I loved this book so much, it's so sad and beautiful, I want to thrust it into the arms of every child who walks past me. 
 The story didn't really begin, for me, until about a hundred pages in, when Grandfather says "Once upon a time, there was a tree." It was worth the wait, though. So many family dynamics, storylines and lives woven together, so perfectly. I hope this book gets nominated for a Newberry, because I can't imagine it not winning if it makes the list.