What to read, watch, and listen to if you lovedThe Bean Trees
Barbara Kingsolver · Book · 1988
If you loved The Bean Trees, start with Maid (Molly Smith Metzler, 2021) — a series on the same thread. Below: 4 films, 4 series and 2 podcasts, each matched to The Bean Trees across media.
You loved The Bean Trees for the way it depicts the profound resilience of women building chosen families amidst displacement.
Films on the same thread
Kiki's Delivery Service
Hayao Miyazaki · Film · 1989
Explores: Finding your place, Self-discovery, Female empowerment.
Just as Taylor finds her footing in a new city, Kiki navigates the loneliness of independence, proving that self-discovery is the true heart of The Bean Trees journey.
Tokyo Godfathers
Satoshi Kon · Film · 2003
Shares a thread with The Bean Trees: found family.
This story mirrors the unexpected motherhood and found family dynamics of The Bean Trees, following three outcasts who find profound connection while caring for an abandoned infant.
Central Station
Film · 1998
Shares a thread with The Bean Trees: Coming-of-age.
Like The Bean Trees, this film captures the raw emotional weight of an unlikely pair traveling together, finding redemption and identity through their shared, difficult path forward.
Remarkably Bright Creatures
Olivia Newman · Film · 2026
Explores: Grief and healing, Intergenerational friendship, Hidden secrets.
The Bean Trees celebrates the power of unexpected bonds, a theme that resonates here as Tova finds a sense of wonder and healing through deep, intergenerational friendship.
Series on the same thread
Maid
Molly Smith Metzler · Series · 2021
Explores: Single Motherhood, Breaking the Cycle of Abuse, Resilience.
If you admired the gritty resilience of the women in The Bean Trees, you will recognize that same spirit in this story of a mother fighting for survival.
The Bear
Christopher Storer · Series · 2022
Explores: Grief, Family Business, Working Class.
Carmy’s journey in this series echoes the way characters in The Bean Trees transform a ragtag group of individuals into a supportive, essential chosen family.
Tales of the City
Armistead Maupin · Series · 1993
Shares 2 threads with The Bean Trees: Coming-of-age, Found family.
Much like the vibrant community Taylor discovers in Tucson, this show explores the intersection of urban life and the unconventional, loving families we build for ourselves.
Reservation Dogs
Taika Waititi · Series · 2021
Explores: Indigenous identity, small-town life, teenage friendship.
These teenagers share the same restless desire for escape found in The Bean Trees, highlighting how young people navigate identity and belonging while dreaming of a new life.
Podcasts on the same thread
The Wood From The Trees
Podcast
Explores: mindfulness, well-being, introspection.
The Bean Trees emphasizes the necessity of perspective during hardship, and this podcast offers that same grounded, mindful approach to navigating the complexities of personal growth.
A New Untold Story
Podcast
Explores: Small-town life, Overcoming adversity, Single motherhood.
This podcast mirrors the biographical intimacy of The Bean Trees, focusing on the triumph of the human spirit when faced with the challenges of small-town life.
Keep exploring
Common questions
Is The Bean Trees about a woman traveling to Tucson?
Yes, The Bean Trees follows a woman from Kentucky named Taylor who travels west with an abandoned baby girl. She eventually stops in Tucson, where she finds friends and discovers resources in places that initially appear empty.
What is the primary setting of The Bean Trees?
The narrative of The Bean Trees begins with a journey from Kentucky toward the west. The story focuses heavily on Taylor's experiences after she stops in Tucson, where she establishes a life and connects with a new community.
Does The Bean Trees involve a character raising an abandoned child?
Yes, the plot of The Bean Trees centers on Taylor, a woman from Kentucky who finds herself caring for an abandoned baby girl. The story tracks their journey west and their transition into a new life in Tucson.
When was The Bean Trees originally published?
The Bean Trees was written by Barbara Kingsolver and first published in 1988. The book details the journey of a woman from Kentucky who travels west with an abandoned child and finds a supportive community in Tucson.