Gossamer Threads That Bind Us All Together
Another rainy weekend and this time a fabulous book. But then award-winning author, Sharon Creech, rarely disappoints. The Great Unexpected is a richly layered text with bright pops of wisdom sprinkled throughout. The characterization is terrific, the storyline fascinating, and the wrap-around ending is indeed "unexpected."
The plot of this novel is so fascinatingly complex that I'm just going to go ahead and quote the book description. "In the little town of Blackbird Tree live two orphan girls: one Naomi Deane, brimming with curiosity, and her best friend, Lizzie Scatterding, who could talk the ears off a cornfield. Naomi has a knack for being around when trouble happens. For she knows all the peculiar people in town-like Crazy Cora and Witch Wiggins and Mr. Farley. But then, one day, a boy drops out of a tree. The strangely charming Finn boy. Then the Dingle Dangle man appears, asking all kinds of questions. Curious surprises are revealed-three locked trunks, a pair of rooks, a crooked bridge, and that boy. Soon Naomi and Lizzie find themselves zooming toward a future neither could ever have imagined. Meanwhile, on a grand estate across the ocean, an old lady whose heart has been deceived concocts a plan. . . ."
I was so enchanted with this book I devoured it in one setting. It has this kind of classic, timeless feel, and just flows along tripping sprightly from one reader's question to the next. Just when you think you are about to figure the whole thing out, another wrinkle pops up. Each character is richly imagined, but you know that Creech is holding something important back about each of them, and those little bits of mystery are compelling. I also like the duality of the story because it kept me wondering about how it would all connect up. There are moments of pure joy, and moments of incredible anguish. And every bit of this very human experience is woven with the elegant, thoughtful writing style that has made Creech a top award winner.
Five Stars: Highly recommended for middle and high school readers ages 12-16; also recommended as a read aloud or mentor text for grades 7-8. The complexity of the literary levels makes this an excellent candidate for literature discussions. In fact, I think most readers of the novel would benefit from participating in some type of dialogue about the themes Creech is trying to explore. Consider delving into why the author had chosen to tell only part of the story from Naomi's point of view. Other discussion topics: use of figurative language, stereotyping, narrative echoes, the tree and wind motifs, and the complexities of relationships. This book will appeal to readers who enjoyed Moon over Manifest by Clare Vanderpool, The Evolution of Calpurnia Tate by Jaqueline Kelly, So B. It by Sarah Weeks, When You Reach Me by Rebecca Stead, True (..sort of) by Katherine Hannigan, and Everything on a Waffle by Polly Horvath.