Twelve-year-old Larkin discovers a baby in a basket by her family's house and a note which says the baby's name is Sophie and that her mother will come back for her one day. Larkin's family welcomes Sophie into their home and come to love her as their own, all the while knowing that Sophie's mother will one day take her from them.

"A searching, beautifully written story." ~ Kirkus Reviews

Larkin's family welcomes Sophie into their home, caring for her and teaching her games and new words. They come to love this baby as their own, all the while knowing that eventually Sophie's mother will return one day to take her from them. ( )

00008990

It's been a long time since I read this book and it completely caught me off guard. I think of Maclachlan's books as being light and easy to read. While this one was an easy read, it certainly wasn't light. She paints the time following the death of a baby with carefully deep strokes. The story is mostly focused around the family's oldest child, Larkin, and how she seeks to name the baby (and also her grief). As the family struggles with the death of their baby (mostly by ignoring it), another child is given to them to care for until her parents can do so again. Initially hesitant to do so, the family and their community come together to raise the child in their midst. After the child is reclaimed by her parents, Larkin helps her parent to see the importance to dealing with all the loss they've experienced.
This description seems sad, but I found the book to be lovely in its description of community and family. I think it would be beneficial for many children to read, but enjoyable as well. ( )