Tuck Everlasting, by Natalie Babbitt (Book & Movie Review)

I confess. I watched the movie before I read the book. (Carrie hangs head in a moderate attempt at repentance and sorrow. How's it workin' for her?)

I watched the movie one night during my final-days-of-pregnancy-insomnia because I could instantly view it on Netflix and I was curious about it. I'm happy to say that this is one of those times when the movie was so very enjoyable to me, that I then I had to read the book. Enter: Amazon.

I ordered a copy of Tuck Everlasting, by Natalie Babbit assuming I'd like it. I was right - I did. It was a fabulous story! It's a quick read but one that definitely sticks with you. If you are unfamiliar with the story, the basic gist is as follows:

Young Winnie Foster (age 10? 11?) lives a very safe life behind her wealthy family's iron gate. She is an only child who has experienced little-to-no adventures in her young life. Her mother and grandmother are over protective and, frankly, overbearing. It's probably important to note that the parents could be read off as being controlling and obnoxious. That said, I think it's pretty clear that they love their daughter very much and only want the best for her, however misguided they might be in their attempts to secure the best on her behalf. Still, I can imagine that a lot of angst filled pre-teens might feel that they can identify with Winnie Foster because of her lack of freedom and it's something that you might care to discuss with your young reader.)

On one particular day Winnie decides that she is going to run away from home, which pretty much consists of her exiting the fence which surrounds her family's property. She goes off to explore the woods which the family owns and which are situated right next to her home. Once in the woods, Winnie comes upon a spring which holds water that, if drunk, will cause the person or animal to live forever, unchanged. She meets the Tuck family who had previously drunk from the spring, unaware of the spring's hidden powers. The Tucks desire to protect the spring from unsuspecting drinkers and so kidnap Winnie simply to have the time to convince her of the importance of keeping the spring a secret.

The book is a big question: Is it a good thing to live forever and never die? Or is it preferable to live life as fully and completely as possible, experiencing the variety of life's seasons which, of course, concludes with death. Should we be afraid to die? Should we want to freeze time in any particular moment and exist there forever?

It's a curious question and definitely piques the interest of humanity at large. Death is a feared fiend to most people and it can, depending on what you believe, signal an end. It can be viewed as terrifying - as the unknown often times is. For the Christian, of course, we believe that death is not the end and that Christ has conquered this foe. (1 Corinthians 15:55) We have no need to fear it, although we still clutch on to our humanity. That's as it should be. Christ gave us life and made us relational. It's hard to think of letting go and saying goodbye to the people we love in particular. Death's timing is not always enjoyed. Yet it is a sure enough thing -it will come to each of us.

I think that this book, as dark and morbid as the subject matter may sound, is a fascinating and interesting story, asking questions worth discussing with young readers. I think this book is appropriately marked as a middle grade read and would heartily recommend it.

As for the movie, I thought it was excellent and very well done. It stays true to the book for the most part except in one particular: the age of Winnie Foster. In Tuck Everlasting the movie she is much older, allowing her to enter into a believable romantic relationship with the younger Tuck boy. There is a kiss, but otherwise, it's really tame. The questions about life and death that the book asks are asked in the movie as well. Actually, I thought that the movie did a better job at more clearly pointing out the benefits and beauty of being able to live each season of life instead of being locked into one particular age or condition in time. The conversation that Winnie has with father Tuck on the river about drinking from the spring makes it very clear that the life that Winnie has is to be embraced and enjoyed, rather than traded in even for what she might currently believe is "true love." The book definitely suggests this truth to be the case. The movie makes it clear. So I appreciated both the book and the movie but for slightly different reasons.

Either one I would recommend and I'm glad to own the book. At some point in time I wouldn't mind adding the movie to our home library to be enjoyed with my kids further on down the road. In the meantime, I'm still thinking about it and mulling it over. That, I think, is a sign of a pretty good story and this one is likely to end up as one of my favorite reads of 2011. Not sure how I missed this one up 'till now, but glad I've experienced it at last!