Genre: Mystery,
Ages: 10 and up
Plot: Salamanca Tree Hiddle, also known as Sal, (thirteen years old) takes a trip with her grandparents to Lewiston, Idaho, to search for her missing mother. To entertain her grandparents, Sal tells them the story of her best friend’s story, Phoebe Winterbottom, an imaginitave girl, who receives mysterious messages, meets a lunatic boy and whose mother unexpectedly decides to leave home. . Behind Phoebe's stories is Sal's own story of her mother, who left on April morning for Idaho, promising to return before the tulips bloomed. Sal's only wish is to reunite with her mother.
Review: The story is told through a collection of individual stories, from different characters, but the entire span of stories completes one narrative. The different perspectives include Sal and Phoebe’s point of view, Greek myths, Native American myths, family stories, and student’s journals. Each story builds upon other narratives that help explain the meaning of other stories. Phoebe uses her story about the lunatic boy to ward off other explanations of Mrs. Winterbottom’s disappearance. Sal uses Phoebe’s story as a way to understand her own story. Elder’s stories, about Gram and Gramp provide a story about family history to provide a model for Sal’s own life and relationships. The book helps readers understand how humans can connect through storytelling.
Awards: Newberry Medal
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