The Book I Read Every Year

Every year, I read Natalie Babbitt's 1975 childhood classic Tuck Everlasting.

The story is one of secrecy and immortality. Ten-year-old Winnie Foster stumbles upon a family that never grows old, and she embarks on a journey of self-discovery and liberation from the stifling constraints of her sheltered, prim-and-proper life. When a nefarious stranger seeks to expose the Tucks' everlastingness, Winnie must assist her new friends in safeguarding their dangerous secret.

This book was first read to me when I was in the fourth grade, and I have loved it dearly ever since. As a book for children, it is short and can be read in just a couple of hours. It’s a comforting, romantic, melancholy little adventure full of wonder and magic. There's something so pure about it. It's the perfect feel-good story. I wouldn't change a word.

To make things even better, the movie is a rare example of a film adaptation that got almost everything right. With just a few minor, largely insignificant tweaks, Tuck Everlasting is the closest I've ever seen a movie get to the source material. It beautifully personifies the characters, elaborates on the original story in a way that stays true to the spirit of the novel, and brings the magic to life.

But, of course, the book is better.

One of the things I love about this novel is how straightforward it is. The story doesn't take unnecessary twists or turns. Tuck Everlasting is both deep and simple. There are clear-cut good guys and bad guys, with no shocking betrayal or frustrating miscommunication. It's just a sweet, to-the-point tale with loveable characters and a timeless message.

This story makes you feel as if magic is in the very air. Everything becomes sacred, as if the trees and water and earth harbor deep, wonderous mysteries just waiting to be uncovered. It so vividly captures your imagination. Babbitt's narration invokes the naivety and innocence of youth and perfectly depicts the romantic stirrings of a little girl captivated by a beautiful boy, that first childhood crush.

The moral of this story is a familiar one: Immortality isn't all it's cracked up to be, and part of what makes life worth living to the fullest is the inevitability of death. This little book delivers that message in a way that children can understand and relate to, but that still feels profound and whimsical to adult readers.

Tuck Everlasting has become one of my most cherished comfort books. Even as an adult, this story continues to make me feel safe and at peace. As I get older, the nostalgia deepens, and I'm able to appreciate elements of the novel that didn't speak to me when I was a child. Each read imparts something new and wonderful.

I had already written most of this story when I happened upon a 2015 article commemorating the book's 40th anniversary. I was amazed to read this final paragraph:

This novel will live for a long time. Maybe not forever. Very few things last forever. If I had to make a bet about lasting value, though, I’d bet that 'Tuck Everlasting' will continue to intrigue readers young and old — not only as long as readers are opening it for the first time, but as often as readers pick it up to reread.

The first two lines of my own last paragraph had already been composed:

This is one of those books that make me glad that books are forever. Whatever else changes in my life, I always have this little novel to return to for some pure, unmitigated joy.

Tuck Everlasting is a bedtime story worth passing on to future generations. I can't wait to share this enchanting tale with my nieces. I highly recommend it to you.