Barbara Kingsolver renews the Western literary landscape by debunking the myths of individuality and self-determination. Her heroines lead meaningful lives by relying on compromise and community. Kingsolver's work reflects the real West in which she...

WALL STREET JOURNAL BEST-SELLERSFICTION1. "Simple Genius" by David Baldacci (Grand Central Publishing)2. "The Yiddish Policemen's Union" by Michael Chabon (HarperCollins)3. "The Children of Hurin" by J.R.R. Tolkien, edited by Christopher Tolkien (Houghton Mifflin)4. "The Woods" by Harlan Coben (Dutton Adult)5. "Rant: An Oral Biography Of...

The cultural critic Lee Siegel is known as something of a terror for his slashing, razor-sharp essays and reviews. His savage eloquence has ticked off a lot of folk, and his not entirely deserved reputation as a hatchet man—news flash: There’s plenty of stuff Lee...

The cultural critic Lee Siegel is known as something of a terror for his slashing, razor-sharp essays and reviews. His savage eloquence has ticked off a lot of folk, and his not entirely deserved reputation as a hatchet man—news flash: There’s plenty of stuff Lee...

In the following essay, Ryan provides an overview of the major themes and critical reception of Kingsolver's novels. According to Ryan, Kingsolver's “aggressively politically correct” fiction is undermined by elements of sentimentality and implicit reversions to traditional values.

In the following interview, Kingsolver comments on her life, work, and sociopolitical preoccupations.

In the following review, Roses offers qualified praise for Another America.

In the novel The Bean Trees, Barbara Kingsolver tends to linger upon six themes in particular. A significant theme in the Bean Trees was Community and support.