Telephone of the Tree

By Alison McGhee

A mysterious phone in a tree connects the living with lost loved ones. Will Ayla use it to reach Kiri?

4.1/5 Goodreads · 708 ratings

208 pages

$17.99Save 6%

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Bookroo's summary

Ayla's world shatters when her best friend Kiri vanishes after a tragic accident. Clinging to hope, Ayla discovers an old telephone in her birch tree, used by others to speak with the departed. As the community gathers, Ayla faces a choice: will she call Kiri, or keep her memories safe? This tale of loss and connection explores the boundaries between life and the hereafter, leaving Ayla to wonder if she can bridge the gap to her friend. Can a simple phone call change everything?

From the publisher

An unforgettable story of grief and the support of community as a young girl, faced with aching loss, begins to understand that what we love will always be with us. Ayla and her best friend Kiri have always been tree people. They each have their own special tree, and neighbors and family know that they are most likely to be found within the branches. But after an accident on their street, Kiri has gone somewhere so far away that Ayla can only wait and wait in her birch, longing to be able to talk with Kiri again. Then a mysterious, old-fashioned telephone appears one morning, nestled in the limbs of Ayla’s birch tree. Where did it come from? she wonders. And why are people showing up to use this phone to call their loved ones? Especially loved ones who have passed on. All Ayla wants is for Kiri to come home. Until that day comes, she will keep Kiri’s things safe. She’ll keep her nightmares to herself. And she will not make a call on that telephone.

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