Telephone of the Tree

(Paperback, International edition)

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Description

An unforgettable story of grief and the support of community as a young girl, faced with aching loss, begins to understand that what we love will always be with us. Ayla and her best friend Kiri have always been tree people. They each have their own special tree, and neighbors and family know that they are most likely to be found within the branches. But after an accident on their street, Kiri has gone somewhere so far away that Ayla can only wait and wait in her birch, longing to be able to talk with Kiri again. Then a mysterious, old-fashioned telephone appears one morning, nestled in the limbs of Ayla's birch tree. Where did it come from she wonders. And why are people showing up to use this phone to call their loved ones Especially loved ones who have passed on. All Ayla wants is for Kiri to come home. Until that day comes, she will keep Kiri's things safe. She'll keep her nightmares to herself. And she will not make a call on that telephone.

Reviews

"Inspired by Itaru Sasakis phone booth in Japan, where people can symbolically call deceased loved ones, McGhee lays bare the powerful emotions entangled with loss while demonstrating the strength found in community."Booklist

"McGhee injects a speculative twist to this tender tale about death and grief. Employing spare, sensory language, McGhee explores the painful negative space created by loss and the devastation of a friendship cutshort, as well as the healing found in moving forward while remembering that 'theres more... so much more.'"Publishers Weekly

Author Bio

Alison McGhee writes books for all ages. Her most popular books include the bestselling adult novel Shadow Baby, which was a Today Show Book Club pick and Pulitzer Prize nominee; Geisel Award winner Bink and Gollie (cowritten with Kate DiCamillo); and the #1 New York Times bestselling picture book Someday. Her work has been translated into more than 20 languages and has won many fellowships and awards, and she has taught creative writing at Metropolitan State University, Vermont College, and Hamline University's MFA program.