Rather than Kingsolver picking a side, she manages to create a narrative resolution that is the best for everyone involved. Yet, this is complicated by Turtle’s trauma and her extreme attachment to her adoptive mother, Taylor. Keeping indigenous children with indigenous families is paramount. It is also clear that Turtle’s case and the strength with which Annawake pursues it, are due to her own families broken adoption stories. On the other side, Annawake sees Turtle’s case as an injustice against indigenous nations across America.

In her fear of losing her adopted daughter she tries to run. She loves her and would do anything for her. In the hopes to outrun Annawake and the possible legal implications of Turtle’s adoption, Taylor is brought to the brink. They go on a strange road trip which is a little John Steinbeck-esque. When Taylor and her daughter are thrust into the spotlight after saving a man’s life, the events around Taylor’s adoption of Turtle is put into question by an indigenous lawyer Annawake.Īs soon as Annawake visits Taylor to ask her more questions, Taylor decides to leave everything and go into hiding with Turtle. The story follows Turtle and Taylor, Turtle’s adoptive mother. Kingsolver’s choice of topic and issues around cultural identity-specifically who should be allowed to talk about what and when-mean that the reader is in for a tough read. This was a measure to protect indigenous children from adopted out and possibly being cut off from their cultural roots and families. allowed non-indigenous families to adopt indigenous children until the 1978 Indian Child Welfare Act was instated. In Australia, the Stolen Generation refers to indigenous children who where forcibly removed from their families and adopted out into white families in an attempt to erase indigenous culture and identity and to eventually remove aboriginality from Australia. The U.S., much like Australia, has a complicated and painful past with its indigenous populations. So it is no wonder that Pigs in Heaven also covered the complicated story of indigenous adoptions in the U.S. Her novel, Flight Behaviours is a deep dive into American poverty and climate change Lacuna is about revolution and love. Kingsolver has a way of creating interesting and complex characters, and she is generally unafraid of tackling difficult topics.

When I found Pigs In Heaven, which I feel is one of Kingsolver’s lesser-known novels, I was intrigued to read it. I first came to her literature in high school when my English class had to read Poisonwood Bible, which is one of my favourite books when it comes to the plot as well as the characterisation and narrative techniques. Barbara Kingsolver’s novel, Pigs In Heaven, being held by a hand over a quilt cover

Pigs in heaven by barbara kingsolver