The Great Unexpected

From Newbery Medal winner and bestselling author Sharon Creech comes a grand, sweeping yarn that is a celebration of the great and unexpected gifts of love, friendship, and forgiveness. With a starred review from Kirkus Reviews calling it an "enchanting tale to treasure," The Great Unexpected captures the heart and the imagination.

Humorous and heartfelt, this is a story of pairs—of young Naomi and Lizzie, both orphans in present-day Blackbird Tree, USA, and of Sybil and Nula, grown-up sisters from faraway Rook's Orchard, Ireland, who have become estranged.

Young Naomi Deane is brimming with curiosity and her best friend, Lizzie Scatterding, could talk the ears off a cornfield. Naomi has a knack for being around when trouble happens. She knows all the peculiar people in town—like Crazy Cora and Witch Wiggins. But then, one day, a boy drops out of a tree. Just like that. A strangely charming Finn boy. And then the Dingle Dangle man appears, asking all kinds of questions. Curious surprises are revealed—three locked trunks, a pair of rooks, a crooked bridge, and that boy—and soon Naomi and Lizzie find their lives changed forever.

As two worlds are woven together, Creech reveals that hearts can be mended and that there is indeed a gossamer thread that connects us all.

What happens when a boy falls from a tree and connects two worlds?

• A Tale of Two Worlds: Follows two orphan girls, Naomi and Lizzie, in small-town America, and two estranged sisters an ocean away in Ireland, all linked by a gossamer thread of fate.
• An Enchanting Mystery: When a mysterious boy named Finn falls from a tree, Naomi and Lizzie’s quiet lives are filled with questions, locked trunks, and curious strangers.
• Coming of Age: A beautifully written story about discovering who you are, what family means, and how the most unexpected gifts can mend a broken heart.
• Stories About Orphans: Perfect for young readers who love tales of resilient kids, found family, and the search for belonging in a world full of peculiar and wonderful people.

Celebrate the Unexpected

In Blackbird Tree live two orphan girls: Naomi Deane, brimming with curiosity, and Lizzie Scatterding, who could talk the ears off a cornfield. Naomi has a knack for being around when trouble happens, for she knows all the peculiar people in town. But then the strangely charming Finn boy drops out of a tree. And the Dingle Dangle man appears, asking questions. Curious surprises are revealed—three locked trunks, a crooked bridge, and that boy. Soon Naomi and Lizzie find themselves zooming toward a future neither could ever have imagined. Meanwhile, across the ocean, an old lady whose heart has been deceived concocts a plan. . . .

As two worlds are woven together, Newbery Medal winner Sharon Creech celebrates the gossamer thread that connects us all.

“A joyous testament to the surprising nature of life and the smallness of our world.” - ALA Booklist

“An enchanting tale to treasure.” - Kirkus Reviews (starred review)