Read every series in the right order
Greer Family Books in Chronological Order – Complete Reading Guide
Must-Have
Amazon.com
Flight Behavior: A Powerful Novel
Trending Now
Amazon.com
Pigs in Heaven: An Intriguing Novel
Hot Pick
Amazon.com
Phantom: An Exciting Series Entry
Top Rated
Amazon.com
Pigs in Heaven: A Novel Experience
Table of Contents
Quick Answer (TL;DR)
Read The Bean Trees → Pigs in Heaven. That’s the publication order, in-universe order, and the most emotionally satisfying way to follow Taylor and Turtle Greer as their found-family story deepens from a spontaneous road-trip adoption to a nuanced exploration of motherhood, belonging, Cherokee Nation sovereignty, and what it really means to love a child well.
Introduction
At Books in Chronological Order, we bring librarian-level curation to your TBR—clear reading orders, context that enriches the turning of every page, and tables you can skim when you’re choosing formats or planning a class or book club.
Barbara Kingsolver’s two-book Greer Family sequence (often called the Bean Trees books) is short enough to read in a weekend and rich enough to revisit for years. Beginning with the beloved modern classic The Bean Trees, Kingsolver introduces Taylor Greer, a plain-spoken Kentuckian who bolts from home in a battered car and—through a startling turn of events—ends up caring for Turtle, a traumatized, Cherokee child placed in her arms with no instructions beyond love and survival. The sequel, Pigs in Heaven, gathers their small household into a larger conversation: Who gets to claim a child? What is owed to tribal sovereignty? How do we braid personal and communal good?
Top Rated
Pigs in Heaven: A Compelling Story
A deep dive into human emotions
Join Annabelle’s journey of connection and redemption in this poignant tale. Perfect for readers who appreciate profound storytelling.
This guide has everything you need: chronological order, detailed blurbs, character arcs, timelines, buy links, formats, themes, content notes, and book-club prompts—so you can read (or teach) these novels with confidence and care.
Quick Facts
| Field | Details |
|---|---|
| Series | Greer Family (2 books) |
| Author | Barbara Kingsolver |
| Titles | The Bean Trees (Book 1), Pigs in Heaven (Book 2) |
| Typical Length | ~240–360 pages each (editions vary) |
| Estimated Read Time | 6–9 hours per novel at ~250 wpm |
| Reading Difficulty | Easy–Moderate (accessible voice; weighty themes) |
| Primary Genres | Literary / Contemporary Fiction, Coming-of-Age, Family / Adoption |
| Key Themes | Found family, motherhood, community care, immigration & sanctuary, Cherokee Nation sovereignty, trauma recovery, economic precarity |
| Content Warnings | Past child abuse/neglect (off-page but referenced), trauma, custody/adoption conflict, poverty, xenophobia; occasional strong language |
| Media Adaptations | None officially released for these two novels (as of this writing) |
| Ideal Age Range | Adult & Upper-YA (frequently assigned in high school & college) |
| Classroom/Club Friendly? | Absolutely—strong discussion topics & humane humor |
About the Greer Family Book Series
The Greer Family duo tracks the same core unit—Taylor (a young woman determined not to be trapped by circumstance) and Turtle (a fiercely observant child who has already survived too much)—from a makeshift beginning into a durable definition of family. Kingsolver’s signature strengths shine here:
- Voice & Humor: Taylor’s plain-talk wit keeps heavy material breathable.
- Found-Family Glow: Friendships (Lou Ann, Mattie, Estevan & Esperanza) widen the circle of care.
- Place: From Kentucky to the Southwest, the novels honor everyday labor, food, weather, and the interdependence of neighbors.
- Ethics With Nuance: Pigs in Heaven doesn’t flatten the conflict between a devoted guardian and Cherokee legal/cultural claims; it invites readers into a more capacious compassion.
Read together, the books move from flight to grounding, from the joy of cobbling a family to the responsibility of situating that love within history, community, and the law.
Must-Have
Flight Behavior: A Powerful Novel
Explores themes of nature and crisis
This gripping novel tackles complex environmental issues through engaging characters. A thought-provoking read that stays with you long after you finish.
Greer Family Books at a Glance
| # | Title | Amazon |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | The Bean Trees | Buy On Amazon |
| 2 | Pigs in Heaven | Buy On Amazon |
Greer Family Books in Chronological Order
1) The Bean Trees
Premise: Marietta “Taylor” Greer leaves Kentucky with three goals: a working car, a life she chooses, and absolutely no teen pregnancy. Somewhere in Oklahoma, a desperate woman places a silent toddler in Taylor’s care. Taylor names her Turtle. They aim west and land in Tucson, where a used-tire dealer, a kind roommate (Lou Ann), and a sanctuary-minded shop owner (Mattie) weave them into community.
Why it works:
- Taylor’s voice: wry, hopeful, allergic to self-pity.
- Turtle’s witness: the child’s botanical obsessions and slow blooming become a quiet metaphor for recovery.
- Chosen family: mutual aid, shared meals, and cobbled-together childcare are the novel’s beating heart.
Big ideas in plain clothes: What responsibilities do we assume when love chooses us first? How do we shelter vulnerability without controlling the person we vow to keep safe?
2) Pigs in Heaven
Premise: Three years later, Turtle’s eyewitness account of a near-disaster makes the pair minor celebrities—until attention draws scrutiny to Turtle’s Cherokee identity and the contested legality of her adoption. The novel becomes a road trip through American family law, ICWA (Indian Child Welfare Act) implications, intergenerational wisdom, and the necessary tension between personal and communal claims.
Trending Now
Pigs in Heaven: An Intriguing Novel
Sequel that delves deeper into narratives
Experience the continuation of Annabelle’s journey in this layered narrative exploring love, loss, and identity. A must-read for fans of compelling literature.
Why it matters:
- Hard questions with generosity: The book honors Taylor’s devotion and the Cherokee Nation’s right to keep its children within its people and culture.
- Kinship beyond sentiment: It asks what “best interest of the child” means if we count continuity of culture and history as intrinsic to well-being.
- Women’s work, women’s wisdom: A chorus of mothers/daughters, grandmothers/granddaughters, friends and aunties form the story’s spine.
Emotional payoff: Without capitulating to easy answers, the novel bends toward a solution that refuses to dehumanize any party and imagines a bridge where a wall seemed inevitable.
Series Timeline & Character Development
Taylor Greer
- Book 1 (Flight → Found family): Taylor proves scrappy competence and moral nerve—she takes responsibility before she has resources, then builds resources through relationships.
- Book 2 (Love → Accountability): Taylor learns love’s next register: listening to histories larger than her own; accepting that Turtle belongs to her and to a people. Protection grows from possessiveness into partnership with a broader community.
Turtle Greer
- Book 1 (Seedling): Hyper-vigilant silence gives way to vocabulary, play, and an intense bond with plants—especially beans.
- Book 2 (Roots & Branches): Turtle finds her voice in public (the eyewitness moment), then tests identity against new contexts—kin, tribe, place. Her arc honors resilience without romanticizing trauma.
Community Cast
- Lou Ann: From anxious co-parent to a steadier, assertive self.
- Mattie: Practical angel of the borderlands; her ethics of sanctuary (for people and for a small family’s fragile peace) set the series’ moral temperature.
- Cherokee characters and advocates: Complicate the story from “who loves the child most?” to “who loves her best for a lifetime, including her cultural inheritance?”
Novels Sorted by In-Universe Events
- The Bean Trees
- Pigs in Heaven
(Same as publication order.)
Hot Pick
Phantom: An Exciting Series Entry
Part of the Tattered Curtain series
Dive into the thrilling world of the Tattered Curtain series with Phantom. This entry promises suspense and mystery for avid readers looking for their next adventure.
Novels Sorted by Publication
- The Bean Trees (1988)
- Pigs in Heaven (1993)
Companion Works
While the Greer Family sequence is just two novels, readers often pair them with:
- Discussion Guides / Classroom Units: Many high schools and colleges teach The Bean Trees; consider prompts like:
- How does Kingsolver frame “family” as a verb, not a noun?
- What does the novel suggest about borders—between countries, communities, and people?
- Where does humor act as a survival tool?
- Context Reading on ICWA & Cherokee Sovereignty: For deeper conversations in clubs or classrooms, review accessible overviews from tribal and legal education sites to ground Pigs in Heaven discussions in living realities.
- Kingsolver’s Essays (High Tide in Tucson, Small Wonder): The nonfiction echoes her fiction’s ethics—care for land, labor, and the vulnerable.
Editions & Formats (hardcover, collector, audio)
- Paperback: Classroom-friendly, most affordable.
- Hardcover: Longer shelf life, good for gifting.
- Kindle / eBook: Great for highlighting social-justice passages or plant imagery.
- Audiobook: Taylor’s voice sings in audio; the humor and tenderness really land.
Tip: If you’re teaching, snag editions with author Q&As or reader’s guides.
Top Rated
Pigs in Heaven: A Novel Experience
Engaging narrative filled with depth
Explore the complexities of life and relationships in this touching novel. It’s a beautiful exploration of humanity that resonates with readers everywhere.
Why Read Greer Family Books in Chronological Order?
Placing Greer Family Books in Chronological Order—The Bean Trees followed by Pigs in Heaven—lets Kingsolver build from serendipity to structure:
- Plot logic: The events of Pigs in Heaven depend on Turtle’s history in The Bean Trees.
- Character growth: You watch Taylor’s love learn its limits and obligations—a far richer arc in order.
- Theme progression: Book 1 celebrates ad hoc kinship; Book 2 tests that love within law, culture, and sovereignty.
Could you read Pigs in Heaven first? You’d survive, but you’d miss the glow of the first book’s found-family magic, which makes the sequel’s ethical lift both harder and more hopeful.
Author Spotlight: Barbara Kingsolver
Barbara Kingsolver (b. 1955) grew up in rural Kentucky, studied biology, and carried that trained attention to ecology and interdependence into her fiction and essays. Her work spans novels, poetry, journalism, and nonfiction, including the Pulitzer Prize-winning Demon Copperhead. Across forms, she champions ordinary people, place-based dignity, and the responsibilities we bear to one another.
The Greer books arrive early in her career and already display her trademarks: musical plain speech, women’s networks, moral clarity tempered by empathy, and an insistence that humor is a form of courage.
Media Adaptations (films, TV, radio)
- No official feature film or TV adaptations of The Bean Trees or Pigs in Heaven have been released as of this writing.
- These novels are stage-adaptable for readers’ theater or classroom scenes thanks to vivid dialogue and compact casts.
FAQs
Are these books appropriate for teens?
Yes for mature Upper-YA. They’re widely assigned in high school English. Note themes of past abuse/neglect, poverty, and adoption conflict.
Is the adoption legal in Book 1?
The first book doesn’t treat the legalities in depth; Pigs in Heaven front-loads the custody/sovereignty questions for considered debate.
Is this a romance?
Romance is incidental. The core relationship is mother–daughter and the community that sustains them.
Do I need cultural background to read the sequel?
No, but respectful curiosity enhances the experience. Readers often do a quick primer on ICWA and Cherokee Nation history to ground discussion.
Trigger warnings?
References to prior child abuse (non-graphic), abandonment, food insecurity, and systemic injustice. The novels handle these with care and hope.
Audiobook or print?
Both: audio lets Taylor’s humor breathe; print suits annotators and teachers.
Final Thoughts
Greer Family Books in Chronological Order yields a two-step journey from found family to fully-claimed responsibility—for a child, a community, and each other. Kingsolver writes with desert sunlight and diner coffee warmth, refusing to sentimentalize hardship while never letting the light go out. Read them back-to-back; keep tissues and a highlighter handy; then pass them to a friend who needs to remember how ordinary goodness prevails.
