The Winter of the Dollhouse

by Laura Amy Schlitz, Laura Knight Keating (Narrator)

Newbery Medalist and master storyteller Laura Amy Schlitz conjures a wry and captivating coming-of-age story about the fated friendship between a girl and her stolen doll.

Tiphany Stokes is in a new school in a new town—and she is not sure where she fits in. Sixth grade is challenging, and life at home with her stepmother and two toddler siblings often feels overwhelming, especially when they are crying. Tiph sometimes takes Philip in his stroller to the toy store, where the miniature dolls in the window calm her nerves.

On one such November day, something amazing happens—Tiph saves a dog from traffic, makes friends with his owner, and lands a job. Her new friend likes dollhouses as much as Tiph does—and might buy a doll for Tiph to show her gratitude. Tiph would love the tiny Gretel doll, with her long braids, even though the Red Riding Hood doll is prettier.

Surprisingly, perhaps, Gretel also wishes for to be played with by a real child, the way Red was before she landed back in the shop window. After witnessing the dog rescue, Gretel wants that child to be the daring Tiph, a hero child.

This skillfully plotted novel, with its overlapping storylines, weaves a tale of loss, theft, stepfamilies, growth, and adventure into a satisfying fabric, with a perfect fairy-tale ending.

Genres: Middle Grade, Fantasy, Childrens, Fiction, Audiobook, Young Adult, Magical Realism

Audible Audio

Published September 2, 2025

About the author

Laura Amy Schlitz is an American author of children's literature. She is a librarian and storyteller at The Park School in Brooklandville, Maryland.

She received the 2008 Newbery Medal for her children's book entitled Good Masters! Sweet Ladies! Voices from a Medieval Village,[1] and the 2013 Newbery Honor for her children's book, Splendors and Glooms.[2] She also won the 2016 Scott O'Dell Award for Historical Fiction, the 2016 National Jewish Book Award, and the Sydney Taylor Book Award for her young adult book, The Hired Girl. Her other published books are The Hero Schliemann: The Dreamer Who Dug For Troy (2006), A Drowned Maiden's Hair: A Melodrama (2006), which won a Cybils Award that year, The Bearskinner: A Tale of the Brothers Grimm (2007), The Night Fairy (2010).

Schlitz attended Goucher College in Towson, Maryland, and graduated in 1977.

Reviews

[Charlotte · Rating 5 out of 5]

a beautiful, moving book about a girl, Tiph, who is snarled by life journeying toward self-knowledge and contentment with the help of an old lonely woman who shares her love for doll houses and miniatures, and also with the help of a doll who comes to life when no one is watching. It was hard going for me in the middle when Tiph's snarled-ness is at its worst, but the lovely, moving, hug of an ending made it all worthwhile. Excellent doll house content as well.

[DaNae · Rating 5 out of 5]

A girl, an old lady and a doll meet - sort of - on a November afternoon. Their lives will never be the same. One will become a thief, well maybe she was already a thief. One will become a renovator, but not an electrician. The other will become a stowaway, living a secret life, with the comfort of tissues donated by an imperious cat.

I haven’t really figured out how to talk about this book yet. For me it is perfection but talking about the secret lives of dolls, or prickly 11-year olds who befriend, or are befriended, by old ladies, makes it feel mundane and rehashed material. It is anything but. Schultz is a master at creating deep and complex characters, even for a simple minded dog. I delighted in how genuine and flawed Tiph is, how prickly and sneaky. Even when I hoped she would make better choices.The world of the dolls in enchanting and their interpretation of our world so funny. There is an historical element to Silvia’s story as well, that took my breath away.

As a child, I would have loved this. I adored creating small worlds for Barbies and other dolls out of bits and pieces around our house. We were not a family that would have a doll house. As an old lady, I get the thrill of creating something my younger self would have loved. Schiltz has delivered a story to both ends of my life.

[Emily McKee · Rating 5 out of 5]

So cozy and heartwarming, but with the multi-dimensional characters, depth, and lovely language of Laura Amy Schlitz. (And if you haven’t ever read LAS’s books, you can’t go wrong with any of them!)

This would be a great read aloud for families with a range of ages. Boys and older kids might be reluctant at first, but I think they’ll warm to it as they get to know the characters.

[Monica Edinger · Rating 5 out of 5]

enchantin old fashioned

[Katy O. · Rating 5 out of 5]

What an absolutely precious and magical story! This reads very much like a timeless classic and I chose the perfect time to read it - in the days leading up to, and in, Christmas Day. The book takes place in the period between Thanksgiving and New Year’s Day so I was spot on! This book is required for all elementary libraries and would be a beautiful read aloud at home to precocious kiddos in 1st - 4th grade and a delightful solo for the upper range of that and higher. This is for the kids (and adults!) who love dolls and possess a whimsical imagination. Loved it.

Source: public library hardcover

[Mari Johnston · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was so wonderfully cozy and magical. The author truly brings the story to life in a way that fully immerses you.

[Kristen · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was very, very sweet. You really grow to love all of the characters. It’s got both fantastical elements, with the talking dolls, and feels very grounded in day to day reality so lovers of both fantasy and realistic fiction could be interested. I think it would be a great family read aloud! I cried multiple times and was both happy with the ending and sad it was over.

[Tess Evens · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book!! 🥹 It felt nostalgic, warm, cozy, AND had multidimensional characters with a great storyline. I highly recommend for the holiday season and all ages! I can’t wait to read this book with my kids someday 🥰

[Ariel · Rating 5 out of 5]

I've always loved miniatures and dollhouses, and was a fan of Rumer Godden's dollhouse books, so this book about an antique doll who longs to be played with twanged my heartstrings. Bonus points for the heartwarming (but not overly sentimental) cross-generational friendship between the young girl who feels she doesn't fit into her family and a lonely older Hungarian woman in the neighborhood. When the girl helps the woman with her runaway dog they discover that they both love dolls and beautiful miniatures, and the old woman shows her a dollhouse that was made by her father and is in desperate need of renovation. I also loved the dog and cat's points of view. The whole book was just a pleasure.

[Pages & Cup · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved this so much! The character development is fantastic and the end is absolutely heartwarming.

[Darla · Rating 5 out of 5]

A feel good story with a bit of mystery! I want to have a doll house again and enjoy a second childhood 😁

[Sarah · Rating 5 out of 5]

EARC provided by Edelweiss Plus
This is a longer book than I typically choose, but knowing the author’s prior work, I had to give it a try. I was not disappointed, and I could not put it down. This is a 2025 favorite!

[Fiona · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 stars
Schlitz does a stellar job of intertwining two plot threads here: Tiph’s life with all its real world woes and that of the doll Gretel, who imagines eating and slides down banisters that don’t exist. I am a sucker for intergenerational friendships; Tiph and Szivlia’s burgeoning relationship is pitch perfect. This book really warmed the cockles of my cold middle-aged heart and yet managed to tackle some weighty issues and dispense sage life advice with getting preachy. Why have I not read all of this author’s works?

Thanks to Candlewick for the advance review copy.

[Barb Middleton · Rating 5 out of 5]

This author has so many layers to her stories. The young reader is going to take out a different story than the adult. The young girl in this tale has a stepmother and the exploration of the complexities of the relationship overlaid with the fairy tales of the wicked stepmother make for an interesting juxtaposition. Then the author turns the trope upside down and the way the story unfolds is fascinating because it shows how adults make mistakes. Kids make mistakes and what do we learn from it? Do we learn from it? This author doesn’t shy from tough topics and she presents strong female characters that are flawed yet reflective and honest.

[Cheryl · Rating 5 out of 5]

I wish I could give this 10 stars! It’s a middle grade level book but has around 300 pages. A young girl meets an older woman and forms a deep friendship as she helps her with her pets. They begin remodeling a dollhouse and we’re let into the secret life of the dolls. This book reminds me of The Indian in the Cupboard with great characters and realistic problems.

[Kary H. · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sheer perfection.

[Emily Beckett · Rating 5 out of 5]

I I love this book! And I also have ballet shoes borrowed from the library. I haven’t read ballet shoes yet, but I bet it’s a good book. back to the winter of the dollhouse, it was such a good book. A few parts I didn’t like was how she was so bratty and mean to her mom and she hates babies . But The rest of the book was good, really good,I can’t really pick my favorite part. Reading the book made me want to get a Victorian doll house with dolls and furniture.

[Sarah · Rating 5 out of 5]

What an absolute treasure. Modern, but with a classic enduring feeling. The dollhouse play is enchanting and Tiph is a lovely main character. The friendship between her Neni Szilvia is sweet and believable. The references to Ballet Shoes were very pleasing to me :)
An ode to imagination, friendship, and play.

[Laura · Rating 2 out of 5]

This sounded like a heartwarming winter read, and while I enjoyed the premise of the dolls that are alive and the Grandma- like neighbor sharing a love of dolls and teaching a girl good manners, it fell a little flat for me. It was really just way too long. I almost lost interest entirely half way through. Much of what happens is pretty predictable, so the fact that it took so long to tell was disappointing. Could have been half as long.

[YSBR · Rating 5 out of 5]

11-year-old Tiphany Stokes is having a hard time figuring out where she fits in.  She loves her dad and stepmother Holly, but feels misunderstood and overlooked as her toddler brother, Phillip, and baby sister, Rain, get all the attention, and her parents’ occasional quarrels sometimes overwhelm her.  She is also new at school and unsure how to make friends.  One cold November night, when Holly and Dad are arguing, Tiph sneaks out of the house with Phillip in his stroller, just to get some air and do some window-shopping in her new hometown of Grace Harbor. While staring at a beautiful display in a dollhouse store (from which she is banned due to alleged shoplifting), she sees an old woman collapse on the sidewalk.  Tiph rushes to help her and catch her dog, and after she helps her home, the old woman asks Tiph if she would consider coming over each day to walk the dog and clean the cat’s litterbox while she recovers from surgery.  Tiph is excited about the prospect of making money and spending time with the woman’s friendly pup, as well as more conversations with the stern but kind old lady, named Szilvia.

Watching this transpire from inside the dollhouse shop window is Gretel, a 4-inch collectible storybook doll who is quite valuable, but very lonely.  Her brother Hansel has long since disappeared, and all she really wants is a human girl to play with her.  She is certain Tiph is her person, but doesn’t really know how they can ever be together, since Tiph isn’t allowed in the store.  When a Red Riding Hood doll from her collection arrives at the shop, Gretel is excited to have someone to talk to, admiring Red’s confidence and worldly ways, and the two dolls have adventures together when the shop is closed for the night.  

Meanwhile, the relationship between the lonely old woman and her protegé strengthens.  Szilvia gives Tiph advice on handling family dilemmas and encourages her to pursue her love of acting in an upcoming school play, while also revealing a lot about her own background as an immigrant and a divorcée.  The human and doll worlds come together at last when Szilvia and Tiph begin working together to restore a dollhouse her father had built for her in Hungary, and they visit the dollhouse store together to purchase furniture and supplies.  Gretel and Red both end up going home with Szilvia - even though Gretel wasn’t supposed to - and their nocturnal adventures continue as they excitedly plan for a future together in Szilvia’s dollhouse.  That future can only exist if Tiph is able to be honest about Gretel, which means uncomfortable conversations with her parents, the shop owner, and worst of all, Szilvia.  

This is a truly magical holiday novel for readers who like fantasies where toys come to life and animals interact with them, as well as for realistic fiction fans who enjoy family drama and intergenerational friendships.  There are many, many story-lines but they all weave together perfectly.  Alternating perspectives give insight into the characters of Tiph, Szilvia, and Gretel (and even occasionally Loki the dog and Flosshilde, the cat!) and readers will empathize with all three of them.  Young readers  will find Tiph’s story particularly relatable, as she struggles to do the right thing but seems to keep coming up a bit short and disappointing the grownups she so anxiously wants to please.  Rich language perfectly describes the various settings, both in miniature and full scale, and the conversations have an authentic feel, with a great deal of heart and wit.  The chapters are fairly short, but it is a long book; The Winter of the Dollhouse is an old-fashioned story, meant to be savored. Link to complete review: https://ysbookreviews.wordpress.com/2...

[Mark Buxton · Rating 5 out of 5]

What worked:
The book is written with two overlapping stories starring a young girl named Tiph and a rare, expensive, four-inch doll named Gretel. Readers should feel some empathy for Tiph, as she is the oldest child living with two younger stepsiblings. Her mother died when she was 2 ½ years old, and her stepmother has been kind to her. However, Tiph’s little brother was born with a hole in his heart, and her baby sister seems to cry all of the time. Tiph doesn’t get the attention she once received, and she feels the strain from her parents’ arguing. The family recently moved, and Tiph hasn’t made any friends at her new school. She’s feeling lonely and adrift, so meeting an old Hungarian woman may be the connection she needs. Tiph feels the conflict of being told she’s a wonderful sister, while she knows she’s done bad things and had bad thoughts. Readers will experience her stress as the struggle between reality and perceptions worsens.
Readers learn that dolls become more “alive” when kids play with them. They can’t let humans see them move, but Gretel talks to another doll named Red when no one’s around. Gretel and Red become friends, as they observe, play, and discuss their hopes of being purchased by families with kids. Red has more experience as a family toy, and she shares her stories and advice with Gretel. Gretel’s greatest desire is to be bought by Tiph, but she knows the young girl probably can’t afford the costly price tag. When Tiph steals Gretel from the store, Red and Gretel work together to find their happily ever after.
The elderly Hungarian woman, Nene Szilvia, is kind and generous, and she acts as Tiph’s moral support throughout the story. She’s recovering from stomach surgery when readers first meet her, and she appreciates the different ways Tiph helps. Tiph walks her dog and cleans the cat’s litterbox, but her greatest gift is keeping Nene Szilvia company. This connection will resonate with young readers who have close relationships with their grandparents. Tiph can talk about her problems at home and school, and Nene Szilvia is good about not passing judgment. A school play of the “Wizard of Oz” becomes the catalyst for big changes in Tiph’s life, and all of her issues come to a head as show time approaches.
What didn’t work as well:
The early part of the book feels like it develops slowly, as the author creates a foundation to build on. The story won’t appeal to all readers due to dolls and dollhouses being featured. Tiph’s family and school issues are more relatable to a wider audience.
The final verdict:
This warm, heartfelt story is full of emotions that will leave readers with a warm feeling inside. Tiph is the main character, but readers will become engrossed in Gretel’s drama, too. I recommend you give this book a chance.

[Rebecca · Rating 4 out of 5]

Tiph feels invisible in her blended family. She lost her mother at age two, and doesn't remember her, so stepmother Holly is her mom, but with medically fragile Phillip, age (5?), and toddler Rain, Holly seems to see Tiph as a handy babysitter and nothing else. Tiph feels they have nothing in common, and the things that she likes--such as dolls and dollhouses--are unimportant to Holly who therefore thinks they should be unimportant to Tiph. But Tiph used to love wandering through the neighborhood doll store, until the owner banished her because he believed she'd stolen something. Now she just peers into the window--and that's where she sees Gretel. Gretel is an old fairy tale doll who has never had a proper child and longs for one. She sees Tiph, and longs to belong to her. When a doll from the same maker as Gretel joins her in the window, Red Riding Hood, Gretel at long last has a friend to play with--but she still wants to belong to Tiph. Meanwhile, Tiph has met the gruff older woman Sylvia, and as Tiph walks her dog and takes care of her cat, they gradually become friends. Sylvia actually listens to Tiph. But what can Tiph do about Gretel, who costs more money than Tiph will ever earn?

This is a many-layered story, rather hard to describe, but never confusing as you listen. It's the story of Tiph learning to be more direct with her parents about things that matter to her, like being in "Wizard of Oz" because she has a good part. She learns she can be mean and hurt people, and to feel bad about it and make amends. Sylvia learns to open her heart to other people again, despite her tragic history of fleeing Hungary as a child and never seeing her father again, and despite her husband leaving her for a younger woman. She starts working on the dollhouse her father made for her, long abandoned in the basement. And as for Gretel and Red, they have all sorts of after-hours adventures, often with the diffident help of the cat and sometimes even the overeager dog. I thought there were a lot of good lessons here. You don't always have to confess your sins to everyone, though you do have to find ways to make things right. Found family is everything. Anyway, I really enjoyed it. Recommended for grades 3-6. Thanks to Libro.FM for a free educator copy of the audiobook.

[Darla · Rating 5 out of 5]

Do you love to imagine what your toys do when you aren't looking?

What happens when we go to bed for the night?

Do our pets and toys help each other out?

This new fantasy tale from Laura Amy Schlitz is a little bit Toy Story, a pinch of Oz, and the best kind of HEA ending.

Meet the stars of THE WINTER OF THE DOLLHOUSE:

👩TIPH (short for Tiffany) ~ we couldn't have a story without her. She is the big sister in a blended family. While taking her little stepbrother for a walk she sees GRETEL in the window of a toy shop.
👵NENI SZILVIA ~ after getting help from TIPH with walking her bulldog LOKI, Szilvia becomes an employer, friend, and encourager to TIPH.
👭GRETEL and RED ~ miniature dolls who were once part of storybook sets. They will work together to make things right for TIPH. Love their chapters and shenanigans.
🏠THE DOLLHOUSE ~ this is one special house. SZILVIA's father crafted it for her with love in her home country of Hungary. He was never able to follow his wife and daughter to America, but the dollhouse made it.
🐕🐈LOKI the bulldog and FLOSSHILDE the cat ~ they find themselves in cahoots with the dolls. I loved the conversations between the pets and the toys.

This book is chock full of great themes like found family, friendship, forgiveness, finding your gifts, and more. I was on the edge of my seat at times, wondering if TIPH would ever get to play with GRETEL and the DOLLHOUSE.

Thank you to Candlewick and Edelweiss+ for a DRC in exchange for an honest review. Available September 2, 2025.

[Dest · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is an old-fashioned kind of children's novel with some misbehavior (stealing) but ultimately a lot of warm fuzzies and Christmas cheer. It features:

A grumpy-ish old lady who is revealed to have a heart of gold (I'm a sucker for a grump with a heart of gold!)

A grumpy shopkeeper who does not have a heart of gold (ha ha)

A lovable cat and dog (I'm also a sucker for talking pets, especially regal cats and goofy dogs)

A pair of younger siblings, a baby and a toddler (yes, indeed, I'm a sucker for cute little kids)

A stepmother who is not at all wicked (the stepmom/stepchild relationship was very well done)

Two talking dolls from classic fairy tales (they can talk to each other and the cat and dog, but not to humans)

Theater kids (arguably the best kind of kids)

I found this very charming by the end, but I struggled a little to care about Tiph in the beginning and wanted the whole book to be about Néni Szilvia. I think young readers will likely sympathize with Tiph, especially if they are older siblings and/or the kind of kids who still like to play with dolls.

I have to say, I think Schlitz got the name of a character from Ballet Shoes wrong! I listened to the audiobook and think I heard Mr. Smith when it should have been Mr. Simpson. Should I write to her and tell her so it could be corrected in a future edition?

[Chrissy · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this on the recommendation of a co-worker and it was the perfect book for me at the right time. I guess I needed a little detour from my usual grown-up fare.

Tiph is such a relatable character. She's not the cookie-cutter middle-grade heroine. No overbearing girlbossing or proving how much of a "Strong Female Character" she is because she can be aggressive or violent. She's a normal girl trying to carve out a place for herself while dealing with her relationship with her stepmother, going to a new school, learning to speak up for herself - things that typical middle-grade kids have to deal with.

And honestly - what child hasn't at least been tempted to take something from a store that they were told they couldn't have? And how many actually acted on that impulse? (I can neither confirm nor deny such a thing occurred in my childhood...)

The addition of the dolls' POV added just the right amount of whimsy into this story. The "Toy Story" comparisons are obvious, though that's hardly the only thing that's ever used the living toys/dolls trope. But this part of the story - with special guests the dog and the cat - just elevated the narrative that much more.

Also, the ending is just - oh my heart, it's lovely. Won't spoil it, because I was surprised how it turned out and I had no clue that's where it was going.

Overall, a sweet and heartwarming story, perfect for the Christmas season (but not strictly a Christmas book).

[Mollified.Moments · Rating 4 out of 5]

I picked this book up on a whim at the library because I was putting together a winter stack for Bookstagram. I am a sucker for anything that involves dollhouses, and the cover is absolutely gorgeous. The fact that there is a cat on it sealed the deal for me.

Im so happy I picked it up. This was such a cozy and comforting read, and it was a really nice break my normal adult reading.

I really appreciated the realness of Tiph as a character. She wasn’t a cookie cutter middle grader. I loved that her interests felt specific and
Special. She was into dollhouses, reading, and taking care of pets, which made her feel unique and grounded in a way that was fun to read about. It was refreshing to see a character with her own quirks and old fashioned hobbies.

The dollhouse perspective added a touch of magic that worked nicely alongside the more grounded parts of the story. Seeing the world through the dolls eyes brought a sense of whimsy, and while both the dog and the cat had a role, I have to admit I was all about the cat. Flosshilde stole every scene for me. team cat all the way.

The ending was very sweet and cozy, and I really loved it. It felt like the perfect way to wrap up the story.

Overall this is a warm and heartwarming read that feels perfect for the winter season. It has a cozy, comforting atmosphere that makes you want to curl up with it, even though it is not strictly a holiday story.

[Glenna Coleman · Rating 4 out of 5]

Tiph loves her stepmother Holly and her younger siblings, toddler Phillip and infant Rain, but she wishes her parents would not fight so much about whether or not to have another baby. One night she leaves the house with Phillip and helps an old lady who struggles to walk her bulldog while recovering from surgery. A friendship blossoms between the old Hungarian lady and Tiph, helped along by their mutual love for dollhouses. As their friendship blossoms, Gretel, one of the dolls in the toystore window, yearns to have her own girl and decides Tiph is perfect for that role. The tangled tale of how Tiph and Gretel and Mrs. Rozsakegyi and Red become friends intersects with the family dynamics of Holly's jealousy of Tiph's growing friendships and Tiph's feelings of inadequacy as a daughter. This story is told from several points of view and involves magical dolls, family history, and growing up to entrust friends and family with the worst about oneself in order to move beyond and find one's place. I enjoyed this story very much and as a bonus, because I have always loved miniatures, enjoyed the descriptions of furnishing a dollhouse.

[Thomas Bell · Rating 4 out of 5]

For a long while I wanted to give this book 2 stars. Then 5. Then 3. *Sigh*. I finally decided to settle on 3.5 stars, rounded up.

First off, I believe the author does an excellent job with character development. She helps us get to know Gretel, Red, Szilvia, Tiph, Loki, and Flosshilde very well. The story is intriguing, and I love watching Tiph learn how to get along with her classmates. And at the end, I love learning pieces of Szilvia's backstory.

On the opposite end of the spectrum, I think the author would make a horrible mother. She completely downplays the significance of the $350 theft, and encourages children to keep important secrets from their parents in order to avoid getting in trouble. Even the heroes of the story - Nana Szilvia, and more especially the aunt at the end, encourage this terrible behavior. The author seems to agree with these points of view.

In the middle, I felt that the imagination of the dolls was fascinating, but the staircase was too much; imagining it was fine, but... . Also, the author clearly thinks cats are smarter than dogs. Science doesn't think so, but you can tell she is a little prejudiced.

[Jenny · Rating 5 out of 5]

I've been a fan of Laura Amy Schlitz, since reading "A Drowned Maiden's Hair" many years ago. I recommended it to readers at the K-8 library where I worked, and many of them fell in love with it too. As a reader and a writer, I continue to be amazed by her work--Amber and Clay, Splendors and Glooms, Good Masters! Sweet Ladies! All so good, all so different. I fell under her story-telling spell again with The Winter of the Dollhouse. This sweet story chronicles the friendship between an older Hungarian woman Szilvia, who is recovering from surgery, and Tiph, a young girl who comes to her aid. When Tiph steals a doll from the doll shop they both frequent, and then the doll disappears, a series of complications ensue. Concurrently, the dolls (stolen and not) have their own inner lives and dramas that intertwine with the world outside the dollhouse that Szilvia is refurbishing. As someone who long ago built and furnished a dollhouse with my mom (using a how-to book that I still have somewhere), I was captivated from page 1. Sidenote: Check out the article in Publishers Weekly that includes photos of the actual doll house.

[Therearenobadbooks · Rating 5 out of 5]

I just finished reading The Winter DollHouse, and I know it will be my favorite Fall/Christmas middle-grade book. It addresses so many relevant issues, themes, emotions, and perspectives.... from school to family, community, new friendships, changes, new siblings, different generations, historical themes... It's very complete. 5 plus
Divorced parents, new school, parents relying on older child to help with younger children, dismissing feelings, new friendships, pushing forward to fight for what a person wants, stealing as a mental health issue, love for classic, beauty, and art, aiming to be better, motherhood, aiming to play a main part in the play, improving communications.... Animals talk among each other, the older generation with a focus on history and immigration memories, and so much more. I need to get a set of highlights and a pretty kit to grab my favorite quotes from this book. I will continue to recommend this one. The Author was also very brave to point out some advice and some truths from kids and from adult characters, making some of the themes thought-provoking.