Tree. Table. Book.
Tree. Table. Book. is Lois Lowry’s newest novel recommended for ages 8-12. The precocious narrator is 11 year-old Sophia Winslow. Her best friend is her 88 year-old neighbor Sophie Gershowitz. Sophia narrates the telling of the story of when her beloved best friend is moving away to live near her son in Akron, Ohio due to her cognitive decline. Sophia is doing what she can to keep her best friend from having to move.
The story itself offers a unique friendship and perspective a character has on her neighbors, but also offers a small glimpse into the past World War II experience Sophie Gershowitz experienced as a young girl, nothing she has previously shared with anyone – not even her own son.
One cute aspect of the story is that Sophia is trying to write a story – the one that the audience is in fact reading and decides to take the advice of her teacher to “Begin on the day that is different” (7). The other main characters include Sophia’s friend Ralphie and her neighbor Oliver.
While on some level I liked the telling of Sophie Gershowitz’s story and the development of the various characters, there are a few things in the story that just left me with an eh feeling and would leave this as a novel that I would not put on my recommendation list.
Noteworthy Quotes and Points of Interest:
In Chapter 4, Sophia narrates the things that she and Sophie have in common. One point is the similar names. Within this discussion she mentions a book and movie Sophie’s Choice. The narrator mentions that she has not seen or read it. I would have a concern that children may look up the details of this adult book. (page 11).
There are several mentions of people who have a lot of children who are or must be Catholic. The tone isn’t a negative one, but it does present the idea that only people who have lots of children and like children must be Catholic. [...]because they are Catholic and Catholics are supposed to have big families, apparently. We do not understand the reason for this. Sophie Gershowitz and I are somewhat dubious about Catholic rules, though of course we are respectful” (14). Page 130 also has a mention of a lady with a big family also being Catholic, as well as the family that eventually takes her in and protects her during WWII.
Sophia wants to look at a Merck manual that Ralphie has in order to do a cognitive test on Sophie. However, Ralphie, not knowing why she wants the book, essentially asks if she is planning “to read about private parts” (22).
Sophia has an episode where she is complaining about her parents and their rules – that she cannot have a cellphone at age 11 and that her computer must stay in the public areas of the house. At no point does she recognize the benefits of such rules, but is only complaining and condemning her parents for it. This could present a negative for readers who likewise have parents with similar rules. (Chapter 7)
A good quote, “I am still learning from her. And I think that learning from each other is one of the most important parts of friendship” (38).
In chapter 14 there is a mention of a game that Sophia and Sophie play where they are creating alliterative stories about people. Sophia mentions that they also make up stories about a same-sex couple who hope to have a child with a surrogate (50-51).
There is a use of profanity with the asterisks on page 53 for the word damn.
Sophia gives a brief history of her parents and their past, which includes them fighting and dating other people (Chapter 17).
Sophia is pretty rude when speaking to Ralphie, “You think we’re going to call an Uber or something, to go to stupid Walmart?” (81).
Sophie makes up a story about her wedding claiming she “wore a black satin cocktail dress, skinny straps, boobies practically falling out of it [...] I wiggled my hips. And I was smoking a cigarette, too.” She then goes on to commentate on how Sophie imitated the story by jouncing her breasts and humming suggestive music (89).
After Sophie finishes telling her stories related to each of the words that make up the title of this book, she says “And you have them now, with their stories. Keep them close. Hold on to them tightly for me. Don’t forget them” (147).
There are mentions of a curse at the beginning of the book and towards the end. It centers around the name of a Native American and their city. There are mentions on page 161 where Sophia wants to curse Aaron, Sophie’s son. I don’t personally care for putting the idea into the minds of children to curse people.
In Chapter 36, Sophia relays information about Oliver’s mother, Margaret who is a single mother. There is a mention of her essentially being hit on by men at the restaurant that she works at.
On page 181, Sophia mentions that on Sunday, she and Sophie have a moment of silence for Kindness. “We are supposed to be thinking thoughts about kindness during that moment”.
“Turns out it is not as easy as I first described, to tell a story. One thing comes after another, and then the next thing happens, but then...something takes you by surprise. The story changes. [...] you have to put in the feelings. That’s the secret. That’s the hard part” (191).
Despite the fact that there are some things I liked about the story, I think there are too many that outweigh the reading of it. It isn’t a powerful, magnificent story that makes you overlook a few negatives. It is a subtle story that presents suggestive things to young readers. Readers from a secular worldview wouldn’t find much to criticize this story for; however, as one coming from a Biblical Worldview, I would quickly pass on this novel and find something better for my readers.
