Paperback Edition
ISBN: 9780912670522
Publication Date: 02-01-1992

Wanting to earn a ten speed bicycle, twelve-year old Ellen reluctantly agrees to spend a summer as a companion to seventy-seven-year-old Lilith Adams. A powerful friendship grows between these two intriguing characters, and both gain a deeper understanding of old age, loneliness, insecurity, and death.

"Written with grace and wit, the story entertains while it teaches a lesson about the human condition." —Publishers Weekly

"A gentle book, deeply respectful of its topic, aging. . . . The story is warm and the writing exemplary. . ." —The New York Times Book Review

"An insightful story . . . of child and woman learning to understand and care for each other. Although written for children the book has appeal for readers of all ages. . ." —Gray Panther Network

A "well-written, sympathetic but not sentimental story. . . . Honest things are said about getting old. . . . An enjoyable, worthwhile book." —School Library Journal