Books like 'Carry Me Like Water'
Readers who enjoyed Carry Me Like Water by Benjamin Alire Sáenz also liked the following books featuring the same tropes, story themes, relationship dynamics and character types.
contemporary fantasy lgbtq magical-realism historical-fiction latinx-mc drama realistic literary-fiction poc-mc
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Where Butterflies Wander by Suzanne Redfearn
Rated: 4.42 of 5 stars · 26 ratingsFrom the bestselling author of In an Instant comes the moving story of a family grappling with grief and a woman with the power to help them through it—or stand in their way.After a tragic accident claims the life of one of her children, Marie Egide is desperate to carve out a fresh start for her family...Categorized as:
historical-fiction family literary-fiction drama realistic friendship magical-realism north-america -
![The Girl and the Goddess: Stories and Poems of Divine Wisdom by Nikita Gill]()
The Girl and the Goddess: Stories and Poems of Divine Wisdom by Nikita Gill
Rated: 4.43 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsBestselling poet, writer, and Instagram sensation Nikita Gill returns with a collection of poetry and prose exploring Hindu mythology and legend.Let her be a little less human, a little more divineGive her heart armor so it doesn't break as easily as mineMeet Paro. A girl with a strong will, a full heart, and much to learn...Categorized as:
family friendship historical-fiction lgbtq literary-fiction magical-realism poc-mc audiobook -
![The Travelling Cat Chronicles by Hiro Arikawa]()
The Travelling Cat Chronicles by Hiro Arikawa
Rated: 4.23 of 5 stars · 35 ratingsA life-affirming anthem to kindness and self-sacrifice, The Travelling Cat Chronicles shows how the smallest things can provide the greatest joy.We take journeys to explore exotic new places and to return to the comforts of home, to visit old acquaintances and to make new friends. But the most important journey is the one that shows us how to follow our hearts . . -
![Cronopios and Famas by Julio Cortázar]()
Cronopios and Famas by Julio Cortázar
Rated: 4.24 of 5 stars · 25 ratings"The Instruction Manual," the first chapter, is an absurd assortment of tasks and items dissected in an instruction-manual format. "Unusual Occupations," the second chapter, describes the obsessions and predilections of the narrator's family, including the lodging of a tiger-just one tiger- "for the sole purpose of seeing the mechanism at work in all its complexity...Categorized as:
latinx-mc literary-fiction magical-realism poc-mc 20th-century adult anthologies classics -
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![End of the Game and Other Stories by Julio Cortázar]()
End of the Game and Other Stories by Julio Cortázar
Rated: 4.32 of 5 stars · 30 ratingsEnd of the game is one of the most important collections of stories of the second half of the 20th century. Engaged in transgressing the laws of conventional narrative, in these eighteen stories Julio Cortázar combines intertextuality, an unpublished use of the colloquial and endless game to bring the reader into a particular universe where nothing is what it seems...Categorized as:
drama latinx-mc literary-fiction magical-realism poc-mc 20th-century action-adventure adult -
![Joe Nuthin's Guide to Life by Helen Fisher]()
Joe Nuthin's Guide to Life by Helen Fisher
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsA thoroughly uplifting novel about a neurodivergent young man who unexpectedly builds a community and saves a friend in need by following—in a way only he can—his mother’s words of wisdom.Joe-Nathan likes the two parts of his name separate, just like dinner and dessert. Mean Charlie at work sometimes calls him Joe-Nuthin. But Joe is far from nothing...Categorized as:
literary-fiction friendship magical-realism fiction contemporary audiobook fantasy female-mc -
![The Wishing Game by Meg Shaffer]()
The Wishing Game by Meg Shaffer
Rated: 4.43 of 5 stars · 7 ratingsYears ago, a reclusive mega-bestselling children’s author quit writing under mysterious circumstances. Suddenly he resurfaces with a brand-new book and a one-of-a-kind competition, offering a prize that will change the winner’s life in this absorbing and whimsical novel.“Clever, dark, and hopeful . .Categorized as:
magical-realism literary-fiction family friendship romance fantasy fiction contemporary -
![Silver Threads by Bette Lee Crosby]()
Silver Threads by Bette Lee Crosby
Rated: 4.38 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsOn the day Jennifer Green was born a pile of stones was placed alongside her scale of life. A few were the dark gray of sorrow, but most were a pale blush color. The largest stone was the rose hue of a sunrise. That one would be placed on the scale the day she married Drew Bishop. Even more brilliant but a wee bit smaller was the pink stone glistening with specs of silver... -
![The Loft by Bette Lee Crosby]()
The Loft by Bette Lee Crosby
Rated: 4.38 of 5 stars · 8 ratings50 YEARS OF MEMORIES ARE HIDDEN IN THE WALLS OF THE LOFT... Annie only needs to find one... the one that will save Oliver's life. On the day of their wedding, Annie saw nothing but happiness ahead, but when an accident calls her back to Memory House, her world is changed forever... -
![Collected Stories by Gabriel García Márquez]()
Collected Stories by Gabriel García Márquez
Rated: 4.19 of 5 stars · 18 ratingsCollected here are twenty-six of Gabriel Garcia Marquez's most brilliant and enchanting short stories, presented in the chronological order of their publication in Spanish from three volumes: Eyes of a Blue Dog, Big Mama's Funeral, and The Incredible and Sad Tale of lnnocent Eréndira and Her Heartless Grandmother...Categorized as:
latinx-mc literary-fiction magical-realism poc-mc 20th-century adult anthologies classics -
![When the Butterflies Came by Kimberley Griffiths Little]()
When the Butterflies Came by Kimberley Griffiths Little
Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsEverybody thinks Tara Doucet has the perfect life. But in reality, Tara’s life is anything but perfect: Her dear Grammy Claire has just passed away, her mother is depressed and distant, and she and her sister Riley can’t seem to agree on anything... -
![The Shiver by Jakub Małecki]()
The Shiver by Jakub Małecki
Rated: 4.19 of 5 stars · 16 ratingsONLY ONE CHAPTER - 1938-1969 One of the most renowned books of 2015.Polish bestseller.The book compared to the works of Johnatan Carroll, Fiodor Dostojewski, Andy Weir and Jurij Andruchowycz.The novel has been recommended by the best Polish Wiesław Myśliwski, Jacek Dukaj, Szczepan Twardoch, Wit Szostak.Masterly prose wrapped in magical realism...Categorized as:
literary-fiction magical-realism historical-fiction drama family fiction contemporary audiobook -
![Woodworm by Layla Martínez]()
Woodworm by Layla Martínez
Rated: 4.15 of 5 stars · 20 ratingsThe house breathes. The house contains bodies and secrets. The house is visited by ghosts, by angels that line the roof like insects, and by saints that burn the bedsheets with their haloes. It was built by a small-time hustler as a means of controlling his wife, and even after so many years, their daughter and her granddaughter can’t leave... -
![Unlikely Animals by Annie Hartnett]()
Unlikely Animals by Annie Hartnett
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 6 ratings"A lost young woman returns to small-town New Hampshire under the strangest of circumstances in this one-of-a-kind novel of life, death, and whatever comes after from the acclaimed author of Rabbit Cake. The Starlings live in Everton, an ordinary enough New Hampshire town...Categorized as:
family historical-fiction literary-fiction magical-realism realistic adult animals book -
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![Poor Deer by Claire Oshetsky]()
Poor Deer by Claire Oshetsky
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsA wondrous, tender novel about a young girl grappling with her role in a tragic loss—and attempting to reshape the narrative of her life—from PEN/Faulkner Award nominee Claire OshetskyMargaret Murphy is a weaver of fantastic tales, growing up in a world where the truth is too much for one little girl to endure. Her first memory is of the day her friend Agnes died.No one blames Margaret...Categorized as:
magical-realism literary-fiction lgbtq historical-fiction family fiction contemporary fantasy -
![Bitter by Akwaeke Emezi, Bahni Turpin]()
Bitter by Akwaeke Emezi, Bahni Turpin
Rated: 4.20 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsBitter is thrilled to have been chosen to attend Eucalyptus, a special school where she can focus on her painting surrounded by other creative teens. But outside this haven, the streets are filled with protests against the deep injustices that grip the town of Lucille. Bitter's instinct is to stay safe within the walls of Eucalyptus . . -
![さみしかった本 by Kate Bernheimer, ケイト バーンハイマー]()
さみしかった本 by Kate Bernheimer, ケイト バーンハイマー
Rated: 4.20 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsWhen a wonderful new book arrives at the library, at first it is loved by all, checked out constantly, and rarely spends a night on the library shelf. But over time it grows old and worn, and the children lose interest in its story. The book is sent to the library's basement where the other faded books live... -
![A Pocketful of Stars by Aisha Bushby]()
A Pocketful of Stars by Aisha Bushby
Rated: 4.20 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsWhen I next open my eyes, I’m back . . . in front of the house again.It’s night time. The stars wave hello, like they’ve been expecting me.The door of the house, Mum’s house, is wide open, like it expects me too.This time, I go inside . . .Safiya and her mum have never seen eye to eye. Her mum doesn’t understand Safiya’s love of gaming and Safiya doesn't think they have anything in common... -
![The Plover by Brian Doyle]()
The Plover by Brian Doyle
Rated: 4.14 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsA compelling, marvelous novel by the acclaimed author of Mink River Declan O Donnell has left Oregon aboard his boat, the Plover, to escape the life that’s so troubled him on land. He sets course west into the Pacific in search of solitude...Categorized as:
literary-fiction magical-realism realistic action-adventure adult audiobook book contemporary -
![In a Thousand Different Ways by Cecelia Ahern]()
In a Thousand Different Ways by Cecelia Ahern
Rated: 4.14 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsFinding your way is never a simple journey…Alice sees the best in people.She also sees the worst.She sees a thousand different emotions and knows exactly what everyone around her is feeling.Every. Single. Day.But it’s the dark thoughts.The sadness. The rage.These are the things she can’t get out of her head. The things that overwhelm her...Categorized as:
family drama literary-fiction magical-realism fiction contemporary fantasy audiobook -
![The Axeman's Carnival by Catherine Chidgey]()
The Axeman's Carnival by Catherine Chidgey
Rated: 4.31 of 5 stars · 16 ratingsEverywhere, the birds: sparrows and skylarks and thrushes, starlings and bellbirds, fantails and pipits – but above them all and louder, the magpies. We are here and this is our tree and we’re staying and it is ours and you need to leave and now.Tama is just a helpless chick when he is rescued by Marnie, and this is where his story might have ended...Categorized as:
literary-fiction magical-realism family historical-fiction realistic fiction fantasy animals -
![What It Means When a Man Falls from the Sky by Lesley Nneka Arimah]()
What It Means When a Man Falls from the Sky by Lesley Nneka Arimah
Rated: 4.14 of 5 stars · 37 ratingsA dazzlingly accomplished debut collection explores the ties that bind parents and children, husbands and wives, lovers and friends to one another and to the places they call home. In “Who Will Greet You at Home,” a National Magazine Award finalist for The New Yorker, A woman desperate for a child weaves one out of hair, with unsettling results...Categorized as:
family friendship historical-fiction lgbtq literary-fiction magical-realism poc-mc realistic -
![Portable Childhoods by Ellen Klages, Neil Gaiman]()
Portable Childhoods by Ellen Klages, Neil Gaiman
Rated: 4.17 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsEmerging from a unique and powerful voice, this innovative collection offers a tantalizing glimpse of what lies hidden just beyond the ordinary, skirting the border between childhood and adulthood...Categorized as:
lgbtq literary-fiction magical-realism anthologies contemporary fiction low-fantasy magic -
![The Night Visitor and Other Stories by B. Traven]()
The Night Visitor and Other Stories by B. Traven
Rated: 4.17 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsHere are ten of B. Traven's remarkable short stories. Three of them are long stories: The setting of "The Night Visitor" is a hacienda deep in the Mexican bush where a lonely American recreates in his imagination an eerie world of Indian folk legend...Categorized as:
latinx-mc literary-fiction poc-mc adult anthologies contemporary fiction industrial-era -
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![The Infinity Year of Avalon James by Dana Middleton]()
The Infinity Year of Avalon James by Dana Middleton
Rated: 4.17 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsAvalon James and Atticus Brightwell have a secret--one that they aren't allowed to discuss with anyone. This secret is shared between two best friends. When you and your best friend turn ten years old magical things are said to happen. You both will receive some kind of magical power. It can be a power you can call on time and time again. Or it can be a power that comes once when you need it most... -
![Into the Tall, Tall Grass by Loriel Ryon, Marisa Blake]()
Into the Tall, Tall Grass by Loriel Ryon, Marisa Blake
Rated: 4.17 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsYolanda Rodr�guez-O'Connell has a secret. All the members of her family have a magical gift--all, that is, except for Yolanda. Still, it's something she can never talk about...because, if she does, the townsfolk will call her family brujas--witches. When her grandmother, Wela, falls into an unexplained sleep, Yolanda is scared... -
![Thief in the Light by Jaime Samms]()
Thief in the Light by Jaime Samms
Rated: 4.17 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsLucky Denver has wandering feet, sticky fingers and an unreliable moral compass-he's never had a home and he's not so sure he cares about what he's missing.Arnold Kreed, who runs a small-town B&B, knows what a home should be. So does his home, The Oaks-aka Mildred-and she has some very definite opinions on who should stay and who should go... -
![Bounce by Megan Shull]()
Bounce by Megan Shull
Rated: 4.10 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsYouTube star Jojo Siwa to star in the upcoming movie adaptation! "Bounce is a heartwarming story about a teenage girl who wishes she could trade her family for a new one on Christmas Eve. Her wish is granted and she finds herself 'bouncing' into the lives of other girls and living Christmas Day on repeat—learning the value of family, finding your voice, and the power of love... -
![The Lighthouse by Christopher Parker]()
The Lighthouse by Christopher Parker
Rated: 4.10 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsAmy is struggling to put her life back together following the death of her mother. The loss has left her heartbroken, and she doesn’t know if her world will ever be whole again.Meanwhile, in Seabrook, a small town famous for its haunted lighthouse, Ryan Porter lives a simple but busy life, maintaining the ranch which he shares with his father... -
![Cent millions d'années et un jour by Jean-Baptiste Andrea]()
Cent millions d'années et un jour by Jean-Baptiste Andrea
Rated: 4.10 of 5 stars · 10 ratings‘On the mountain, the only monsters are the ones you take with you.’Summer 1954. Stan has been hunting for fossils since the age of six. Now, having made a career out of studying the remains of tiny lifeforms, he hears a story he cannot forget: the skeleton of a huge creature, a veritable dragon, lies deep in an Alpine glacier. And he is determined to find it...Categorized as:
historical-fiction drama literary-fiction fiction action-adventure contemporary fantasy book -
![Song of the Crocodile by Nardi Simpson]()
Song of the Crocodile by Nardi Simpson
Rated: 4.08 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsDarnmoor, The Gateway to Happiness. The sign taunts a fool into feeling some sense of achievement, some kind of end- that you have reached a destination in the very least. Yet as the sign states, Darnmoor is merely a gateway, a waypoint on the road to where you really want to be.Darnmoor is the home of the Billymil family, three generations who have lived in this 'gateway town'...Categorized as:
historical-fiction magical-realism literary-fiction poc-mc family fiction contemporary audiobook -
![Everyone Knows You Go Home by Natalia Sylvester]()
Everyone Knows You Go Home by Natalia Sylvester
Rated: 4.07 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsFrom the acclaimed author of Chasing the Sun comes a new novel about immigration and the depths to which one Mexican American family will go for forgiveness and redemption.The first time Isabel meets her father-in-law, Omar, he’s already dead—an apparition appearing uninvited on her wedding day...Categorized as:
family historical-fiction latinx-mc literary-fiction magical-realism poc-mc adult audiobook -
![Abuela by Arthur Dorros, Elisa Kleven]()
Abuela by Arthur Dorros, Elisa Kleven
Rated: 4.07 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsWhile riding on a bus with her grandmother, a little girl imagines that they are carried up into the sky and fly over the sights of New York City... -
![The Astonishing Color of After by Emily X.R. Pan]()
The Astonishing Color of After by Emily X.R. Pan
Rated: 4.07 of 5 stars · 43 ratingsLeigh Chen Sanders is absolutely certain about one thing: When her mother died by suicide, she turned into a bird.Leigh, who is half Asian and half white, travels to Taiwan to meet her maternal grandparents for the first time. There, she is determined to find her mother, the bird... -
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![The Book of Beginnings by Sally Page]()
The Book of Beginnings by Sally Page
Rated: 4.13 of 5 stars · 24 ratingsFrom the author of the phenomenal bestseller The Keeper of Stories, comes the next uplifting story of how the most unexpected friendships are forged in the most unlikely of places . . .Jo Sorsby knows she is hiding from her past when she steps in to look after her uncle’s stationery shop...Categorized as:
friendship literary-fiction drama magical-realism family romance fiction contemporary -
![The Back of the Turtle by Thomas King]()
The Back of the Turtle by Thomas King
Rated: 4.09 of 5 stars · 27 ratingsThis is Thomas King’s first literary novel in 15 years and follows on the success of the award-winning and bestselling The Inconvenient Indian and his beloved Green Grass, Running Water and Truth and Bright Water, both of which continue to be taught in Canadian schools and universities. Green Grass, Running Water is widely considered a contemporary Canadian classic...Categorized as:
family historical-fiction literary-fiction magical-realism poc-mc realistic adult audiobook -
![The Bone People by Keri Hulme]()
The Bone People by Keri Hulme
Rated: 4.05 of 5 stars · 39 ratingsIntegrating both Maori myth and New Zealand reality, The Bone People became the most successful novel in New Zealand publishing history when it appeared in 1984. Set on the South Island beaches of New Zealand, a harsh environment, the novel chronicles the complicated relationships between three emotional outcasts of mixed European and Maori heritage...Categorized as:
drama family friendship historical-fiction lgbtq literary-fiction magical-realism poc-mc -
![Bailey's Café by Gloria Naylor]()
Bailey's Café by Gloria Naylor
Rated: 4.00 of 5 stars · 18 ratingsSet in a diner where the food isn't very good and the ambience veers between heaven and hell, this bestselling novel from the author of Mama Day and The Women of Brewster Place is a feast for the senses and the spirit...Categorized as:
drama historical-fiction lgbtq literary-fiction magical-realism poc-mc realistic 20th-century -
![The Cost of Knowing by Brittney Morris]()
The Cost of Knowing by Brittney Morris
Rated: 4.00 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsA novel about a Black teen who has the power to see into the future, whose life turns upside down when he foresees his younger brother’s imminent death.Sixteen-year-old Alex Rufus is trying his best. He tries to be the best employee he can be at the local ice cream shop; the best boyfriend he can be to his amazing girlfriend, Talia; the best protector he can be over his little brother, Isaiah... -
![Green Frog: Stories by Gina Chung]()
Green Frog: Stories by Gina Chung
Rated: 4.14 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsA short story collection that explores Korean American womanhood, bodies, animals, and transformation as a means of survival...Categorized as:
magical-realism historical-fiction poc-mc literary-fiction realistic family fiction fantasy -
![Black Girls Must Be Magic by Jayne Allen]()
Black Girls Must Be Magic by Jayne Allen
Rated: 4.00 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsIn this highly anticipated second installment in the Black Girls Must Die Exhausted series, Tabitha Walker copes with more of life's challenges and a happy surprise--a baby--with a little help and lots of love from friends old and new.For Tabitha Walker, her grandmother's old adage, "Black girls must die exhausted" is becoming all too true... -
![Devil Is Fine by John Vercher]()
Devil Is Fine by John Vercher
Rated: 4.00 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsFrom acclaimed novelist John Vercher, a profoundly moving novel of what it means to be a father, a son, a writer, and a biracial American fighting to reconcile the pastReeling from the sudden death of his teenage son, our narrator receives a letter from an he has just inherited a plot of land from his estranged grandfather...Categorized as:
magical-realism literary-fiction historical-fiction family poc-mc fiction audiobook fantasy -
![Santa Lucia by Michelle Damiani]()
Santa Lucia by Michelle Damiani
Rated: 4.00 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsStorybook Italian villages only seem innocent. Surrounded by glimmering olive groves and embellished with flower-lined alleys, it would be easy to believe that Santa Lucia is as idyllic as it appears. After all, what drama could possibly unfold in such a picturesque village? As it happens, Santa Lucia is rife with secrets that are swapped over espresso at the local bar...Categorized as:
magical-realism literary-fiction family historical-fiction friendship romance fiction contemporary -
![The Love We Share Without Knowing by Christopher Barzak]()
The Love We Share Without Knowing by Christopher Barzak
Rated: 4.00 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsOn a train filled with quietly sleeping passengers, a young man’s life is forever altered when he is miraculously seen by a blind man. In a quiet town an American teacher who has lost her Japanese lover to death begins to lose her own self. On a remote road amid fallow rice fields, four young friends carefully take their own lives—and in that moment they become almost as one...Categorized as:
literary-fiction magical-realism realistic adult anthologies coming-of-age contemporary epic -
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![The Book of Fire by Christy Lefteri]()
The Book of Fire by Christy Lefteri
Rated: 4.00 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsAn epic, stunning novel about one family’s search for the true meaning of home in the wake of disaster, from the prize-winning author of The Beekeeper of Aleppo.In present-day Greece, deep in an ancient forest, lives a Irini, a musician, who teaches children to read and play music; her husband, Tasso, who paints the forest, his greatest muse; and Chara, their young daughter, whose name means joy... -
![Love in Colour: Mythical Tales from Around the World, Retold by Bolu Babalola]()
Love in Colour: Mythical Tales from Around the World, Retold by Bolu Babalola
Rated: 4.04 of 5 stars · 30 ratingsA high-born Nigerian goddess, who has been beaten down and unappreciated by her gregarious lover, longs to be truly seen.A young businesswoman attempts a great leap in her company, and an even greater one in her love life.A powerful Ghanaian spokeswoman is forced to decide whether she should uphold her family’s politics or be true to her heart... -
![Peaches for Father Francis by Joanne Harris]()
Peaches for Father Francis by Joanne Harris
Rated: 3.96 of 5 stars · 24 ratingsThe tantalizing sequel to the blockbuster New York Times bestseller ChocolatEven before it was adapted into the Oscar-nominated film starring Juliette Binoche and Johnny Depp, Joanne Harris’s Chocolat entranced readers with its mix of hedonism, whimsy, and, of course, chocolate...Categorized as:
drama family friendship historical-fiction literary-fiction magical-realism realistic adult -
![Queenie Malone's Paradise Hotel by Ruth Hogan]()
Queenie Malone's Paradise Hotel by Ruth Hogan
Rated: 3.95 of 5 stars · 20 ratingsTilly was a bright, outgoing little girl who loved fizzy drinks, naughty words, and liked playing with ghosts and matches. When her beloved father suddenly disappeared, she and her fragile, difficult mother moved into Queenie Malone’s magnificent Paradise Hotel in Brighton, with its endearing and loving family of misfits—including the exuberant and compassionate Queenie herself...Categorized as:
drama family friendship historical-fiction lgbtq literary-fiction magical-realism realistic -
![Night of the Living Rez by Morgan Talty]()
Night of the Living Rez by Morgan Talty
Rated: 3.94 of 5 stars · 18 ratingsHow do the living come back to life? Set in a Native community in Maine, Night of the Living Rez is a riveting debut collection about what it means to be Penobscot in the twenty-first century and what it means to live, to survive, and to persevere after tragedy... -
![Telephone of the Tree by Alison McGhee]()
Telephone of the Tree by Alison McGhee
Rated: 4.13 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsAn 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...
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