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The Great Unexpected

3.65 of 5 stars 3.65 · rating details · 1,242 ratings · 312 reviews

Humorous and heartfelt, this is a story of pairs— of Sybil and Nula (sisters who grew up together in Rook’s Orchard, Ireland) and Naomi and Lizzie (both orphans in present day Blackbird Tree, USA)
and unraveling mysteries about family and identity. Naomi and Lizzie’s tragedies turn into a life filled with hope, as old misunderstandings and sorrows between Sybil and Nula gi...more

Published 2012

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21st out of 137 books — 676 voters

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Sep 13, 2012 Kathy rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This is a delightful book that I read in one sitting. Sharon Creech has done it again with this beautifully written and lyrical story. It is warm, witty, full of memorable and eccentric characters, secrets and coincidences, hidden meaning and life lessons for our children. As you begin to put the pieces of the puzzle of the story together it will remind you that we are all connected by that invisible thread and the actions of one many times affect the lives of others.

Naomi Deane and Lizzie Scatt...more This is a delightful book that I read in one sitting. Sharon Creech has done it again with this beautifully written and lyrical story. It is warm, witty, full of memorable and eccentric characters, secrets and coincidences, hidden meaning and life lessons for our children. As you begin to put the pieces of the puzzle of the story together it will remind you that we are all connected by that invisible thread and the actions of one many times affect the lives of others.

Naomi Deane and Lizzie Scatterding are two best friends in the small town of Blackbird Tree. Both are wounded orphans living daily with their fears. Naomi is an old soul, wise beyond her years and terrified of dogs. A vicious attack by one as a child left her maimed and took the life of her father. Lizzie is a scattered chatterbox with the inability to lie and the fear of being homeless. Her one hope is that her foster parents will adopt her and give her a sense of permanency.

The tale begins when a mysterious boy named Finn drops out of a tree, literally at the feet of Naomi. His presence in their lives has an effect on their friendship in the same manner that another boy named Finn in another lifetime came between Naomi's guardian Nula and her sister.

Across the pond in Ireland Mrs. Kavanaugh plots at her estate of Rook Orchard to set a plan in motion that will right past wrongs. She sends the mysterious solicitor Mr. Dinkle to the town of Blackbird Tree and the lives of Naomi and Lizzie are changed forever.

As Naomi muses.... "I had big thoughts to match the big wind. I wondered if we find the people we need when we need them. I wondered if we attract our future by some sort of invisible force, or if we are drawn to it by a similar force. I felt I was turning a corner and that change was afoot."

"Did a delicate cobweb link us all, silky lines trailing through the air?"

We are all interconnected as this book poignantly portrays through and bestows upon us once again the great but not unexpected gift of the storytelling of Ms. Creech.
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Mar 06, 2013 Linda Lipko rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: newbery-award-author, young-adult

This is yet another insightful, wonderful book by Sharon Creech.
Mentioned as a potential Newbery award winner for 2013, I hope Creech is successful in garnering her third Newbery award.

I loved Walk Two Moons, a Newbery medal winner in 1995. She won a Newbery honor in 2001 for The Wanderer.

The setting of The Great Unexpected is a teeny, tiny, hamlet of Blackbird Tree. Naomi and Lizzie are good friends, both are orphans. Many in the town of Blackbird face difficult lives. In fact, one new teacher...more

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Sep 26, 2012 guiltlessreader rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: reads-2012, childrens-books, books-won, middle-years, arc

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. Originally posted on my blog Guiltless Reading

Open yourself up to the unexpected ... open yourself up to possibilities.

The book in one sentence: An orphaned girl's luck changes on the day that a boy falls out of a tree.

My two cents: It's been awhile since I've sunk my teeth into a good children's book ... and this was such a treat to read! Recommended for children aged 8-12 / grades 3-7, I could totally see a young adult reader liking this just as much. While I have also heard so many raves ab...more

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Feb 18, 2013 Steve Clark rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: realistic-fiction, fantasy

I've been on a bit of a Sharon Creech tear recently, which is always a double-edged experience. You pick up on the motifs and tender touches of an author, of which she has many, very nicely handled, but you also notice patterns that can start to wear, with repeated exposure over a shortened time frame. I could focus on those and assail them as literary weaknesses, but I don't want to do that. First, I'm not sure it's fair to an author to read their works in a tiny fraction of the time it took t...more I've been on a bit of a Sharon Creech tear recently, which is always a double-edged experience. You pick up on the motifs and tender touches of an author, of which she has many, very nicely handled, but you also notice patterns that can start to wear, with repeated exposure over a shortened time frame. I could focus on those and assail them as literary weaknesses, but I don't want to do that. First, I'm not sure it's fair to an author to read their works in a tiny fraction of the time it took them to write them and expect to appreciate them the same way you would if you let the book take its time to work its way into you. Creech's stories tend to be of people evolving over the course of a slow but steady journey. If we approach the books the same way, they can move us and take us on evolutionary journeys of our own. This does not strike me as something worthy of harsh criticism.
The second reason I would rather overlook any foibles of the plot and focus instead on the strong points of the book is that I've been going through a lot of reader's reviews on Goodreads lately, and I'm tired of seeing people who write up critical reviews that seem designed more to highlight their own intellectualism rather than offer any enlightening insight on the books they're discussing. So while I suppose I could have found reasons to give this book only three stars, the truth is, I do "REALLY LIKE" it. If I didn't "REALLY LIKE" most of the books I read, I don't think I'd be reading them. Life is too short to read books one doesn't like,in my opinion.
Enough already--what about "The Great Unexpected"? As mentioned, it fits in with many of Creech's other books in that it has a pair of youngsters, this time two girls, orphans again, struggling with their identity and confronted with slowly revealed secrets from their past. This story adds very slight touches of real magic, with a very IRISH flavor throughout. There are fairy rings (with fairy gold) and ghosts and witches and monstrous dogs, and it is sometimes hard to tell how much is real and how much is fantastic (I had to list the book as both "realistic fiction" and "fantasy", which I do not usually do--if it's the latter, how can it be the former?
But the author admits this is part of the game being played here. In one of my favorite passages, young Naomi speaks of having been transformed listening to the story of a knight in "glimmering armor" in "golden woods". When her foster mother asks if she understands that this is "only a story", she raises the question:

"What is 'a story'? It's in here now"--I tapped my head--"with all the
other stuff, so maybe everything is a story."
That night, I went to sleep supremely happy. If I could be a knight,
then I could be a pteranadon, or I could be an eagle or a bear of a fox,
or anything at all, and I could dwell where I pleased and do what I pleased,
and if I wanted to have a mother, i could have a mother, and if I wanted
to have a father, I could have a father. I could do and be and have all
these things; I could be anywhere and everywhere."

(Sharon Creech, "The Great Unexpected", p. 71)
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Jan 12, 2013 Barb Middleton rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: magical-realism

I work with a Lizzie-type person. She doesn't take a breath, rattling through conversations like an auctioneer. Sometimes I want to make the timeout sign with my hands, other times I marvel at her yapping tongue. Lizzie Scatterding is Naomi Deane's best friend who has a good heart, is melodramatic, and can be annoyingly talkative. Both girls are orphans living in the town of Blackbird Tree and their relationship and dialogue is one of the great strengths of this novel. Dizzy Lizzy repeats everyt...more I work with a Lizzie-type person. She doesn't take a breath, rattling through conversations like an auctioneer. Sometimes I want to make the timeout sign with my hands, other times I marvel at her yapping tongue. Lizzie Scatterding is Naomi Deane's best friend who has a good heart, is melodramatic, and can be annoyingly talkative. Both girls are orphans living in the town of Blackbird Tree and their relationship and dialogue is one of the great strengths of this novel. Dizzy Lizzy repeats everything to factual Naomi to which she usually replies something like, "Lizzie, you crawdad. I'm not deaf." She also asks so many questions that Naomi almost asks her to stop but remembers Joe saying "Lizzie could talk the ears off a cornfield, and it made me laugh, and I wrapped an arm around Lizzie."

Most of the people in Blackbird Tree have suffered in some way. Lizzie's mom died of a disease and her dad of grief, while Naomi's mom died in childbirth and her dad died of an infection caused from defending her from an attacking dog. It mangled Naomi's arm, but she doesn't dwell on it. The two girls don't want pity and when a teacher comes to town she can't believe all the tragic tales the students have in regards to family. Naomi says, "We thought we were normal. All any of us wanted was for somebody to care about us, and if we couldn’t have that, then at least somebody who wouldn’t be too mean and who would feed us from time to time.” When, the two girls meet the mysterious Finn boy, things become complicated as Naomi falls in love with him leading to jealous feelings toward Lizzie.

The terrific writing and the way Sharon Creech puts sentences together made me really enjoy this book. The characters are eccentric and a fantasty-like realism runs throughout the chapters that is quite unique. The play on words regarding names had me laughing such as Lizzie Scatterdinghead who is a scatterbrain and Dapper Dingle Dangle Doodle man, and the muddle-brained Mrs. Mudkin who never says, Naomi's, name correctly calling her "Neema" or "Raynee" to which Naomi replies it's "Nay-oh-me."

The alternate story of the two women in Ireland and the different characters named Finn or Paddy is not clear until the end. I take that back - some parts are clear while others are not. Naomi's Finn is a very confusing character. He's the fantasy element. I have no clue if he is an elf, fairy, leprechaun, or druid. He crops up in three generations of women and tries to cause a rift between friends. He's the ghost of girlfriends past. The gold at the end doesn't make sense to me either. I thought maybe it was the leprechaun's pot of gold and the girls would get three wishes, but that is not the case. Naomi's Finn tells them to not steal the gold in the beginning of the story and at the end we find out that Finnbar died because he stole it. Paddy/Finn wants the trunk because it has gold coins in it. It would have helped me if Paddy actually mentioned the coins in his confrontation with Sybil. The whole Irish folklore needed to be fleshed out and worked into the plot more to make sense to this wee lassie.

At the start of the novel the characters have a southern accent except Nula who sounds Irish but later Irish accents crop up in other characters and I got a little confused on the setting. The ending was rushed as everything was wrapped up neatly for all the women and townspeople. I think the unbelievable way in which everything turned out so well for each character is supposed to tie in with the magic of Irish folklore and wishes coming true but there isn't a strong connection to any specific legend, so I'm not sure how to analyze it. Like Lizzie, I am left with lots of questions and no pot of answers, but inspite of my confusion, I really enjoyed this story and the characters.

Reading Level 4.1(less)

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Dec 22, 2012 Abi rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: middle-grade-reads, magical-realism

I spent the majority of this book simultaneously confused and delighted. I was spellbound by the rich world, the spunky orphan girl at the center of the story, her best friend, the rest of the colorful cast of characters, and the fabulously wicked and seemingly unrelated snippets of life with Pilpenny and Sybil. Slowly, as if groping in the dark and feeling the outlines of objects, the story's plot came together for me, but always with a firm sense that I was missing something. Fortunately, the...more

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Dec 18, 2012 Lori Cox rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: middle-school

I love most of Ms. Creech’s books but this one wasn’t a favorite. It starts our strong with two wonderful characters. Naomi is an orphan that lives with an older couple, Nula and Joe. Her father died while trying to save her from an attacking dog. She is best friends with Lizzie, a non-stop talker who hopes to be adopted by her foster parents . Not much happens in the tiny, poor town of Blackbird Tree, until one day a dead boy drops from a tree. This Finn boy isn’t actually dead and he starts to...more

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Nov 28, 2012 LauraW rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: from-library, middle-grades

Some of Sharon Creech's books are among my favorites, especially Walk Two Moons, but this one won't be.

The thing that most puzzles me about why this book didn't grab me is that one of the difficulties I had with the book was that I couldn't keep Lizzie and Naomi straight in my mind. This should NOT have been a problem, since Lizzie was the talker and Naomi was the dreamer. I think part of the problem is that Lizzie, the talker, wasn't the narrator of the book. So you end up with Naomi, the dream...more

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Nov 19, 2012 Hilary rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: grades-5-6, grades-3-4, orphans

Naomi and Lizzie, both orphans, have lived in Blackbird tree their whole lives with the kindly families that have taken them in. They are merely minding their own business one day when a boy falls out of a tree one day and knocks Naomi to the ground. At first they are sure he is dead, but then he gets up and introduces himself as Finn. They've never seen him before, and strangers don't come to Blackbird Tree often. Shortly after Finn's arrival another stranger comes to town and seems to be lurki...more

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Nov 13, 2012 Wendy rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 2012-award-possibilities

An intriguing book--I enjoyed it very much and read it quickly. I don't think I quite grasped everything, but it seems well worth a reread. I loved the hints at adolescent angst (not written in an ANGSTY way, but a real way), and the characters, and the setting--the Irish setting was perhaps better defined than the American setting, but that might have been done purposefully. I love the way the story slips in and out of the real world.

Recommended for anyone who enjoys a little Irish folklore mix...more

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Nov 04, 2012 Cindy rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: book-reviewed

It's another one of Sharon Creech's great reads. I love her books. It's so full of adventure and love.

This wonderful books starts when a boy named Finn falls out of a tree. I'm still confused who he is at the end, but it doesn't matter. I found something more magnificent. ;) The cover has a nice warm feeling to it, making me actually wanting to go there. And I'm also confused how Finn boy got on the tree. Did is climb on it then fall down, or he just fell out of a tree out of nowhere.

The main...more

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Oct 30, 2012 Pam rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: friendship, 7-10, capitol-choices, magical-realism

Naomi and Lizzie are the closest of friends, but feelings grow a bit more complex when they meet Finn, a boy they are introduced to when he falls from a tree. They all live in the town of Blackbird Tree, a small town, full of rumors, tall tales, and neighborly support of one another. We grow to know the thoughts of each of the children, but interspersed with the chapters about the goings on of Blackbird Tree are chapters about the day to day lives of two elderly ladies that live "across the ocea...more

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Oct 21, 2012 Barbara rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: animals, bullies, cultural-identity, death, families, fantasy, friendship, immigration, identity, mysteries, ncbla2013, poetry, romance, travel, rural-life

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. There are two narrative strands at work in this novel that has slight resemblances to Charles Dickens' Great Expectations. Two orphans, Naomi Deane and Lizzie Scatterding, become best friends while living with families in the small town of Blackbird Tree, but their friendship is threatened when a boy named Finn literally falls through a tree. Naomi is strangely drawn to him and fears that he is interested in her friend. Meanwhile, in Ireland, a wealthy woman named Mrs. Kavanaugh is plotting her...more There are two narrative strands at work in this novel that has slight resemblances to Charles Dickens' Great Expectations. Two orphans, Naomi Deane and Lizzie Scatterding, become best friends while living with families in the small town of Blackbird Tree, but their friendship is threatened when a boy named Finn literally falls through a tree. Naomi is strangely drawn to him and fears that he is interested in her friend. Meanwhile, in Ireland, a wealthy woman named Mrs. Kavanaugh is plotting her revenge. There are references to murder and hints of revenge that may lead readers to assume the worst of Mrs. Kavanaugh, but I knew early on what the author was up to--or should I say what Mrs. Kavanaugh was up to? Although I liked both girls and Naomi's loving guardians Joe and Nula, I found the town to be filled with too many strange characters and coincidences. The references to the dog that hurt Naomi and caused her father's death are later followed up with anecdotes describing how Joe convinced the rest of the town to get rid of their dogs for Naomi's sake, but those references simply left me questioning the sanity of the town. I suppose the descriptions were intended to show Joe's love for Naomi and his willingness to do anything to make her feel comfortable, but they actually bothered me. The realization that there are often unexpected connections or strands that move from one person to another, shaping lives and changing fortunes, is a powerful idea that moves throughout the book, heightening my enjoyment of it, but I just didn't see the purpose of all those Finns who kept appearing. It strained my credibility to believe that Finn could appear only to the girls and was causing mischief in the same way he had in an earlier generation. Love, fortune, friendship, and forgiveness that are unanticipated certainly bring great joy and can change lives for the better, but I wonder why Mrs. Kavanaugh felt that she needed to wait for her own death to provide these gifts to others. I'm not sure about this one: it has both strengths and weaknesses that prompt a 3.5 rating from me. (less)

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Oct 20, 2012 Karen Yingling rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

The town of Blackbird Tree has more than its fair share of orphans and old people. Naomi lives with Nula and Joe, her mother having passed away shortly after her birth, and her father dying of an infection after a dog attack that also disfigured Naomi's arm. Her friend Lizzie lives with a couple she hopes will adopt her. The two makes friends with Finn, an unusual boy who also has a mysterious past. While the children in Blackbird Tree are hanging out, helping the strange and elderly (Crazy Cora...more

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Oct 14, 2012 Bookandahug rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

All of those things that seem so frightening in your life... can they lose their hold on you? Do we find the people we need at the moments in our lives when we need them the most? Do we attract our fortune or are we drawn to it? Here is a story that explores and answers all of those deeply important questions.

Naomi lives with Joe and Neela on a farm after losing both of her parents early in her life and sacrificing half of her own arm as well. Her best friend, Lizzie, lives with guardians who sh...more

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Oct 11, 2012 Sweet on Books rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: independent-reader-jr, melissa-g

According to Sharon Creech, the idea behind The Great Unexpected was sparked by three things: a question she posed to a group of school students about the "unexpected", the way young people move so comfortably from reality to fantasy, and her interest in coincidences and the ways in which we are all connected. These concepts merge beautifully in The Great Unexpected where Ms. Creech weaves a memorable tale.

Readers first meet Naomi Deane, a young girl of about 12 years of age, as she encounters...more According to Sharon Creech, the idea behind The Great Unexpected was sparked by three things: a question she posed to a group of school students about the "unexpected", the way young people move so comfortably from reality to fantasy, and her interest in coincidences and the ways in which we are all connected. These concepts merge beautifully in The Great Unexpected where Ms. Creech weaves a memorable tale.

Readers first meet Naomi Deane, a young girl of about 12 years of age, as she encounters a most unexpected surprise. A young boy, who turns out to be the mysterious Finn, falls from a tree, right at her feet. Naomi and her friend, Lizzie, both orphans, are stunned and somewhat awed by young Finn. Living in a small, remote American town, Blackbird Tree, chance encounters like this one don't come along very often, but this serendipitous meeting sparks a series of unusual coincidences.

It turns out that Naomi's guardian, Nula, once loved a boy named Finn too. Naomi's Finn and Nula even have the same odd way of speaking, at least to Naomi's ears. Naomi and Lizzie also find an unexpected connection to each other. When they open some old trunks that had been stored for years in the barn, they discover that Lizzie's deceased mother was the one who had cared for Naomi when she was attacked by a dog, years before Lizzie and Naomi had even met.

At the same time as Naomi and Lizzie are getting to know the enchanting "Finn boy" and learning a little bit about themselves, across the ocean in Ireland, a concurrent story is unfolding in which an older woman, Sybil, reflects on her own unrequited love and seems to ponder her revenge. How are the two stories related? Oh, in so many intricate and meticulously crafted ways, like the fact that (spoiler alert!) Sybil is actually Nula's estranged sister and they had both long ago fallen in love with a boy named Finn!

There are quite a few quirky characters to remember, but even those mentioned only briefly manage to take form and spring to life. In addition, Sharon Creech's beautiful prose creates a soothing, lilting rhythm that feels something like gliding across the waves on a boat, as it drifts steadily toward shore. The magical elements blend seamlessly with reality, and the story raises some interesting ideas about life, love, family and relationships. Should we embrace or fear the unexpected? Can we overcome our fears? What role does destiny play in our lives? What consequences do our lies have? When one door closes, does another open? What else exists beyond the boundaries of your home or community?(less)

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Sep 12, 2012 Cornmaven rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: juvenile

One word for my reaction to this book: Meh. I was not bowled over by the tale, I think because I felt Creech tried to include far too many elements - fairies, Irish humor, strange degrees of separation, belonging, coming of age. The alternating back and forth between the characters and setting in Ireland, and those in America was kind of confusing too me, and I think it would be so for young readers, especially as the Irish chapters were an approximationg of brogue sometimes. When Creech finally...more

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Aug 29, 2012 Courtney rated it 5 of 5 stars

This review is from my blog, Studies in Storytelling. http://studiesinstorytelling.blogspot...

I read this book in one sitting, and it was a complete delight. I say this as a 21-year-old college senior unaccustomed to reading Middle Grade. It releases September 4, 2012.

The twelve-year-old, neurotic Naomi has a violent past and a childlike perspective, but a refreshingly sophisticated voice. Her sarcasm and levelheadedness contrast her friend Lizzie Scatterdinghead’s innocent, tactful chatterboxi...more This review is from my blog, Studies in Storytelling. http://studiesinstorytelling.blogspot...

I read this book in one sitting, and it was a complete delight. I say this as a 21-year-old college senior unaccustomed to reading Middle Grade. It releases September 4, 2012.

The twelve-year-old, neurotic Naomi has a violent past and a childlike perspective, but a refreshingly sophisticated voice. Her sarcasm and levelheadedness contrast her friend Lizzie Scatterdinghead’s innocent, tactful chatterboxing in one of the best foils I’ve ever witnessed.

When a little Irishman falls out of a tree and knocks her over, he becomes her first crush. Duh dun SHHH.

As the opening chapters suggest - Naomi and Lizzie refer to Finn as “a body” and as “it” - he’s mysterious enough to make you wonder, for some time, whether he’s paranormal. Meanwhile, a couple of women casually plot “murders” across the ocean, and many dots link Naomi’s and Lizzie’s little country town of Blackbird Tree, and the dots demand explanation.

What I learned about storytelling: I’ve got a countdown this time.

3. Interactive character description is incredibly vivid. When the book comes out, I will be copying a passage about Joe from chapter 7.

2. I remember this trick from Walk Two Moons. Creech adds some distance to the love stories woven into these middle grade books, maybe to tone down the romance for younger kids, maybe to add poignance and mystery, maybe both. The most intimate scene in the book is told in two parts, with a brief intermission, in past perfect tense.

1. There’s a saying about writing: “Don’t leave the gun on the mantle.” If a character puts a gun above the fireplace, that gun better fire before the story’s over. Sharon Creech doesn’t just fire the gun. She takes every single item on the mantle and turns it into a weapon. If a bad guy broke into her proverbial plotting house, he’d get shot with all the guns, stabbed with all the candles, have his ribs broken by a giant clock, his head bashed in by books. In The Great Unexpected, Creech ties together threads that you’d forgotten about, and it’s as delightful as golden thread spun from straw.

To break it down a little more: I think the motifs and repeating imagery of this book create a narrow world. Crows, trees, wrinkles, dogs, Finns, and more crows. It’s comfortable, then it’s almost annoying until it gets comforting again - and then the world expands, and it’s great and unexpected. (less)

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Aug 22, 2012 Wandering Librarians rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: family, fiction, friendship, middle-grade

Naomi and Lizzie, two orphan girls living in Blackbird Tree, are minding their own business when a boy falls out of a tree at their feet. Once Finn shows up, things become very strange. The mysterious Dingle Dangle man comes to town for an unknown purpose, and things begin changing, fast, and Naomi isn't sure if it's for the better. She begins to see the strange connections between people, even people far across the sea in Ireland.

I love Sharon Creech. I grew up reading Walk Two Moons and Chasin...more

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Jul 28, 2012 Charlyn Trussell rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: Grades 4 and up

Shelves: family_story, fiction, friendship, humor, magic, orphans, strong-female-character, ireland

(Reviewed ARC) Remember the game Six Degrees of Kevin Bacon: it is alive and well in this book, but Kevin Bacon is never mentioned. No, it's the idea of connectedness, here, although you don't realize that until later. At first, it's just the story of two orphans, Naomi and Lizzie, their lives and how their lives are changed after the boy Finn falls out of tree. The girls and their guardians live in the town of Blackbird Tree; across the sea in Ireland, another story is being played out at Rook...more

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Jun 28, 2012 Ms. Yockey marked it as to-read · review of another edition

Harper
Sept 2012
Ask Jenny

Booklist (June 1, 2012 (Vol. 108, No. 19))
Grades 4-6. “Did a delicate cobweb link us all, silky lines trailing through the air?” Call it coincidence, fate, or just good old-fashioned magic, but the characters in Creech’s latest novel are all connected to one another. Readers are first introduced to two orphan girls—spirited Naomi and truth-teller Lizzie—who live in the small town of Blackbird Tree. Over the course of the novel, they discover a number of mysterious object...more Harper
Sept 2012
Ask Jenny

Booklist (June 1, 2012 (Vol. 108, No. 19))
Grades 4-6. “Did a delicate cobweb link us all, silky lines trailing through the air?” Call it coincidence, fate, or just good old-fashioned magic, but the characters in Creech’s latest novel are all connected to one another. Readers are first introduced to two orphan girls—spirited Naomi and truth-teller Lizzie—who live in the small town of Blackbird Tree. Over the course of the novel, they discover a number of mysterious objects and people, namely “Finn boy,” who falls out of a tree into their lives, and a stranger named the Dingle Dangle Man. Alternating with these events are the cryptic goings-on across the ocean in Ireland’s Rooks Orchard, where a woman named Sybil lives with her companion, Miss Pilpenny, and two foxhounds. Although several connections feel too convenient and may strain credulity with some readers, the way that the two plot threads weave together is ultimately a joyous testament to the surprising nature of life and the smallness of our world. HIGH-DEMAND BACKSTORY: Creech, who has both a Newbery Medal winner and a Newbery Honor Book under her belt, has numerous, devoted fans waiting to see what she has in store. An author tour should generate even more anticipation.

Kirkus Reviews starred (May 15, 2012)
When Finn falls out of a tree and into the life of Naomi, he brings more than a touch of Ireland's magic. Naomi and her friend, Lizzie Scatterding, are both foster children living in the quiet town of Blackbird Tree. Life takes on a mysterious air when Finn boy and the Dangle Doodle man show up in a town that's already inhabited by such characters as Witch Wiggins and Crazy Cora. Naomi carries the terrible scars, internal and on her arm, of her father's death and a dog's attack. Her guardian parents each share their hearts; Nula remembers privation and her estranged family in Ireland, and Joe teaches Naomi to dream and fly high into the clouds for inner peace. In a parallel story across the sea in Ireland, two women talk of times past, lost families and setting things right. Creech, a Newbery Award--winning author, deftly weaves a multi-layered story in which past and present thread their way around Naomi the romantic and Lizzie the singer. With a Finn boy for each generation, there's joy in the air and in the reading. An enchanting tale to treasure in which ordinary folk find fairies' gold, run across crooked bridges and mend their broken hearts. (Fiction. 8-12)(less)

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Jan 09, 2013 Ms. Library rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This is a really light, easy read. I picked it up at the library, because the cover has been intriguing me for weeks at work, and I thought the title sounded fascinating. I was, perhaps, expecting something a little fairy-taleish and something more action-adventure based, and that is not what this is at all.
Its about two orphans, and stories, and unexpected things, and getting over the past and moving on and change and friendship and unlikely endings.
It is definitely a middle grade novel, and...more

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Mar 22, 2013 Becky B rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: children-s-ficiton, historical-fiction, misfits

I'm torn about how best to write this review; this book feels like the kind of story that grows on you the more you mull it over. Though I know this book is being sold to the children's book crowd, I wonder if it isn't one of those stories that some kids will enjoy but the readers who will rant and rave and absolutely fawn over it probably graduated some years ago. It almost seems to complex for the average middle grader to appreciate, and possibly even get into. I'm really going to be quizzing...more I'm torn about how best to write this review; this book feels like the kind of story that grows on you the more you mull it over. Though I know this book is being sold to the children's book crowd, I wonder if it isn't one of those stories that some kids will enjoy but the readers who will rant and rave and absolutely fawn over it probably graduated some years ago. It almost seems to complex for the average middle grader to appreciate, and possibly even get into. I'm really going to be quizzing my students after they read it what they think about it. Most books I can predict exactly which crowd will love it. This one...I really can't pinpoint. It is almost too masterfully written. It is cryptic and unfolds slowly for a purpose; take a look at the title. Creech only gives you what you need for the moment, and as you go through the story more and more gets put together until suddenly you don't have a boxful of fragmented colorful puzzle pieces, you have a colorful and incredibly detailed wall hanging that tells a touching story of how lives are interconnected and how people and life sometimes surprise you. That is the beauty of the book, it is also the hazard of the book. I don't know how many kids will be able to hang with it and watch it unfold. It took me forever to figure out where we were, what time period we were in (still not completely positive about that one...though pretty sure), how old the girls were, and where things were headed. (Watch out for the old ladies. They're especially tricksy, but a nice tip of the hat to Arsenic & Old Lace.) Oh, and the touch of Irish folklore doesn't help make anything less complicated. And no, I'm not going to explain much more than that because it would simply ruin the story. Suffice it to say it is about two girls needing to find home and peace, and also the righting of very old wrongs.

Notes on content: No language issues. No sexual content. A horrible dog attack is mentioned, resulting in a serious injury and a death, but no gory details. One man falls and gets banged up, but again no details. One character has lost an arm to a railroad incident, and still no details.
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Feb 15, 2013 DavidO rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

The first 90% of this book was pretty good, especially on the audio book where the actors could overcome the shortfalls of the narrative/dialog by acting them out in interesting ways. It was sort of reminiscent of Anne of Green Gables. Heck, one of the characters felt like a ripoff of Anne, but that wasn't what was wrong with the book at all.

What was wrong with the book was the Great Unexpected. And I don't just mean that it's a horrible title because unexpected things happen in every good novel...more

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Nov 26, 2012 Melanie rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: middle-readers

well, I am in the minority on this one. I haven't ever read a book by Sharon Creech but I definitely will look at some of her other books. This one fell flat for me. The story is cute, and there are themes I thought the author did a fantastic job covering, such as family and childhood crushes, best friends that can fight but ultimately love each other. Two orphaned girls struggle through life in a small and underprivileged town. That is, until their luck changes with the arrival of a strange boy...more

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Feb 11, 2013 Josiah rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

"Did a delicate cobweb link us all, silky lines trailing through the air?"

―The Great Unexpected, P. 220

When I had the honor of hearing Sharon Creech talk about this book in person at an event on the tour promoting its release, she said it was the surprisingly pervasive fear of the unknown among people she talked to that first gave her the idea to write The Great Unexpected. When asked what they thought of the unexpected, people tended to recoil in instinctive discomfort, to associate the word...more "Did a delicate cobweb link us all, silky lines trailing through the air?"

―The Great Unexpected, P. 220

When I had the honor of hearing Sharon Creech talk about this book in person at an event on the tour promoting its release, she said it was the surprisingly pervasive fear of the unknown among people she talked to that first gave her the idea to write The Great Unexpected. When asked what they thought of the unexpected, people tended to recoil in instinctive discomfort, to associate the word with surprises of a negative rather than positive nature. Ms. Creech said she wondered if this was a post-9/11 reaction to a changing world of decreased safety from a widening range of serious threats, or just a matter of fluctuating perceptions in a society of people used to living in less familiarity with one other than ever before. In penning The Great Unexpected, Sharon Creech's intent was to allow a look at some unexpected moments in the lives of multiple families spread across two continents that turn out to be positive, surprises that sometimes border on the magical and frequently teeter on the brink of deep sadness, but are, ultimately, luminous in the discovery of what they truly mean. Speaking to young readers who more than ever are hoping for a Great Unexpected or two in a complicated world full of confusion and uncertainty, Sharon Creech spins a mysterious tale about the kind of personal connections that could never be completely severed, no matter what unexpected incident arises. Because on the heels of every unexpected tragedy is sure to eventually come a moment of wondrous revelation, and the trick to finding one's way to it is to somehow last through the first sadness, even when it feels as if it will never abate. This, in my eyes, is the enduring message of The Great Unexpected.

Life in Blackbird Tree isn't bad for Naomi and her best friend Lizzie. Though they each have sadness sewn undeniably into the fabric of their past, they've been a crucial support to each other ever since they can remember, and the gloominess of their family histories isn't much of a cloud over their heads. When an odd new boy named Finn topples out of a tree in front of Naomi one day, the complications to their relatively simple life begin, and Naomi starts questioning what she and Lizzie really mean to each other and whether or not their bond is strong enough to endure the strain of an enigmatic, suspicious, wonderful boy coming between them. What the two friends don't realize is that Finn's unexpected arrival in Blackbird Tree isn't a coincidence; there are facts about Naomi's family history, especially as pertains to her legal guardians who stepped up to take custody of Naomi after her parents died, that neither of the girls know, but the key to figuring out who Finn is and why he has come to Blackbird Tree, and what the story is with the "revenge" of an elderly woman living across the ocean, is in learning the nuances of the family history and how resentment and distrust have poisoned the waters between close friends and relations for almost an entire lifetime. Naomi will come to see that the ties binding her to her makeshift family, best friend, the town she calls home and, last of all, Finn, are more important than she knew. She only has one life to live, and in it she must make the right relational choices as soon as possible to avoid missing out on the finite time she has with the people in her life. The Great Unexpecteds of this world are sure to swoop in now and then, bringing good times as well as bad, but they can never devastate us completely as long as we keep our focus on the ones we love. Even in the midst of trials, then, we can still look forward to the Great Unexpecteds ahead of us.

Sharon Creech's writing is always funny, but there are some nice thoughts in the pages of The Great Unexpected, too, that I'll carry with me years after reading the story. I like Lizzie's frequent declarations that "I need to go stand on the moon", so she can space out for a time and imagine looking down on the majestic marble of Earth from another terrestrial body, where the stresses and concerns of our hectic planet feel much less significant. I think I'd like to follow Lizzie's example and start spending a little more time on the moon, myself. Naomi also has her moments of philosophical wonder, such as when she first understands that much of the power behind stories is in the way they allow us to imagine life any way we want it to be. "If I could be a knight, then I could be a pteranodon, or I could be an eagle or a bear or a fox, or anything at all, and I could dwell where I pleased and do what I pleased, and if I wanted to have a mother, I could have a mother, and if I wanted to have a father, I could have a father. I could do and be and have all these things; I could be anywhere and everywhere." Naomi continues with her big thoughts later, trying to feel for her place in our world and the universe and how it all fits together and has meaning: "I wondered if things that might seem frightening could lose their hold over you. I wondered if we find the people we need when we need them. I wondered if we attract our future by some sort of invisible force, or if we are drawn to it by a similar force." Questions always seem to multiply and absolute answers are so difficult to reach, but I think both Naomi and Lizzie are on the right track in their approach to life. I wouldn't bet against them surviving a multitude of bad unexpected moments to make it, each time, to the good one following just behind.

The Great Expected is a somewhat esoteric novel, with not everything coming clearly to light by its end, but there is value in reading the story and empathizing, for a time, with its characters, living life walking with them from cover to cover as part of one's own life journey. Fans of Sharon Creech's The Unfinished Angel will probably find another favorite in The Great Unexpected, and I'm glad to see the author's legacy continue to affect young readers who may be interacting with her unique style of writing for the first time. It's always about the readers, and I don't think anyone knows that better, or cares more about the kids who read her books, than Sharon Creech. That has always clearly come through in her stories. (less)

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Dec 05, 2012 Steph rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Sharon Creech is a very talented author-- I say that having only read a few of her books: the picture book "A Fine, Fine School", and two quirky poetry-laced books "Love that Dog" and my personal favorite, "Hate that Cat".

I picked up "The Great Unexpected" quite by accident, randomly seeing it on the New Titles shelf at my local library. I actually got it for my 10-year-old daughter, but I ended up reading it first. I adored this story.

I'm so glad I chose this excellent little book. I went into...more Sharon Creech is a very talented author-- I say that having only read a few of her books: the picture book "A Fine, Fine School", and two quirky poetry-laced books "Love that Dog" and my personal favorite, "Hate that Cat".

I picked up "The Great Unexpected" quite by accident, randomly seeing it on the New Titles shelf at my local library. I actually got it for my 10-year-old daughter, but I ended up reading it first. I adored this story.

I'm so glad I chose this excellent little book. I went into it without knowing much about the story, and I would recommend you do the same. It's a beautifully woven little tale about two orphaned girls on the brink of adolescence and the unexpected events one summer that change their lives. I don't want to give too much away, but there's a freckle-faced boy, eccentric elderly folks and, across the ocean, remarkable things happening in Ireland. Naturally, Creech weaves the two stories together beautifully.

I love the way she uses language to tell the story-- the girls are funny, smart, and very relatable. I loved when the main girl, Naomi, describes how she felt when approached by the stranger-in-town, a boy named Finn. To quote from the book:
I turned around. Finn was floating toward me. Truly, I think he floated on the air. My feet stuck to the ground and my mouth froze in an O.
"Hey, tree girl, wait up."
Wait up? I couldn't have moved even if I'd wanted to. Look at that nice hair, I thought stupidly. Look at those long legs. Look at that mouth---
When he reached me, he said, "I've got a question for you."
I managed to form a few words. "For me?"

These few lines manage to capture perfectly the way it feels when a girl has her first (or maybe not first...) crush. I remember feeling just that way-- brainless. Focused only on random attractive features of the boy I liked. Sigh... Plus, I love anything to do with Ireland. One day I want to go there and search for some of my roots.

I highly recommend this great book. It's a sweet (but not too sweet) story with deeper layered elements including love, life, death and forgiveness. I might have to buy this one... (less)

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Aug 13, 2012 Sam rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: children

The Great Unexpected is one of those books that defies a plot summary. It's centered around two orphan girls, Naomi Deane and Lizzie Scatterding, who live in the small town of Blackbird Tree, but the story incorporates a vast number of other characters, and reaches far past the town limits. There are plots, and sub-plots, and it's the way that they intertwine that forms the heart of the book.

Indeed, it would probably be 500 pages, rather than 225, if it explained all of the details of each subpl...more The Great Unexpected is one of those books that defies a plot summary. It's centered around two orphan girls, Naomi Deane and Lizzie Scatterding, who live in the small town of Blackbird Tree, but the story incorporates a vast number of other characters, and reaches far past the town limits. There are plots, and sub-plots, and it's the way that they intertwine that forms the heart of the book.

Indeed, it would probably be 500 pages, rather than 225, if it explained all of the details of each subplot; there is much that remains unsaid. In a gritty, down-to-earth book, this would be irritating, but in the magical realism world of The Great Unexpected, it merely highlights the importance of connections, rather than the details. If we're left with questions about the exact arcs taken by some of the characters as they come together, we're never left to doubt that they ~have~ come together, and that that's what actually matters.

That atmosphere, that mood of magic and wonder and community, is remarkably well-executed, and represents I think the book's strongest point. The weakest part is possibly the narrative strategy. Most of the book is told in the first person with Naomi as the narrator, which works very well; she has a strong, distinctive voice. However, it's interspersed with bits of third-person narration, most of which take place in Ireland. I felt like this disrupted the flow of the book, especially given the way those sections are cut. There's no physical narrator, no character who is, for instance, overhearing something, which means that there's no narrative reason within the story for those sections to begin or end in a specific place. Yet they tend to cut out just before some important piece of information is revealed; since the information isn't secret to the people who are talking, and the scene can run as long as the author wants it to, to omit the information is simply to try to create suspense artificially. If suspense is necessary, I believe it's more effective to stay within the point of view of a character who actually doesn't know what's going on -- that way, it's more organic, and less of a trick.

All this maybe makes the book sound weaker than it is. In fact, I genuinely enjoyed it, and I'm not generally predisposed to like books about orphans and small towns and hints of magic. I especially liked the ending, which both provides upbeat resolution and leaves so much open.
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Dec 21, 2012 Michael Araujo rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: childrens

The Great Unexpected by Sharon Creech is one of those books that gets right into things, much like this review, and doesn’t diddle daddle. The novel features two girls, Naomi and Lizzie who meet a young man named Finn who fell from a tree and seems to act very peculiar. To be honest, I felt like there wasn’t a specific plot and that the novel just went on its way, much like life. Whether it is a good thing or a bad I’m not exactly sure. I’ve read a couple of novels where a plot was not exactly s...more The Great Unexpected by Sharon Creech is one of those books that gets right into things, much like this review, and doesn’t diddle daddle. The novel features two girls, Naomi and Lizzie who meet a young man named Finn who fell from a tree and seems to act very peculiar. To be honest, I felt like there wasn’t a specific plot and that the novel just went on its way, much like life. Whether it is a good thing or a bad I’m not exactly sure. I’ve read a couple of novels where a plot was not exactly set out in plain sight. When I say much like life, I mean that the novel doesn’t have a grand purpose and seems to gear towards great unexpected situations, pun intended.
Finn seems to be unknowingly accompanied by an older man who is asking too many questions in the small town. Meanwhile, on the other side of the ocean in Ireland, two women seem to talk a bunch of crazy talk that only makes sense towards the end. Aside from the odd vague plot, the book was actually pretty amazing. It kept me guessing what the purpose of the story was and there would be times where characters would say something that would connect to another character saying something previously. I actually spent two hours or so in bed putting little things together and figuring out the big picture.

The characters for a start were superb. Lizzie, the main characters best friend, has a very theatrical aura in her written character. From the way she speaks and by her actions it’s as if she’s an actress overacting her part and its fantastic! Others, such as Witch Wiggins and Crazy Cora, were also interesting and even though half of the time it was false, the rumors we hear about hem are entertaining. Most of the other characters also have interesting dialogue that felt absolutely refreshing and set me in the world of the book.

The writing was actually, like I said before, very refreshing. There would be times where characters would mock a certain type of speaking dialogue as if they were in the English Country during the 17th Century. I found it pretty hilarious because I, at times, do the same thing. As I was reading the book, I kept picturing everything in vivid, pastel colors of green, pink, yellow and blue. It is an odd thing to say but this book made me see colors. I also enjoyed the fact that Ireland played a good part of the novel because I love Ireland and Irish people so I felt this interesting connection.

All in all, the novel was a good one even though it is for children. I loved that it was a fast, light read that’s great for any ages with an amazing ending that makes you feel good. Gives you a warm fuzzy feeling inside. I had never heard of Sharon Creech before, but now, because of The Great Unexpected I am tempted to check out her other books and see how good they make me feel.
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Aug 24, 2012 Aeicha rated it 4 of 5 stars

Sharon Creech's MG book The Great Unexpected is aptly titled. When I began this book I had no expectations, having never read the author's work before, and I never expected the surprisingly touching and charming story that I got.

In Blackbird Tree two little orphan girls, Naomi and Lizzie, meet the handsome and mysterious Finn boy. These two girls are used to being around peculiar people, as their small town is full of them, but this Finn boy is a puzzle. While Naomi tries to figure Finn out, an...more Sharon Creech's MG book The Great Unexpected is aptly titled. When I began this book I had no expectations, having never read the author's work before, and I never expected the surprisingly touching and charming story that I got.

In Blackbird Tree two little orphan girls, Naomi and Lizzie, meet the handsome and mysterious Finn boy. These two girls are used to being around peculiar people, as their small town is full of them, but this Finn boy is a puzzle. While Naomi tries to figure Finn out, an old woman across the ocean in an estate in Ireland concocts a plan to heal a broken heart and make amends. Neither Naomi nor this woman realize how connected their stories and lives are, but with the help of three locked trunks, a pair of rooks, that Finn boy and the odd Dingle Dangle man, Naomi, Lizzie and the old woman find out that there's a thread that connects everyone's story together.

The Great Unexpected is one of the oddest (in the best way possible), most quirky and whimsically charming MG stories I've ever read. Creech has crafted a truly unique and moving story full of enchanting characters and a lot of heart.

At 240 pages this is a shorter read, but the story lacks nothing. The story had me completely engrossed from beginning to end and I finished the book in one sitting. The chapters alternate between Naomi's perspective in Blackbird Tree and the third person perspective in Ireland, and I did find this switch a bit jarring and confusing at first. But the narration quickly finds its flow and for the most part I found the story to be nicely paced. The tone and voice Creech has created and written is pitch perfect, authentic and captivating.

This is a very character driven story and the characters are wonderfully engaging, likable and well-developed. Naomi feels like an old soul with her wise beyond her years attitude, dry wit and rational logic, but she also has a very compelling and layered vulnerable side. Lizzie is genuinely and endearingly sweet as sugar, refreshingly innocent and too amusing with her non-stop chatter and dramatics. I just love the dynamic and friendship between these two; they're very different, but their friendship just makes perfect sense. And Naomi's dry wit and rationality and Lizzie's wide-eyed innocence and over-the-top mannerisms make for very funny and entertaining dialogue and scenes.

While across the ocean, Mrs. Kavanagh and Pilpenny make for another odd, but endearing pair. Like Naomi and Lizzie, these two older women have a friendship that works despite their differences, and like Naomi and Lizzie, this older pair are highly amusing. And in Blackbird Tree Naomi and Lizzie interact with quirky characters like Crazy Cora and Witch Wiggins. And of course that mysterious Finn boy is a charmer and incredibly intriguing!

The story itself is full of mystery, romance and thought-provoking real-world situations. The exact time period is not given, but the story feels both incredibly modern and beautifully timeless. The mystery surrounding the past and futures of Naomi, Lizzie, Mrs. Kavanagh, Pilpenny, Naomi's guardian, and many of Blackbird Tree's residents, and how they are all connected, is wonderfully crafted and a lot of fun. One must suspend a certain level of disbelief to fully accept how everything in this story plays out, but overall the story was just too easy to love for me to care.

MY FINAL THOUGHTS: The Great Unexpected was definitely and pleasently full of the unexpected. A wonderfully unusual and delightful story full of engaging characters, a deliciously quirky story and lovely writing, make this is a fantastic MG read!
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About Sharon Creech

I was born in South Euclid, Ohio, a suburb of Cleveland, and grew up there with my noisy and rowdy family: my parents (Ann and Arvel), my sister (Sandy), and my three brothers (Dennis, Doug and Tom).
For a fictional view of what it was like growing up in my family, see Absolutely Normal Chaos. (In that book, the brothers even have the same names as my own brothers.) Our house was not only full of...more I was born in South Euclid, Ohio, a suburb of Cleveland, and grew up there with my noisy and rowdy family: my parents (Ann and Arvel), my sister (Sandy), and my three brothers (Dennis, Doug and Tom).
For a fictional view of what it was like growing up in my family, see Absolutely Normal Chaos. (In that book, the brothers even have the same names as my own brothers.) Our house was not only full of us Creeches, but also full of friends and visiting relatives.
In the summer, we usually took a trip, all of us piled in a car and heading out to Wisconsin or Michigan or, once, to Idaho. We must have been a very noisy bunch, and I'm not sure how our parents put up with being cooped up with us in the car for those trips. The five-day trip out to Idaho when I was twelve had a powerful effect on me: what a huge and amazing country! I had no idea then that thirty-some years later, I would recreate that trip in a book called Walk Two Moons.
One other place we often visited was Quincy, Kentucky, where my cousins lived (and still live) on a beautiful farm, with hills and trees and swimming hole and barn and hayloft. We were outside running in those hills all day long, and at night we'd gather on the porch where more stories would be told. I loved Quincy so much that it has found its way into many of my books--transformed into Bybanks, Kentucky. Bybanks appears in Walk Two Moons and Chasing Redbird and Bloomability. Bybanks also makes a brief appearance (by reference, but not by name) in The Wanderer.
When I was young, I wanted to be many things when I grew up: a painter, an ice skater, a singer, a teacher, and a reporter. It soon became apparent that I had little drawing talent, very limited tolerance for falling on ice, and absolutely no ability to stay on key while singing. I also soon learned that I would make a terrible reporter because when I didn't like the facts, I changed them. It was in college, when I took literature and writing courses, that I became intrigued by story-telling. Later, I was a teacher (high school English and writing) in England and in Switzerland. While teaching great literature, I learned so much about writing: about what makes a story interesting and about techniques of plot and characterization and point of view. I started out writing novels for adults: The Recital and Nickel Malley were both written and published while I was living in England (these books were published in England only and are now out of print.) But the next book was Absolutely Normal Chaos, and ever since that book I have written mainly about young people. Walk Two Moons was the first of my books to be published in America. When it received the Newbery Medal, no one was more surprised than I was. I'm still a little bit in shock.
After Walk Two Moons came Chasing Redbird, Pleasing the Ghost, Bloomability, The Wanderer, and Fishing in the Air. I hope to be writing stories for a long, long time.
I am married to Lyle Rigg, who is the headmaster of The Pennington School in Pennington, New Jersey, and have two grown children, Rob and Karin. Being with my family is what I enjoy most. The next-best thing is writing stories.

© Sharon Creech(less)

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Quotes from The Great Unexpected

“A driver had been sent to meet us. He was gray-haired, short, and nimble and introduced himself. "I am Patrick and so is every fourth man in Ireland, and the ones in between are named Sean or Mick or Finn, and I'll be driving you.” — 3 people liked it

“Mrs. Mudkin closed her eyes. "We should pray."
"I ain't praying," Crazy Cora said.
Mrs. Mudkin said, "Lord, please bless---"
"I ain't praying."
"--this land and the people who--"
"I ain't praying."
"--have toiled on this earth--"
"Stop that praying."
"I can pray if I want to."
"Then be quiet about it.” — 2 people liked it

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