Review
Told entirely in letters from the young protagonist Lydia Grace Finch this is a story about finding beauty and comfort in unlikely places and circumstances. Lydia's parents have been hit hard by the Great Depression and have made arrangements to have their daughter live with an uncle until their situation improves. Lydia deals admirably with what seems like a fairly traumatic scenario. She has inherited her grandmother's love of gardening and has made it her mission to make Uncle Joe smile. It's not that Joe is a bad sort, but it's pretty clear he must have his own set of worries too. The magic of this book is in its subtlty - both of text and illustrations. It doesn't beat you over the head - instead it just all unfolds very naturally and gracefully. This is a great example of effective 'show, don't tell' story telling. Highly recommended!
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