Summary

Clare is a young girl who loses her father after a car accident. The story begins with her playing with a dollhouse, which her father built for her. Clare does this when she's feeling very sad. On the day she learns her father died, she initially has trouble understanding death. She recalls petals of flowers or leaves dying but not people. Her mother then reminds her of her hamster who died of old age and it starts to click. She cycles through feelings of denial, anger and regret. She's upset that her father never said goodbye to her and she begins to blame herself for breaking his coffee cup and yelling at him.

But her mother reassures her that his death had nothing to do with her. While her mother is out and Clare is home with her grandfather, he suggests that she play with the dollhouse to which she responds, "I wish it would burn all up!" When her mother gets home Clare asks what will happen if her mother and her grandfather die too. Her mother reassures her that she will live a long time and that her grandfather's health is good but if anything were to happen that her aunt and uncle would take care of her. Clare has the support of her mother as well as her grandfather. At the end of the book Clare falls asleep and she is not afraid.

Quotes

General Themes

The Grief Process

What the Reviewer Liked

I liked that the author made Clare's support system clear and also demonstrated how younger children have a hard time understanding death immediately.

Writing Style

Author Qualifications

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Kara is the Gothic root of the word "care."
It means to reach out, to care, to lament, to grieve with.