SuitabookIndigo
Alice Hoffman
- Reading
- Pause after early chapters to invite discussion of Martha's feelings about her mother, father and Oak Grove. Check in gently if grief or family change feels personally resonant.
- Themes
- Grief and growing up: Martha is thirteen, has lost her mother and has grown seven inches, while feeling that life is at its worst. The story clearly centres significant loss and change, but its emotional framing and resolution are unknown.
- Belonging and home: Martha, Trout and Eel want to leave Oak Grove, yet their journey is described as revealing the true meaning of home. Leaving and belonging appear to be connected, but the story's conclusion and values are not shown.
- Worth knowing
- The book could suit a reader interested in emotionally focused stories about growing up and belonging. The treatment of grief, family tension and the journey's outcome remains unclear.