This is a gem for the right reader—thoughtful, beautifully written, and genuinely moving. Lindsay Eagar's debut doesn't talk down to kids; it trusts them to handle big themes like memory loss, cultural identity, and family obligation.

The magical realism is the real deal, not just window dressing. You're never quite sure if the bees and the tree are metaphor or magic, and that ambiguity is the point. It's teaching kids to think about how stories work, how memory works, how we make sense of the past.

The dementia storyline is handled with real grace—it's sad but not traumatic, honest but not clinical. If your kid has aging grandparents, this could be a beautiful way to open conversations about memory and connection.

Fair warning: this is literary middle grade, which means some kids will find it slow. There's no villain, no quest, no clear plot beats. It's a summer of heat and stories and gradual understanding. But for kids who like to sink into a book and feel things? This is excellent.