Alexa Petricca’s Reviews > The Bean Trees > Status Update

Summary- in the last 20 pages, Taylor, Turtle, Estevan, and Esperanza have rented a cottage and are in a mini vacation. They are pretending that Estevan and Esperanza are Turtle's parents and are giving her to Taylor.

Visualization- there is a time when Taylor is taking turtle and two other people on a trip. They are going down the highway, and their hair is whipping all around their faces. This reminds me of the movies when people are driving around and their hair whips all around.

Vocabulary- asphyxiation means "to kill someone by depriving them of air."

This is very soon after my last update, but I need to make a connection. Lou Ann judges everything about herself. She judges her weight, her looks, her attitude, and she is very paranoid about her child, Dwayne Ray. There are a lot of people like this in the world. They constantly compare themselves to other people that they think are better than them.

Visualization- Lou Ann just received a package from her husband Angel who moved away for a while, and now wants to love back in. She opened the package, and the way it was described, I pictured her as a little kid, running down the stairs on Christmas morning and checking to make sure Santa came. The. She ripped open the present and was thrilled with what she saw.

Summarization- Taylor just called the doctors office to schedule an appointment for Turtle. Taylor also had a very inspiring talk with Estevan.

Vocab- I came across the word squalling in my reading... It means to cry noisily and continuously.

Favorite moment- Turtle, just said her first word. Whenever little kids talk for the first time I think it is nice to listen to them and take in the fact that they can now communicate with the world.

Summary- so far in the book, my prediction was right, the two stories collided, and Taylor and Lou Ann are getting along pretty well while they are living together. Turtle is growing up nicely, and they all make one happy "family".

Vocab - I came across the word gussets while I was reading. When I looked it up, it meant a small triangular piece of cloth inserted into clothing to improve the fit.