"The Bean Trees is the work of a visionary. . . . It leaves you open-mouthed and smiling." — Los Angeles Times

A bestseller that has come to be regarded as an American classic, The Bean Trees is the novel that launched Barbara Kingsolver's remarkable literary career.

It is the charming, engrossing tale of rural Kentucky native Taylor Greer, who only wants to get away from her roots and avoid getting

What do miniature golf, the Cherokee alphabet, country music, the atomic bomb, and the long-lost State of Franklin have in common?

They were all born in East Tennessee, of course.

Author Carolyn Sakowski drove over three thousand miles to update routes and directions for this second edition of Touring the East Tennessee Backroads. Though she didn't much care for filling her gas tank, she loved reacquainting herself with the region's rich history