This was by far one of my favorite books as a kid. In rereading it I was able to fall in love with the characters all over again. In this story, Winnie Foster (a ten year old girl in the 1880's) sneaks off to the forest one day and accidentally stumbles onto boy drinking from an underground spring. The boy, Jesse Tuck, is actually 104 years old. The Tuck family had discovered this secret spring in the Foster families' woods almost a century ago, and it made them all immortal. When Winnie meets Jesse however he must convince her to keep the spring a secret, and in doing so must kidnap her for a short while. The members of the Tuck family all have different views on their immortality, most think of it as a curse, by Jesse thinks of it as a blessing, . Over the course of about 36 hours, the reader watches Winnie form an unbreakable bond with the Tuck family, which will cause Winnie to question the issue of what she has been taught of wrong and right. While abusing her parents trust, she must maintain the secret, and do things for the good of society, as well as her new friends.
Surprisingly, the "bad guys" in this story that seemed so horrible to me long ago, and to the main character Winnie Foster, seemed completely different to a me as an adult. The actions of Winnie's mother and grandmother seem no different to me now than mine views as a parent today. The man in the Yellow suit who wants to "help" return Winnie from her captors, almost seems justified in his actions. Although I would like to think his actions are awful, they seem no different then the way most people would behave in his situation. The same can be said for the Treegap Constable. He was forced to behave in the manner he did by the laws set up by society. In this book we can see how a little girl can think in a higher order than adults in her society.
This book is a definite must read for both young readers (10+) and adults.
I've never read this book, but I want to after reading your review. I guess I also have to, since it "is a definite must read." It sounds like the book tackles some deep issues and I like the idea of kids getting to read about children being more mature and wise than adults.
ReplyDeleteThis is a fantastic story, and one that I enjoy re-reading every now and then. I am glad that you decided to include it in your blog. I think what I love best about it is the conversations that it sparks. Specifically, would you take a drink from the spring if given the opportunity? I think my opinion changes every time I read the story! I think Winnie makes the right decision, however. This truly is a wonderful story!
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