compelling story that I think anyone can learn wonderful lessons from. I recommend that one should read The Bean Trees first before reading this book.

5 stars.