Holly Kennedy, The Penny Tree

The Penny Tree

Holly Kennedy

NAL, Apr 2007, $14.00

ISBN: 0451220552

Seattle couple Jack and Annie Hillman are getting divorced. Annie returns to her hometown of Eagan's Point, Washington, accompanied by their sons: thirteen-year-old Luke, who wants to remain with his dad, and eleven-year-old Eric, recovering from a nasty long illness. Annie worries about finances as Eric's malady has led to exorbitant medical bills. Feeling desperate, she takes a temporary office job at a funeral home. Her only relief from her fears and tribulations is thinking about THE PENNY TREE where her dad once nailed a 1969 penny when she was twelve years old and the world awaited her appearance.

However, suddenly a secret admirer begins taking out ads in a local paper which include pictures of a young Annie and a vivid description of her likes and dislikes. As she struggles with Luke's anger and Eric's recovery, Annie ponders who knows her so well and why he regrets his errors.

Annie is a terrific lead character struggling with money issues and being a single mom to two boys with different needs. The secret admirer ironically is obvious to the audience long before Annie learns his identity as she wonders who in Eagen's Point is the one from her past. Though the support cast is reasonably solid, THE PENNY TREE belongs to Annie who learns lessons about the value of five cents.

Harriet Klausner