Description
WINNER OF THE U.S. NATIONAL BOOK AWARD 2017 FOR YOUNG PEOPLE'S LITERATURE! '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
About the Author
Robin Benway is a National Book Award-winning and New York Times-bestselling author of six novels for young adults, including Far From the Tree, Audrey, Wait!, the AKA series, and Emmy & Oliver. Her books have received numerous awards and recognition, including the PEN America Literary Award, the Blue Ribbon Award from the Bulletin for the Center of Children's Books, ALA’s Best Books for Young Adults, and ALA’s Popular Paperbacks for Young Adults. In addition, her novels have received starred reviews from Kirkus, Booklist, and Publishers Weekly, and have been published in more than 25 countries. Her most recent book, Far From the Tree, won the National Book Award for Young People's Literature, the PEN America Award, and was named one of the best books of the year by The New York Times, the Los Angeles Times, NPR, PBS, Entertainment Weekly, and the Boston Globe. In addition, her non-fiction work has appeared in the Los Angeles Times, Bustle, Elle, and more.Robin grew up in Orange County, California, attended NYU, where she was a recipient of the Seth Barkas Prize for Creative Writing, and is a graduate of UCLA. She currently lives in Los Angeles with her dog, Hudson.