flea

Our copy of this book is inscribed by the author, to my sister and brother; she came to speak at my high school. I read it at the time - I was maybe 14 - and thought it a boring story.

I read it to Casper tonight and was crying by the end. It's such a beautiful story, so plainly told, but evocatively. I asked Casper if she knew why I was crying and she said, smiling broadly, "Because they love each other!"

"Exactly," I told her. And I rocked her in my arms for several minutes.