Far From The Tree
by Robin Benway
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Pub Date 10 Dec 2017 | Archive Date 8 Jan 2018
Simon and Schuster UK Children's | Simon & Schuster Children's UK
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Description
'Sometimes, family hurts each other. But after that’s done you bandage each other up, and you move on. Together. So you can go and think that you’re some lone wolf, but you’re not. You’ve got us now, like it or not, and we’ve got you.'
When 16 year-old Grace gives up her baby for adoption, she decides that the time has come to find out more about her own biological mother. Although her biological mum proves elusive, her search leads her to two half-siblings she never knew existed.
Maya, 15, has been adopted by wealthy parents and seems to have the picture-perfect family – that is, if you look past her alcoholic mother and the fact that Maya stands out like a sore thumb.
Older brother Joaquin hasn’t been so lucky. At 18, he’s shuffled between foster home after foster home, always careful never to get attached to anyone or anything, because it always gets taken away.
When these three siblings come together, they find in themselves the place they can belong, while the secrets they guard threaten to explode...
For fans of John Green, Rainbow Rowell and Nicola Yoon, Far From the Tree is a raw, compelling, and ultimately uplifting story of what it means to be family.
'Benway’s unforgettable novel explores the paradoxes and entanglements of unconventional families … It’s a melodrama, to be sure, but with as much brain as heart. Benway writes with remarkable control and has the rare talent of almost vanishing as an author as she inhabits each character’s perspective.' The New York Times
'Family issues are neither airbrushed nor oversimplified... From the first page to the last, this compassionate, funny, moving, compulsively readable novel about what makes a family gets it right.' Kirkus Reviews
'Equally heartwarming and heart-wrenching... Benway delves into the souls of these characters as they wrestle to overcome feelings of inadequacy, abandonment, and betrayal, gradually coming to understand themselves and each other.' Publishers Weekly
'Far from the Tree is the kind of book that strikes close to a reader’s heart. I had to know what happened to Grace, Maya, and Joaquin, and I couldn’t turn the pages fast enough. Beautiful.' Ally Condie, author of The Matched Trilogy
'Far From the Tree is a touching story about the strength and love of unconventional families, and the unbreakable bond of siblings near and far. Robin Benway’s characters are authentically crafted, full of heart, hurt, and hope.' Brandy Colbert, author of Pointe and Little & Lion
‘In the eloquent confidence of its life-embracing argument, the book really is something special’ The Wall Street Journal
Praise for Emmy & Oliver:
'Robin Benway writes with her full heart. Emmy & Oliver is a genuinely sweet and funny novel bursting with the inextinguishable forces of love-between parents and children, distant and inseparable friends, new and reunited lovers.' Stephanie Perkins, New York Times bestselling author of Isla and the Happily Ever After
'Emmy & Oliver is wonderful. Funny, heartbreaking, and true. Robin Benway has written characters I felt like I'd known forever, and was so sad to see go. A must-read.' Morgan Matson, author of Since You've Been Gone
Advance Praise
Finalist for the 2017 National Book Award for Young People's Literature (America)
"Chapters alternate through their third-person perspectives, straightforward structure and syntax delivering accessibility without sacrificing nuance or complexity....These are multifaceted characters, shaped by upbringing as well as their genes, in complicated families. From the first page to the last, this compassionate, funny, moving, compulsively readable novel about what makes a family gets it right."
– Kirkus Reviews (starred review)
"Writing in a shifting third-person narrative that is both nonjudgmental and deeply empathetic, Benway delves into the souls of these characters as they wrestle to overcome feelings of inadequacy, abandonment, and betrayal, gradually coming to understand themselves and each other."
– Publishers Weekly (starred review)
"With a well-imagined cast of secondary characters who add angst, humor, and depth, Benway adeptly leads readers through a tale of love, loss, and self-discovery. Expect to cry real tears at this one. Well-written and accessible, this is a must-purchase for all YA collections."
– School Library Journal
“Far from the Tree is the kind of book that strikes close to a reader’s heart. I had to know what happened to Grace, Maya, and Joaquin, and I couldn’t turn the pages fast enough. Beautiful.”
– Ally Condie, #1 New York Times Bestselling Author of The Matched Trilogy
“Far From the Tree is a touching story about the strength and love of unconventional families, and the unbreakable bond of siblings near and far. Robin Benway’s characters are authentically crafted, full of heart, hurt, and hope.”
– Brandy Colbert, author of Pointe and Little & Lion
Available Editions
| EDITION | Other Format |
| ISBN | 9781471164330 |
| PRICE | £7.99 (GBP) |
Featured Reviews
Jessica P, Educator
An extremely deserving winner of the National Book Award - you MUST read this once it is finally published in the UK.
The premise of the book is fairly straightforward YA fare - three teens who share a biological mother but have grown up in separate homes become aware of one another’s existence, but Benway’s execution of her story is far from run-of-the-mill. Joaquin, Maya and Grace are all outstandingly well-developed characters who all represent different issues relevant to teens but without ever feeling contrived. The story is perfectly paced without being predictable. The ending is perfect. This is a fantastic, original exploration of love, trust, family, race, identity and belonging that will strike a chord with anyone lucky enough to turn its pages.
Bethany R, Reviewer
Rating:4.5/5 stars
I absolutely loved this book. The three different perspectives gave such great insight into the lives of all of the siblings that it gave feeling of depth to the novel that couldn't have been accomplished by one single perspective.
It had yet to see a novel that depicted nature vs nurture and this has done it so beautifully.
I loved getting to know the differences between Grace, Maya and Joaquin and how they were also very much the same. As some one with siblings I enjoyed being able to see how we compare with the ones in the novel.
I loved the characters, particularly the sassy and sarcastic Maya.
I thoroughly enjoyed the writing style and found that the plot - while confused me for the first couple of pages - was easy to follow and I wanted to keep reading to see what would happen for the siblings and how they would not only confront their own demons as a group but also their individual ones.
This is a book that I would highly recommend everyone read.
Leanne C, Reviewer
I'm clapping my hands applauding this author for the wonderful beautifulness that is this story, be prepared to cry happy tears, sad tears and feel all the raw emotions
of these three wonderful characters.
Grace has found herself in a difficult place in life, she just give birth to a daughter whom she put up for adoption but given the heartbreak of doing so it makes her desperate to know more information
about her own adoption where she finds out she has siblings. Maya is the youngest of the three children, at fifteen she she is loudmouthed, quick witted but attempts to keep her emotions hidden from the world. Joaquin is the big brother but the only one whom was not adopted but instead spent his last eighteen years in foster care which has lead him to be the person he is today. Together they must discover how they fit into each other's lives and repair their own family tree.
I can't say enough good things about this book, it was beautiful, filled with raw emotion and honestness and it felt like i was part of the journey these characters were on.
Grace was a character whom could have been written wrongly but no, she was written beautifully and i felt all of her pain and heartache along with her, it just felt so real.
Maya and Joaquin were both very different characters although they had some similarities in the aspect that they felt like they were never good enough for the person they were in a relationship with, i found this very sad but i was glad that they helped each other through this.
Joaquin's journey was probably one of the hardest given he went through so much but he was such a brave young man and it really showed and i shed so many tears reading some of the things he went through.
As for side characters, i loved Rafe and Claire they were both amazing, It was great to see one of the main characters was a lesbian and that the realtionship was done right.
Then there was Rafe and Grace's relationship which to me was everything that most YA books lack, it wasn't juvenile or immature at all. He listened to her give her advise and she listened to him and they really got to know each other,it was great growth within a couple and i loved seeing it play out.
I loved the diversity within the book too, the fact that Joaquin wasn't white was just great and the added important discussion on racism, i thought was very relevant to today's society.
This is my favourite book I've read all year and i know it's not out in paper back form until next year but honestly everyone needs to pick it up, you will not regret it!
I will be reading more by this author in the future, in fact i can't wait to see more from them.
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