Up High in the Trees

Book excerpt: An autistic boy struggles to cope with the loss of his mother in this “very moving” debut novel (Dave Eggers). Following the sudden death of Sebby’s mother, his father takes him to live in the family’s summer house, hoping it will give them both time and space to recover. But Sebby’s father deteriorates in this new isolation, leaving Sebby struggling to understand his mother’s death alone. Ultimately, he will reach out to a favorite teacher back home and to two nearby children, who force him out of the void of the past and help him to exist in the present. With an “impressive ability to connect with and portray the myopic grief of a bereft child,” this novel is filled with both sorrow and sweet humor, and with the buoyant life force of its unforgettable narrator (Kirkus Reviews). “Sebby’s innocent voice speaks for anyone bravely grasping for order and solace amid unspeakable loss.” —The Washington Post Book World “Sebby Lane will break your heart and delight your soul.” —People