Far from the Tree Paperback – June 4, 2019

I don’t usually cry watching sappy shows or reading sweet books. It’s just not something I do. I think the last time I cried while reading was maybe sophomore year in high school and Sirius had just died? Yeah, it’s been awhile. Enter “Far From the Tree”. This book had me, well, not BAWLING because I’m still mostly heartless apparently, but I was tearing up in several places. This book… oh my goodness, so good! So many feels! 90% of it is not traditionally “happy” but that’s what I loved about it; it’s heavy and beautiful. “Far From the Tree” follows the story of three siblings who are separated when their bio-mom puts them up for adoption/loses them to foster care as babies. These kids’ lives are real and raw and tragic, but also inspiring and you just ache for them and want the best for them. They each are going through so much and when they learn that they have siblings, instead of it destroying them further, it turns into this beautiful relationship. The kind of relationship and support system each child needs at that precise moment in their lives.While this book is classified as a YA contemporary, the topics are pretty heavy and deal with things like teenage pregnancy, alcoholism, and depression. I think it’s an important read, but probably better suited to a more mature reader as this isn’t a fluffy YA at all (which, again, is totally my jam but not for everyone). There is some swearing but it was also realistic to older teenagers. Seriously, spend some time on a high school campus and I’m sure you’ll lose count of the various F bombs they drop, and this book is nowhere near that level. Also, in case you are worried about the type of adoption story this is: I can assure you it isn’t one of those that paints adoptive parents as lesser in any way then bio-parents. The message I got was: giving up babies is a trauma, even if it’s done for all the right reasons. It’s hard and heart breaking, but the parents who adopt these kids are wonderful and give their children the world and more in love and support. I think the author handles these topics wonderfully and with great care and respect to both those who adopt, and the bio-parents who choose to give up their children.That being said, out of the three main characters, I felt the most for Grace. All her chapters kicked me right in the gut. She felt the most tangible and tortured to me, followed closely by Joaquin. Those two had me tearing up multiple times. Which is odd only because Maya’s situation is the closest to my own in terms of a child being adopted into a home when the couple has a biological baby. But I did love Maya’s sarcastic wit and she was often a good foil to the more serious chapters with Joaquin—who struggles with wanting to feel like things are going right for him, but he’s been hurt so much that he can’t trust anyone to get close to him—and Grace—who wrestles with giving up her child and struggling to figure out her new normal while battling her grief and guilt over not being there for her baby in a similar fashion to her bio-mom. Honestly, if it weren’t for the humor introduced by Maya (who is a lesbian with a great girlfriend!) and Grace’s friend Rafe, this book would be a little hard to get through because the topics and feelings Benway evokes are just that powerful. But even if that levity hadn’t been there, I’d still love this book. The stories and characters, and the situations they deal with, are that important.Honestly there was only one thing I found frustrating about the book, and that was how the characters wouldn’t just talk to each other. Which is a very teenager thing to do so it adds to the realism, but at the same time when you as the reader know they could help each other out so much by just saying the thing they are hiding… yeah, got a little frustrating. Still, I loved these kids. I hurt alongside them, I loved the messages they had for their parents, friends, and each other. They address their issues in a healthy way (for the most part), encouraging therapy and support groups to get the help they each needed. I loved their struggles and wanted them to have a happy ending because they deserved it so, so much. I LOVED this book. Period. I give it all the stars! All of them! Or, you know, just 5 because that’s all Amazon and Goodreads allows… Anyway, READ THIS BOOK!

Far from the Tree grabbed me on page one and held onto me until the very end. A very human story and now that I've finished it, I really miss the characters. Too bad there isn't A sequel because I would have started it immediately after I finished this onr.

CW + TW: pregnancy, bullying, social work, depression, giving a baby up for adoption, abuseFAR FROM THE TREE by ROBIN BENWAY is a contemporary novel written for anyone that could connect to what's going on. For people of all ages. For anyone that loves a story with strong family. To be honest I think anyone could read and connect to someone in this story. I can't think of any reason why someone wouldn't enjoy it.This book take places in the perspective of three teenagers, Grace, Maya, and Joaquin, who didn't know each other at the beginning of the book or had any idea how they could be connected. Grace is pregnant and comes to the decision to give up her daughter, Peach, for adoption. Even though she feels this is the best choice for both her and her baby, she's still feeling a range of emotions about it. She misses the feeling of being pregnant. She's questioning whether or not she made the right choice. She's dealing with people at her school teasing and making fun of her, the father not being around, and thinking about why her own mother gave her away. Grace decides to look into her own family and see if she could find her mother. She discovers she has a sister and a brother nearby and attempts to reach out to them.Maya is the first she connects with. Maya is currently living with her adopted parents and younger sister. At first they all seemed to get along but Maya starts to question if she really belongs with them, where she is from. The sisters meet each other's families and start building a relationship with one another, wondering who else is out there.Later on, they meet their brother Joaquin. He's having a difficult time adjusting to the information. He has been bouncing from house to house, in and out of social work offices. The family he is with now he cares about, but he's having a hard time accepting if they truly want him. He's angry his mother left and didn't come back. He's frustrated he wasn't blessed with the same things his sisters got. Together, the siblings slowly break down each other's walls and build that family bond they never had. They learn more about each other and the family they lost as a kid.The bonds the characters form with each other and the families their currently with is the most precious thing I read. In most books I read at the time, families aren't always around. They are always working, on vacation, left, or dead. To pick this up and to constantly feel love from each of the families was amazing. I wanted to give everyone a hug and tell each of them how proud I am. I was smiling and tearing up throughout the story. There were times when I was praying for things to work out with each character and was so so happy when it did in the end. Everyone has been through their own struggles and traumas, I think it was about time for all of them to be rewarded with the best. 5/5 stars.

This is a beautiful book. Very insightful and well written and I could not put it down because the characters grabbed me and I had to see what happened to everyone. I am making my way through banned book lists and was surprised to find this book on one of those lists. Really?? I have a feeling as with a majority of the books on the banned lists, that these books are not read all the way through but just dismissed as soon as an uncomfortable situation is encountered. The very sad part is that the kids who would benefit from this lovely book, will never get to read it. Characters in books go through things in their lives and usually come out better for it. Teens that confront these things in their lives will have no blueprint to follow to know what to do if they do not have a support group. This book would provide that help. I would encourage this book to be read, digested, and shared.

This book was on our high school summer reading list. It involved themes around family diversity and was an 'easy" read for most of the juniors. Parents were asked to read it too and discuss themes related to their individual families. We found some universal connections, but not much beyond that.