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3.8 AVERAGE
3.8 AVERAGE
Wonderfully bittersweet. I was touched at the clarity with which Winnie narrated. She may have been a bit older than 10 in her style, and ultimately the author's style, but there are those precocious children.
I found myself wondering where in the world this wood was, and settled for America or England. Pretty good for a stab in the dark. This is a tinge serious for a children's book, but I think it's purity rings true. Much more novel-like would have been if Winnie were older...
The ending is sad, and children may be affected by it. I know I was.
I found myself wondering where in the world this wood was, and settled for America or England. Pretty good for a stab in the dark. This is a tinge serious for a children's book, but I think it's purity rings true. Much more novel-like would have been if Winnie were older...
The ending is sad, and children may be affected by it. I know I was.
Natalie Babbitt’s 1975 young adult novel Tuck Everlasting is a fascinating look at life and death. It’s a book that I didn’t read growing up, but I must have heard the title, as it’s always stuck with me, for some reason. The fiftieth anniversary of the novel is coming up next year, and a new graphic novel adaptation is due out. When I found Tuck Everlasting in a Little Free Library recently, I took it as a sign that it was time to read it.
Tuck Everlasting is the story of ten-year-old Winnie Foster, who lives in a small town called Treegap. Winnie’s parents and grandmother try their best to shelter her from the dangers of the outside world, and she spends most of her summer days within her fenced yard, longing to experience more of what’s on the other side.
One day, Winnie wanders into the forest near her house. There she sees a handsome young man who is relaxing in the shade of a tree. He drinks from a small spring. Winnie starts talking to him and finds it curious that he does not want her to drink any water from the spring. When the young man’s mother and brother show up, they tell Winnie that they will have to take her with them.
This strange family that has kidnapped Winnie are the Tucks, and it turns out that they drank water from this spring in the forest many years ago. Since that time, they have stopped aging and are immortal. They have tried to conceal the spring from anyone else, for fear that others would find it and exploit it.
I won’t summarize the plot any further, for fear of spoiling this charming story. Tuck Everlasting brings up many philosophical questions: what would it mean to stop aging? What would it be like to be immortal? How would being immortal change the decisions that you made, and the way you lived?
As a society and a culture, America tends to fear aging and death. Rather than face these parts of the life cycle head on, our culture just avoids them. I think one of the messages of Tuck Everlasting is to remind us to enjoy those special moments in life, as they are finite.
Tuck Everlasting is the story of ten-year-old Winnie Foster, who lives in a small town called Treegap. Winnie’s parents and grandmother try their best to shelter her from the dangers of the outside world, and she spends most of her summer days within her fenced yard, longing to experience more of what’s on the other side.
One day, Winnie wanders into the forest near her house. There she sees a handsome young man who is relaxing in the shade of a tree. He drinks from a small spring. Winnie starts talking to him and finds it curious that he does not want her to drink any water from the spring. When the young man’s mother and brother show up, they tell Winnie that they will have to take her with them.
This strange family that has kidnapped Winnie are the Tucks, and it turns out that they drank water from this spring in the forest many years ago. Since that time, they have stopped aging and are immortal. They have tried to conceal the spring from anyone else, for fear that others would find it and exploit it.
I won’t summarize the plot any further, for fear of spoiling this charming story. Tuck Everlasting brings up many philosophical questions: what would it mean to stop aging? What would it be like to be immortal? How would being immortal change the decisions that you made, and the way you lived?
As a society and a culture, America tends to fear aging and death. Rather than face these parts of the life cycle head on, our culture just avoids them. I think one of the messages of Tuck Everlasting is to remind us to enjoy those special moments in life, as they are finite.
I thought this was a sweet book. I would have loved it if I read it from ages 11-17. I’m glad I read it.
This is the best summer read that actually means something. It may be short, but it feels as if you have gone through a whole season with the Tucks after you've read it. This book tells of a place and a family that eludes time completely, and takes you away. The love story between Winnie and Jesse is full of promise without being creepy because of the age difference. And this book also leaves you with the lingering idea of if you would partake in everlasting life.
I must have read this in 1984 or 85 because I was tracking my books fairly closely in 1986 and 87 but don't see this book mentioned in my journal from those years. I really enjoyed this and have remembered it for decades.
This is one of those quiet, reflective books to pick up up and read again, every decade or so, in order to check in with yourself and your thoughts on mortality and doing the right thing. But a warning: it stays with you. It forces you to confront your feelings about death, and life. But there is also a deep beauty in the sadness and in the truths spun throughout this deceptively simple story. 3.5
adventurous
emotional
reflective
sad
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated