June 24, 2004

ON MY BOOKSHELF

“The Bean Trees”
By Barbara Kingsolver

Kerry Ferketich, 19,
SFSU Junior

You can’t discount Ariel’s intent. Kerry Ferketich recently dignified the Disney mantra, ‘It’s a whole new world,’ relating that to her own life, of course outside of cartoons and the brawny deep. Perhaps fiery red hair and a contagious zest for life aren’t the only similarities between Almaden offspring, Ferketich and the Disney animated fish-lady.

After leaving Archbishop Mitty High School two Junes past, Ferketich set out on her own adventure, swimming upstream, up Highway 280, headed for San Francisco State University and its Child Development Program. There, she’s found a blossoming world of human clubs and earthy culture, concealed between West San Francisco and the Golden Gate Bridge.

Now, longing to begin her third year as a Gator, Ferketich reflects in earnest about her experiences since leaving that ‘cozy nest’ known as south San Jose.

“I feel like I’ve been ascending on the learning curve of life ever since I left high school,” said Ferketich. “I am gaining so many exciting, new experiences. San Francisco is incredibly diverse, even compared to San Jose, so whenever I meet people, I am always shocked to learn about their backgrounds. They could have grown up under the most insane circumstances, in Burma or somewhere, but we still find ground to meet on.”

Yet, at her parent’s urging, Ferketich has returned this June, for a last hurrah of relaxing summer work, under the supervision and roof, of her parents, Steve and Sue.

“I guess I’ll have some time on my hands,” commented Ferketich, who has decided reading will be the best way to utilize said time. “I already read one.”

That one was a book by Barbara Kingsolver, “The Bean Trees.”

Kingsolver, noted for such contemporary classics as, “The Poisonwood Bible” and “Pigs in Heaven”, first cut her teeth on “The Bean Trees”, her eclectic and, at times, touching debut. In the ‘Trees,’ gritty Marietta Greer leaves home in Kentucky searching for something beyond her former experiences. After running out of gas is Taylorville, Greer spontaneously changes her name to Taylor and continues on with a new identification and a new spirit.
On the road, Taylor is approached with the responsibility of caring for another man’s child. Again, Taylor acts in impulse, accepting spontaneously.

Ultimately, Taylor lands in Arizona where she rooms with a Cherokee woman also raising a child as a single parent.

“I would recommend “Bean Trees” to other people,” said Ferketich. “I wasn’t that into it at first, but it really picked up. It kind of reminded me of ‘The Little Mermaid.’ Both characters leave behind their old lives to go for their dreams and experience new things. I recognize some of myself in the character, too. We’re all out there trying new stuff.”

—By Justin Petersen