** spoiler alert ** Teenagers and younger people often like to view life in black and white. People and things are either good or evil. Truth belongs to one group, and teenagers, at least in their minds, are usually right. I think this book is great because it challenges thinking about life as a dichotomy. Tree's mom does some really horrible things, but in the end she still really loves her daughter and is sad about her actions. Tree seems to be really negative about the lady who comes to clean for them, and the lady seems to be really lazy and uncaring about doing her job. In reality, this lady is going through a lot of struggles and has some valid reasons for not doing her job right. In the end, she ends up being a very good cook, and Tree sees her as a grandmother figure. I guess the moral is don't judge people too quickly. Don't just place them in a category in your mind that they will never be able to escape from. Leave some room for growth, and leave some room on your own shelf... for this great book :)