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How to Grow a Family Tree
From the author of P is for Pearl comes a heart-warming book about family, friendship and what home can mean.
Stella may only be seventeen, but having read every self-help book she can find means she knows a thing or two about helping people. She sure wasn't expecting to be the one in need of help, though.
Thanks to her father's gambling addiction, Stella and her family now find themselves living at Fairyland Caravan Park. And hiding this truth from her friends is hard enough without dealing with another secret. Stella's birth mother has sent her a letter.
As Stella deals with the chaos of her family, she must also confront the secrets and past of her 'other' family. But Stella is stronger than she realises.
From the author of P is for Pearl comes a heart-warming book about family, friendship and what home can mean.
Stella may only be seventeen, but having read every self-help book she can find means she knows a thing or two about helping people. She sure wasn't expecting to be the one in need of help, though.
Thanks to her father's gambling addiction, Stella and her family now find themselves living at Fairyland Caravan Park. And hiding this truth from her friends is hard enough without dealing with another secret. Stella's birth mother has sent her a letter.
As Stella deals with the chaos of her family, she must also confront the secrets and past of her 'other' family. But Stella is stronger than she realises.
From the author of P is for Pearl comes a heart-warming book about family, friendship and what home can mean.
336 pages, Paperback
First published March 23, 2020
2 people are currently reading
380 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 52 reviews
July 16, 2020
This is Eliza Henry-Jones' fourth novel. How to Grow a Family Tree is a Young Adult novel that focuses on Stella Price and her family made up of her eight months younger effervescent sister, Taylor, and their parents. Due to the father's gambling addiction, they've lost their house and had to move into a caravan park. The sisters are ashamed and the parents feel guilty and depressed about their new dwellings.
Stella is a bit of a goody-two-shoes, who's obsessed with self-help books and therefore thinks she knows it all and that she should help the people. Except that people are much more complicated and don't quite fit under the self-help labels. I liked her. I was intrigued by her rambunctious sister. Except for Stella, all the other characters were underdeveloped. Especially the parents, I didn't quite buy their actions, and interactions, they didn't feel real to me.
Adoption, gambling addiction, depression, poverty are some of the themes addressed in this novel.
Unfortunately, in my view, this novel was half baked and needed some polishing. I didn't hate it, but it didn't have the emotional impact that I've come to expect from Henry-Jones' writing.
Here's hoping the next novel will be more to my liking.
Stella is a bit of a goody-two-shoes, who's obsessed with self-help books and therefore thinks she knows it all and that she should help the people. Except that people are much more complicated and don't quite fit under the self-help labels. I liked her. I was intrigued by her rambunctious sister. Except for Stella, all the other characters were underdeveloped. Especially the parents, I didn't quite buy their actions, and interactions, they didn't feel real to me.
Adoption, gambling addiction, depression, poverty are some of the themes addressed in this novel.
Unfortunately, in my view, this novel was half baked and needed some polishing. I didn't hate it, but it didn't have the emotional impact that I've come to expect from Henry-Jones' writing.
Here's hoping the next novel will be more to my liking.
April 20, 2020
This was just the kind of big-hearted book I wanted! There's tragedy, trials and heartbreak in here, but a review I read of this book by the fabulous Bec Kavanagh summarised Henry-Jones writing for teens so well; "... an extremely capable writer who doesn’t send her characters into the dark with nothing to bring them back." SO TRUE!
I loved this - a big book of family and feelings and *exactly* what I've been craving during hard times. Stunning!
I loved this - a big book of family and feelings and *exactly* what I've been craving during hard times. Stunning!
March 24, 2020
This is a new release, heartwarming tale of family and friendships. It covers tough topics but still manages to be light and comedic at times. The characters were so well developed, and the story was the perfect length.
Overall, this one was definitely a favourite Of mine! It's out now and I definitely recommend reading it.
Overall, this one was definitely a favourite Of mine! It's out now and I definitely recommend reading it.
July 9, 2020
The pandemic has revealed to me a love of YA, which has been a silver lining of these strange times. A gorgeous coming of age story by one of my favourite Australian authors. Themes of family, friendship, addiction, mental health.
May 8, 2020
Eliza Henry Jones is an author who knows how to delve deep into the human condition and explore those confronting, emotional issues that shadow every family in a different way. In her new YA novel How to Grow A Family Tree (Angus and Robertson 2020), she once again gives us a heart-wrenching and poignant story about love, loss, friendship, betrayal, loyalty and the YA tradition of examining self-identity (Who am I? How did I get here? Why am I the way I am? Do I deserve this life? What if things were different? How am I supposed to be in the world?), whilst also traversing wider themes such as poverty, socio-economic class privilege, adoption and addiction.
Stella is 17 and has read every self-help book she could get her hands on. She is a likeable protagonist who means well and is always trying to help others, even if sometimes her methods are a bit misguided. But her world is tipped upside down when her father’s gambling addiction leads to her family having to leave their home and move to the rather grungy (and optimistically named) Fairyland Caravan Park. Stella is horrified at her reduced circumstances and hides her move from even her closest friends. Then another bombshell of a secret: a letter from her birth mother; a letter which could open the Pandora’s Box of her past; a letter which she refuses to discuss with her parents or her sister, Taylor. Stella’s relationships with her girlfriends and especially with her male friends – Clem, Richard and Matthew – are compelling, and Henry Jones has captured the adolescent dialogue and language with pinpoint accuracy. And the book is full of the humour and sardonic wit of teenagers the world over.
With her family life in chaos, Stella realises that all the self-help books in the world can’t help her in this situation. But she finds refuge in her friends, whom she begins to appreciate in new ways, and refuge too from the individual members of her families – both her biological and her adoptive families – in ways unexpected and surprising. Amidst all of this, Stella realises that when she looks beneath her original opinion of the unappealing veneer and environment of Fairyland, she discovers a community of people who are generous, creative, inspiring and determined to make the best of a bad situation. And as she comes to terms with who she is, and how her past circumstances have shaped her, she understands that there is more to life than money and status, that true family is the people you have chosen, and those who have chosen you, and that love can be found in the most unexpected of places, sometimes hiding in plain sight.
Stella is 17 and has read every self-help book she could get her hands on. She is a likeable protagonist who means well and is always trying to help others, even if sometimes her methods are a bit misguided. But her world is tipped upside down when her father’s gambling addiction leads to her family having to leave their home and move to the rather grungy (and optimistically named) Fairyland Caravan Park. Stella is horrified at her reduced circumstances and hides her move from even her closest friends. Then another bombshell of a secret: a letter from her birth mother; a letter which could open the Pandora’s Box of her past; a letter which she refuses to discuss with her parents or her sister, Taylor. Stella’s relationships with her girlfriends and especially with her male friends – Clem, Richard and Matthew – are compelling, and Henry Jones has captured the adolescent dialogue and language with pinpoint accuracy. And the book is full of the humour and sardonic wit of teenagers the world over.
With her family life in chaos, Stella realises that all the self-help books in the world can’t help her in this situation. But she finds refuge in her friends, whom she begins to appreciate in new ways, and refuge too from the individual members of her families – both her biological and her adoptive families – in ways unexpected and surprising. Amidst all of this, Stella realises that when she looks beneath her original opinion of the unappealing veneer and environment of Fairyland, she discovers a community of people who are generous, creative, inspiring and determined to make the best of a bad situation. And as she comes to terms with who she is, and how her past circumstances have shaped her, she understands that there is more to life than money and status, that true family is the people you have chosen, and those who have chosen you, and that love can be found in the most unexpected of places, sometimes hiding in plain sight.
May 30, 2020
This book follows the life of Stella. A teenager who goes on the quest to find herself. By understanding where she comes from and the struggles her and her family faces she develops and we experience this year of her life with her.
It was odd in places and there didn’t seem to be a plot which I found frustrating. Since nothing was happening and while seeing her struggle and attempt to help her dads gambling problem and dealing with a moody sister (I have experience myself with the second one!) it felt so insignificant to her life and mine. It didn’t hold importance and whilst I was kinda interested to find out about her dads gambling issue it was just revealed in subtext really scattered throughout.
The plot surrounding her biological mother was again interesting enough but just didn’t hold my attention. It also only really began to form towards the end of the book and the characters were intriguing and I loved Mary and Kelly was actually kind of cool and I wanted to get to understand her. But we didn’t. I understand Stella needing to realise her place was with her true family but it just felt like the rest of the book I had been reading was for nothing.
However this book deals with issues I, thankfully, have never had to experience. Poor Stella and Taylor have their lives thrown upside down not even for a good reason. They both have such strong and resilient personalities and it made me proud to see them develop. I also understand more about the situations some people find themselves in and whilst everyone can always choose sometimes it isn’t black and white. Good and bad. My previous prejudice of people living in situations like the people we meet at fairyland embarrass me. They’re just people. They have struggles but seeing them all help each out to plant everything and get money together for the dog. It shows even when they have nothing they still want to help each other. And I think this is the lesson Stella learns. She was eager to help them but they helped her just as much.
Some of the plots felt unfinished. It felt like it had been half complete then the author returned and scribbled some quick endings. Or no endings at all to complete the plots we had been following. Maybe this is a take on life but in this situation it just felt kind of tacky. Maybe the book should’ve been longer. Maybe there should’ve been an epilogue. I’m not sure. All I know is I want to know what becomes of Stellas dad. And her biological mum and their relationship. And Taylor! She’s so witty and badass and has qualities I wish I possess but she’s still so vulnerable and I want to see how she ends up in life.
And alright book which does she’d a light on social issues I’m not fully aware of. And for that I’m glad. However not necessarily enrapturing at, well, any point. The characters were likeable but the plot felt rushed in some places and drawn out too far in others.
It was odd in places and there didn’t seem to be a plot which I found frustrating. Since nothing was happening and while seeing her struggle and attempt to help her dads gambling problem and dealing with a moody sister (I have experience myself with the second one!) it felt so insignificant to her life and mine. It didn’t hold importance and whilst I was kinda interested to find out about her dads gambling issue it was just revealed in subtext really scattered throughout.
The plot surrounding her biological mother was again interesting enough but just didn’t hold my attention. It also only really began to form towards the end of the book and the characters were intriguing and I loved Mary and Kelly was actually kind of cool and I wanted to get to understand her. But we didn’t. I understand Stella needing to realise her place was with her true family but it just felt like the rest of the book I had been reading was for nothing.
However this book deals with issues I, thankfully, have never had to experience. Poor Stella and Taylor have their lives thrown upside down not even for a good reason. They both have such strong and resilient personalities and it made me proud to see them develop. I also understand more about the situations some people find themselves in and whilst everyone can always choose sometimes it isn’t black and white. Good and bad. My previous prejudice of people living in situations like the people we meet at fairyland embarrass me. They’re just people. They have struggles but seeing them all help each out to plant everything and get money together for the dog. It shows even when they have nothing they still want to help each other. And I think this is the lesson Stella learns. She was eager to help them but they helped her just as much.
Some of the plots felt unfinished. It felt like it had been half complete then the author returned and scribbled some quick endings. Or no endings at all to complete the plots we had been following. Maybe this is a take on life but in this situation it just felt kind of tacky. Maybe the book should’ve been longer. Maybe there should’ve been an epilogue. I’m not sure. All I know is I want to know what becomes of Stellas dad. And her biological mum and their relationship. And Taylor! She’s so witty and badass and has qualities I wish I possess but she’s still so vulnerable and I want to see how she ends up in life.
And alright book which does she’d a light on social issues I’m not fully aware of. And for that I’m glad. However not necessarily enrapturing at, well, any point. The characters were likeable but the plot felt rushed in some places and drawn out too far in others.
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June 11, 2020Read full review here: http://thebookmermaids.blogspot.com/2...
This book was absolutely brilliant. It is possibly one of my favourite YA novels ever!! I absolutely adored the characters, and I LOVED the story. The book has so many beautiful messages, and everyone would benefit from reading this book. The book shows that sometimes things that are covered in gold, are crumbling on the inside, and that sometimes you can find beautiful things in the darkest places.
This novel explores the true meaning of family, friendship, grief, love and loss. This book was so so so heartwarming, and a at times heartbreaking as well. I laughed and cried alongside the characters, who I felt such a kinship with. The sense of community in this story is so pure and lovely, and I truly admired the friendships and family relationships featured in this book. I loved that there was no swearing in this book, as it is way too common and unnecessary in the YA genre! I also thought that the dialogue was so natural, and the writing flowed perfectly!
How to Grow a Family Tree is an enlightening story, that I know will stay with me for a long time. I will be recommending this book to everyone and I can’t wait to hear your thoughts! Congratulations Eliza Henry-Jones for writing another stunning YA novel!
This book was absolutely brilliant. It is possibly one of my favourite YA novels ever!! I absolutely adored the characters, and I LOVED the story. The book has so many beautiful messages, and everyone would benefit from reading this book. The book shows that sometimes things that are covered in gold, are crumbling on the inside, and that sometimes you can find beautiful things in the darkest places.
This novel explores the true meaning of family, friendship, grief, love and loss. This book was so so so heartwarming, and a at times heartbreaking as well. I laughed and cried alongside the characters, who I felt such a kinship with. The sense of community in this story is so pure and lovely, and I truly admired the friendships and family relationships featured in this book. I loved that there was no swearing in this book, as it is way too common and unnecessary in the YA genre! I also thought that the dialogue was so natural, and the writing flowed perfectly!
How to Grow a Family Tree is an enlightening story, that I know will stay with me for a long time. I will be recommending this book to everyone and I can’t wait to hear your thoughts! Congratulations Eliza Henry-Jones for writing another stunning YA novel!
March 28, 2020
Stella and her family have been forced to move to the town’s caravan park, due to her father’s gambling addiction. She doesn’t want anyone at school to find out, because there’s nothing more embarrassing than living at Fairyland. And Stella helps people, not the other way around. She’s read all the self help books she can, and knows exactly what to do to fix problems. Except now she’s received a letter from her birth mother and she doesn’t want to open it. And her father’s gambling problem has not gone away.
As Stella’s life seems to spiral further out of control, she starts to see the other residents at Fairyland a little differently, and may have to come to terms with the fact that you can’t fix everyone, nor do they always need to be fixed.
This was such a powerful and hard hitting book. Watching Stella and her sister try to help their father with his addiction had me feeling both sad and angry on their behalf. It’s always difficult seeing situations that kids should just not ever have to deal with, but I loved the message in the background – that many things are not black and white.
How to Grow a Family Tree dealt with some really heavy topics in a way that was still enlightening and easy to read. The characters were brilliant and I cared about the side characters just as much as Stella. A book that keeps you thinking long after you finish reading, I would highly recommend this one!
As Stella’s life seems to spiral further out of control, she starts to see the other residents at Fairyland a little differently, and may have to come to terms with the fact that you can’t fix everyone, nor do they always need to be fixed.
This was such a powerful and hard hitting book. Watching Stella and her sister try to help their father with his addiction had me feeling both sad and angry on their behalf. It’s always difficult seeing situations that kids should just not ever have to deal with, but I loved the message in the background – that many things are not black and white.
How to Grow a Family Tree dealt with some really heavy topics in a way that was still enlightening and easy to read. The characters were brilliant and I cared about the side characters just as much as Stella. A book that keeps you thinking long after you finish reading, I would highly recommend this one!
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May 18, 2020DNF @ pg116
June 29, 2020
A beautiful novel about wonderful flawed characters and difficult but loving relationships with family and friends.
May 14, 2022
Very comfortable feeling book. Well written with good characters who somehow felt really relatable.
August 16, 2020
Seventeen-year-old Stella is a self-help expert. She has read just about everything around about saving relationshipsand finding love. Only one problem – she can’t seem to apply this knowledge to her own family and relationships.
When her father’s gambling addiction results in her family having to move into the seaside caravan park, Stella begins to learn a few hard lessons about life, about other people’s lives and, most importantly of all, about herself.
Hiding the truth about where she is living from her friends is bad enough, but Stella is holding a huge secret from her family too – her birth mother has sent her a letter. As Stella’s family descends into chaos her sister sleep-walks; her Dad can’t seem to control his gambling; and her mother is just trying to hold the family together.
This novel is a slow burn. Stella takes a while to grow on the reader but once we understand her and her flaws, we are in her corner all the way. Jones makes Stella awkward and naïve, but also weary and worn by the world. All Stella wants to do is help everyone – whether they want it or not. When she meets her birth mother and subsequently goes to stay with her to escape the problems in her adoptive family, Stella starts to realise that family is more than just blood relations. It’s about fitting in, feeling comfortable, and being accepted for who you are. It is only by leaving her family that Stella can appreciate the feeling of safety and connectedness it gives her. When she is eventually rejected by her birth mother, hard life lessons are in store for Stella. She starts to learn that sometimes giving someone a solution is not always the best way to fix a problem – sometimes they need to find the answer themselves in their own way. There are many teens for whom this story will resonate. The situations may not necessarily be familiar, but the emotions, and the feelings of confusion will be instantly recognisable.
How to Grow a Family Tree has a lot to offer teen readers trying to find their way in the world, and will reassure them that they will eventually find their place in it and that family, even a messy one, can be the sheltering tree you need. Highly readable and enjoyable.
(This review originally appeared in the Winter 2020 edition of Magpies magazine)
When her father’s gambling addiction results in her family having to move into the seaside caravan park, Stella begins to learn a few hard lessons about life, about other people’s lives and, most importantly of all, about herself.
Hiding the truth about where she is living from her friends is bad enough, but Stella is holding a huge secret from her family too – her birth mother has sent her a letter. As Stella’s family descends into chaos her sister sleep-walks; her Dad can’t seem to control his gambling; and her mother is just trying to hold the family together.
This novel is a slow burn. Stella takes a while to grow on the reader but once we understand her and her flaws, we are in her corner all the way. Jones makes Stella awkward and naïve, but also weary and worn by the world. All Stella wants to do is help everyone – whether they want it or not. When she meets her birth mother and subsequently goes to stay with her to escape the problems in her adoptive family, Stella starts to realise that family is more than just blood relations. It’s about fitting in, feeling comfortable, and being accepted for who you are. It is only by leaving her family that Stella can appreciate the feeling of safety and connectedness it gives her. When she is eventually rejected by her birth mother, hard life lessons are in store for Stella. She starts to learn that sometimes giving someone a solution is not always the best way to fix a problem – sometimes they need to find the answer themselves in their own way. There are many teens for whom this story will resonate. The situations may not necessarily be familiar, but the emotions, and the feelings of confusion will be instantly recognisable.
How to Grow a Family Tree has a lot to offer teen readers trying to find their way in the world, and will reassure them that they will eventually find their place in it and that family, even a messy one, can be the sheltering tree you need. Highly readable and enjoyable.
(This review originally appeared in the Winter 2020 edition of Magpies magazine)
April 5, 2020
This book wasnt what I was expecting it to be. It was a bit darker than I expected at times and there were aspects to the plot that I thought were unrealistic. The sister and birth mother were both written as difficult characters to connect with. The sister seemed like a four year old with her behaviour and the birth mother was so damaged that every scene with her was awkward to read. I think the message behind the story was a good one but I didn't connect with the story as much as I would have liked.
January 9, 2020
I was lucky enough to be given an advance reading copy. This is a story brimming and bursting with heart. One of those books where the characters feel like family, and you want to hold onto them, long after you reach the final page.
How to Grow a Family Tree has a firm place on my list of all-time favourite Australian YA reads - I can't say enough good things about this one.
How to Grow a Family Tree has a firm place on my list of all-time favourite Australian YA reads - I can't say enough good things about this one.
July 1, 2020
great characters, strong writing, terrific story.
Loved it.
Reread for judging
Loved it.
Reread for judging
September 28, 2021
I loved this book! I thought it was really well written and touched on so many important issues while still being realistic.
July 18, 2023
August is Family History Month, and we’re reminded of the famous saying by Ralph Waldo Emerson that every man/woman is a quotation from all his/her ancestors. Indeed, we are the links between the past and the future. Memories and archives of what came before us help guide our efforts to define and position ourselves for what is to come.
In this sense, How to Grow a Family Tree by Eliza Henry Jones (HarperCollins Publishers, 2020) is a perfect read for families. Not a guidebook for aspiring genealogists as you’d think. Rather, it’s a heart-warming story about family, friendship and what home can mean, as summarised by the phrase on its front cover: “Heart is where the home is.”
It’s the story of Stella, who, at the age of 17, lost her home due to her father’s gambling addiction. As her family moves into the local caravan park, Stella struggles to deal with the chaos of her life, including but not limited to sharing a bed with her sleep-walking sister who apparently burned down the school library.
While the two take it upon themselves to “save” their father, their mother desperately tries to keep the family afloat. Right at this juncture, Stella receives a letter from her biological mother, who’s been trying to contact her for the past ten years. It becomes one more emotional hurdle that she has to overcome.
Luckily, Stella has read every self-help book she can find and knows a thing or two about helping people…or does she? As the story unfolds, we see her slowly but surely learning the valuable lesson that life is far more complex and confounding than any book can possibly analyse. Not everyone wants to be helped. Not everything can be fixed.
More importantly, not every question has an answer, and this is definitely not a story trying to assure teenagers that everything will turn out for the best in their daunting transition to adulthood. The author does a great job demonstrating the opposite, allowing Stella as the first-person narrator to try and often fail to be strong.
Certainly not everyone can and should be a hero. Stella’s voice is genuine and unique precisely because she’s not a know-it-all. As much as she tries to use all the “I” statements and “feeling words”, to compartmentalise her thoughts and feelings in order to access her “inner goddess” – she is, after all, only 17.
Interestingly, while reading Stella’s story, this reviewer happens to be watching Doctor Who. In the episode “The Battle of Ranskoor Av Kolos”, Andinio of the Ux has this advice for her young disciple Delph: “The more we learn, the less we realise we know. This is our existence. The world is not to be understood, only experienced.”
Come to think of it, perhaps it’s the same concept conveyed in How to Grow a Family Tree. The only way to learn from life is to live it. The best way to research your family history is to be with yours.
Note: This book review was originally published under the title “Book shows ‘heart is where the home is'” by Ranges Trader Star Mail on August 10, 2021, P.9.
In this sense, How to Grow a Family Tree by Eliza Henry Jones (HarperCollins Publishers, 2020) is a perfect read for families. Not a guidebook for aspiring genealogists as you’d think. Rather, it’s a heart-warming story about family, friendship and what home can mean, as summarised by the phrase on its front cover: “Heart is where the home is.”
It’s the story of Stella, who, at the age of 17, lost her home due to her father’s gambling addiction. As her family moves into the local caravan park, Stella struggles to deal with the chaos of her life, including but not limited to sharing a bed with her sleep-walking sister who apparently burned down the school library.
While the two take it upon themselves to “save” their father, their mother desperately tries to keep the family afloat. Right at this juncture, Stella receives a letter from her biological mother, who’s been trying to contact her for the past ten years. It becomes one more emotional hurdle that she has to overcome.
Luckily, Stella has read every self-help book she can find and knows a thing or two about helping people…or does she? As the story unfolds, we see her slowly but surely learning the valuable lesson that life is far more complex and confounding than any book can possibly analyse. Not everyone wants to be helped. Not everything can be fixed.
More importantly, not every question has an answer, and this is definitely not a story trying to assure teenagers that everything will turn out for the best in their daunting transition to adulthood. The author does a great job demonstrating the opposite, allowing Stella as the first-person narrator to try and often fail to be strong.
Certainly not everyone can and should be a hero. Stella’s voice is genuine and unique precisely because she’s not a know-it-all. As much as she tries to use all the “I” statements and “feeling words”, to compartmentalise her thoughts and feelings in order to access her “inner goddess” – she is, after all, only 17.
Interestingly, while reading Stella’s story, this reviewer happens to be watching Doctor Who. In the episode “The Battle of Ranskoor Av Kolos”, Andinio of the Ux has this advice for her young disciple Delph: “The more we learn, the less we realise we know. This is our existence. The world is not to be understood, only experienced.”
Come to think of it, perhaps it’s the same concept conveyed in How to Grow a Family Tree. The only way to learn from life is to live it. The best way to research your family history is to be with yours.
Note: This book review was originally published under the title “Book shows ‘heart is where the home is'” by Ranges Trader Star Mail on August 10, 2021, P.9.
May 22, 2023
I've now read every one of Eliza Henry-Jones novels and although How to Grow a Family Tree was probably my least favourite I still enjoyed it and hope she's planning to write more.
Stella Price is 18 and has a lot going on in her world. She's about to start year 12 . Her dad has gambled away their home and the family moves into a relocatable home in a caravan park with a pretty terrible reputation. She's always known she was adopted, but it's only now she's discovered her birth mother has been writing to her for ten years and wants to meet her. The circumstances of her birth and adoption weigh heavily on her mind.
Stella is kind hearted and wants to help everyone around her. She devours self-help books but is slowly learning they may not have all the answers. She made me laugh a couple of times and I liked her character arc. Initially she was quite fixed in her thinking and in some ways naive. I thought often of that adage "walk a mile in another man's shoes". When her life was filled with difficulties, she wouldn't let her friends in believing nobody else would (or could) understand. As time passed, she saw and heard things which made her realise plenty of other people have issues and some so much worse than others. Sometimes, there's really nothing much you can do to help - despite what the books say.
There were a number of themes woven into the story but not all felt fully fleshed out. Her father's gambling addition was the main theme and this was covered fairly well but the storyline of her adoption and meeting her birth mother felt incomplete. I guess there were loose ends in both storylines so readers could draw their own conclusions about how things might have ended.
As the title implies it was a family story but I didn't find it to be an uplifting one. I guess it was a pretty raw look at what a gambling addiction can do to splinter a family. Whilst the parents confessed to love each other their continual disappointments, anger and resentment wore them down. The sisters fought with each other, and their parents, but only when they were separated did they fully appreciate how important they were to each other.
Like I said, I'd definitely read anything else Eliza Henry-Jones writes as she's a terrific Australian author. Her books have sometimes moved me to tears (not this one) and she has a knack for capturing the essence of Australian life with her characters and her settings.
For example, when everyone insisted Clem (her best friend) was besotted with her she vehemently refuted it. Despite the evidence which was so obvious to everyone else, she believed he had only friendship on his mind because he didn't display any of the eighteen classic signs from her 'Unspoken Language of Love'. She made assumptions about people and applied her book learnings to try to help but was often disappointed when others didn't want nor appreciate her help.
Stella Price is 18 and has a lot going on in her world. She's about to start year 12 . Her dad has gambled away their home and the family moves into a relocatable home in a caravan park with a pretty terrible reputation. She's always known she was adopted, but it's only now she's discovered her birth mother has been writing to her for ten years and wants to meet her. The circumstances of her birth and adoption weigh heavily on her mind.
Stella is kind hearted and wants to help everyone around her. She devours self-help books but is slowly learning they may not have all the answers. She made me laugh a couple of times and I liked her character arc. Initially she was quite fixed in her thinking and in some ways naive. I thought often of that adage "walk a mile in another man's shoes". When her life was filled with difficulties, she wouldn't let her friends in believing nobody else would (or could) understand. As time passed, she saw and heard things which made her realise plenty of other people have issues and some so much worse than others. Sometimes, there's really nothing much you can do to help - despite what the books say.
There were a number of themes woven into the story but not all felt fully fleshed out. Her father's gambling addition was the main theme and this was covered fairly well but the storyline of her adoption and meeting her birth mother felt incomplete. I guess there were loose ends in both storylines so readers could draw their own conclusions about how things might have ended.
As the title implies it was a family story but I didn't find it to be an uplifting one. I guess it was a pretty raw look at what a gambling addiction can do to splinter a family. Whilst the parents confessed to love each other their continual disappointments, anger and resentment wore them down. The sisters fought with each other, and their parents, but only when they were separated did they fully appreciate how important they were to each other.
Like I said, I'd definitely read anything else Eliza Henry-Jones writes as she's a terrific Australian author. Her books have sometimes moved me to tears (not this one) and she has a knack for capturing the essence of Australian life with her characters and her settings.
For example, when everyone insisted Clem (her best friend) was besotted with her she vehemently refuted it. Despite the evidence which was so obvious to everyone else, she believed he had only friendship on his mind because he didn't display any of the eighteen classic signs from her 'Unspoken Language of Love'. She made assumptions about people and applied her book learnings to try to help but was often disappointed when others didn't want nor appreciate her help.
July 2, 2020
I’ll be completely honest and admit that the main reason I picked this up was because of Laura @ Laura's Adventures in Literature. I put a tweet out earlier this year, or maybe even last, about what 2020 books people were most anticipating and this was hers. I’d never read any Eliza Henry-Jones before but I completely trust Laura, so I instantly put it on my TBR.
So it really shouldn’t surprise anyone when I say I had absolutely no idea what this was about. I knew it was #LoveOzYA and a contemporary, but nothing beyond that. There were a couple of moments where I actually struggled a little bit because of that. Knowing absolutely nothing about the story meant that I had no idea or expectations as to where it would go. I go into books knowing at least a little as to what it’s about, so I think the fact that it was a different reading experience was really what shook me.
The story is a lot heavier than what I’d anticipated. There’s a lot going on in this book, and I have to say that it’s all dealt with really well. The topics are all heavy, but all the reactions of the characters feel real and honest. I think that’s a lot harder to pull off than people realise. It’s definitely made me interested to read more of Henry-Jones’ work to see if it’s something she does across the board—I have this feeling it is.
I have to admit that I really struggled with Stella for a good part of the book. She’s not an easy character to love, I don’t think. She’d not bad by any means, but it’s one of those books where you’re just like ‘OPEN YOUR EYES’. She reads a lot of self help books and believes that she knows what she’s talking about and is determined to ‘fix’ everyone and everything. As someone who really doesn’t like people getting in my business, it just made me feel kind of uncomfortable. That being said, she did really grow on me and after about halfway through I was really liking her. Could I handle being her friend? Probably not. But was she still an interesting and well-developed character? Yes.
So all in all, this little book definitely packs a punch. There are so many important aspects to it, especially around family and what that means. Eliza Henry-Jones is definitely going on my list of authors to watch, and I guess I owe Laura again for introducing me to this one! If you don’t already, please go follow her—her reviews are always insightful, and she’s also just one of the sweetest and most genuine people I’ve ever met.
So it really shouldn’t surprise anyone when I say I had absolutely no idea what this was about. I knew it was #LoveOzYA and a contemporary, but nothing beyond that. There were a couple of moments where I actually struggled a little bit because of that. Knowing absolutely nothing about the story meant that I had no idea or expectations as to where it would go. I go into books knowing at least a little as to what it’s about, so I think the fact that it was a different reading experience was really what shook me.
The story is a lot heavier than what I’d anticipated. There’s a lot going on in this book, and I have to say that it’s all dealt with really well. The topics are all heavy, but all the reactions of the characters feel real and honest. I think that’s a lot harder to pull off than people realise. It’s definitely made me interested to read more of Henry-Jones’ work to see if it’s something she does across the board—I have this feeling it is.
I have to admit that I really struggled with Stella for a good part of the book. She’s not an easy character to love, I don’t think. She’d not bad by any means, but it’s one of those books where you’re just like ‘OPEN YOUR EYES’. She reads a lot of self help books and believes that she knows what she’s talking about and is determined to ‘fix’ everyone and everything. As someone who really doesn’t like people getting in my business, it just made me feel kind of uncomfortable. That being said, she did really grow on me and after about halfway through I was really liking her. Could I handle being her friend? Probably not. But was she still an interesting and well-developed character? Yes.
So all in all, this little book definitely packs a punch. There are so many important aspects to it, especially around family and what that means. Eliza Henry-Jones is definitely going on my list of authors to watch, and I guess I owe Laura again for introducing me to this one! If you don’t already, please go follow her—her reviews are always insightful, and she’s also just one of the sweetest and most genuine people I’ve ever met.
March 10, 2022
How to Grow a Family Tree was a beautiful book about family, grief, friendship, healing and growth. It was written in a simple but beautiful way, and I loved the way Stella, the protagonist, grew throughout the story and developed better relationships with all the other characters.
Stella's father has a gambling addiction, resulting in the family eventually losing all their money and having to move into a caravan park called Fairyland. At around the same time, Stella gets a letter from her biological mother and has to decide what to do with it. Fairyland is a place that most people view as dangerous and sketchy, but throughout the book, Stella grows to love the place; she makes good friends there and it eventually becomes home. Stella was so focused on fixing people, using everything she's learned from her self-help books, that she neglects what really matters - her family and her friends, but we see her character develop beautifully throughout the novel.
One thing I didn't like about this book, though, was the presence of a gay character - one of Stella's friends. However, this wasn't vital to the plotline and I found I could mostly overlook it.
All in all, How to Grow a Family Tree is a powerful, touching book that I thoroughly enjoyed.
Highly recommended :)
Stella's father has a gambling addiction, resulting in the family eventually losing all their money and having to move into a caravan park called Fairyland. At around the same time, Stella gets a letter from her biological mother and has to decide what to do with it. Fairyland is a place that most people view as dangerous and sketchy, but throughout the book, Stella grows to love the place; she makes good friends there and it eventually becomes home. Stella was so focused on fixing people, using everything she's learned from her self-help books, that she neglects what really matters - her family and her friends, but we see her character develop beautifully throughout the novel.
One thing I didn't like about this book, though, was the presence of a gay character - one of Stella's friends. However, this wasn't vital to the plotline and I found I could mostly overlook it.
All in all, How to Grow a Family Tree is a powerful, touching book that I thoroughly enjoyed.
Highly recommended :)
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March 24, 2021What a delightful book!
Told from the first person point of view by Stella, the oldest child in dysfunctional family of four this book is about handling everything that life throws you by having love - the love that only family and friends can give.
It is a beautiful story for those of us who love to rescue and help others so much that often we don't recognise when we need the help and support and love of those around us- sometimes we even push those who love us away...
It is also a huge comment on what makes a family? What holds a family together? What is important in life? A great exploration of how we handle the tough side that life throws at us... and how we arise on the other side...
Sensitive, gentle yet real and heartbreaking at times, this story is hard to put down.
It opens us all up to the necessity that we too may one need help love and support and that we need to know how to recognise it and accept it when it is given.
Well worth reading! Especially in current COVID times.
Told from the first person point of view by Stella, the oldest child in dysfunctional family of four this book is about handling everything that life throws you by having love - the love that only family and friends can give.
It is a beautiful story for those of us who love to rescue and help others so much that often we don't recognise when we need the help and support and love of those around us- sometimes we even push those who love us away...
It is also a huge comment on what makes a family? What holds a family together? What is important in life? A great exploration of how we handle the tough side that life throws at us... and how we arise on the other side...
Sensitive, gentle yet real and heartbreaking at times, this story is hard to put down.
It opens us all up to the necessity that we too may one need help love and support and that we need to know how to recognise it and accept it when it is given.
Well worth reading! Especially in current COVID times.
October 19, 2021
Stella's life is falling apart. After finally getting a decent house in a nice neighborhood, her family loses it due to her dad's malicious habit, gambling.
It started off small, buying a scratch ticket on Sunday, but now the only thing he does is gamble. Gamble. Gamble.
To make matters worse, the only place they can afford is a caravan park, the target of the town for egging, graffiti with supposedly someone getting arrested for making drugs. In short, it's not a very nice place for a teenage girl to live.
One day, she finds a letter from a biological mother, Stella's adopted. She gives her the change to come visit her house. Her biological mother is well-off, has a nice house, but it doesn't feel like home. Although her dad gambles, her mum is an emotional wreck and her sister is extremely annoying, she still loves them.
"How to grow a family tree," is a beautiful but powerful novel on the life of Stella. She makes many hard decisions throughout the book, and is an emotional figure.
I would highly recommend this book to you :)
It started off small, buying a scratch ticket on Sunday, but now the only thing he does is gamble. Gamble. Gamble.
To make matters worse, the only place they can afford is a caravan park, the target of the town for egging, graffiti with supposedly someone getting arrested for making drugs. In short, it's not a very nice place for a teenage girl to live.
One day, she finds a letter from a biological mother, Stella's adopted. She gives her the change to come visit her house. Her biological mother is well-off, has a nice house, but it doesn't feel like home. Although her dad gambles, her mum is an emotional wreck and her sister is extremely annoying, she still loves them.
"How to grow a family tree," is a beautiful but powerful novel on the life of Stella. She makes many hard decisions throughout the book, and is an emotional figure.
I would highly recommend this book to you :)
May 16, 2020
I’m not a big fan of YA generally but undeniably there are some authors who do the genre very well. Eliza Henry Jones has written an engaging, emotional and sweetly funny novel about the harshness of life and how to find hope among it.
Stella, 17 year old self-help novel enthusiast comes across a surprise letter with big consequences at a time when her fathers gambling addiction sees the family move from their home to the dodgy caravan park. With the letter hot against her chest Stella tries to help everyone else around her without being able to face the biggest personal threat to the life she’s always known.
Heartbreaking but full of hope this is a very special novel. I loved the awkwardness and strange character behaviour, everyone was so endearing and I was invested in a good outcome for them all. Highly recommend.
Stella, 17 year old self-help novel enthusiast comes across a surprise letter with big consequences at a time when her fathers gambling addiction sees the family move from their home to the dodgy caravan park. With the letter hot against her chest Stella tries to help everyone else around her without being able to face the biggest personal threat to the life she’s always known.
Heartbreaking but full of hope this is a very special novel. I loved the awkwardness and strange character behaviour, everyone was so endearing and I was invested in a good outcome for them all. Highly recommend.
December 16, 2020
Trigger warnings: gambling addiction, poverty as a result of gambling addiction, mentions of fire, medical crisis involving a pet, mentions of rape (in the past).
I had high hopes for this because I've heard amazing things about Eliza Henry-Jones' writing over the past couple of years. But sadly, this one just didn't work for me. I found Stella to be something of a sanctimonious main character a lot of the time - determined to fix everyone around her thanks to her love of self help books.
It honestly felt like there was one too many things happening plot-wise here. There was the move to the caravan park and wanting to keep it a secret from her friends. There was her sister going slightly off the rails. There was her dad's gambling problem, which shockingly hasn't stopped now that they've had to sell their house and move to a caravan park. And then there's the adoption plotline and meeting her birth mother and everything that goes along with that. And I just...yeah. It was too much and it didn't feel like it entirely did any of the plotlines justice?
So yeah. I wanted to love this. But it took me forever to read it because I struggled to find the motivation to pick it up because I just wasn't enjoying it...
I had high hopes for this because I've heard amazing things about Eliza Henry-Jones' writing over the past couple of years. But sadly, this one just didn't work for me. I found Stella to be something of a sanctimonious main character a lot of the time - determined to fix everyone around her thanks to her love of self help books.
It honestly felt like there was one too many things happening plot-wise here. There was the move to the caravan park and wanting to keep it a secret from her friends. There was her sister going slightly off the rails. There was her dad's gambling problem, which shockingly hasn't stopped now that they've had to sell their house and move to a caravan park. And then there's the adoption plotline and meeting her birth mother and everything that goes along with that. And I just...yeah. It was too much and it didn't feel like it entirely did any of the plotlines justice?
So yeah. I wanted to love this. But it took me forever to read it because I struggled to find the motivation to pick it up because I just wasn't enjoying it...
February 10, 2021
Another great coming of age YA read that successfully maintains a balance of not falling into angst. Stella's family face huge upheaval when her father's gambling causes the family to lose everything and move into Fairyland Caravan Park. Jones sensitively explores the lack of trust and havoc thrust onto a family grappling with a gambling addiction. This is also a beautifully told story of discovering beauty and friendship in unlikely places and with unlikely people. A heart wrenching story. Highly recommended for teens 14-17 years.
August 26, 2020
You should read this book. I would have read it all in one go if I’d had the time. A beautiful story about loss, family relationships and trying to make sense of the complexities of the humans around us.
I loved being inside the head of Stella Price. Her insecurities and voice transported me back to my own youth. The writing is stunning and elegant, I was addicted to reading it.
This book made me cry and laugh and broke my heart too. Loved it!
I loved being inside the head of Stella Price. Her insecurities and voice transported me back to my own youth. The writing is stunning and elegant, I was addicted to reading it.
This book made me cry and laugh and broke my heart too. Loved it!
February 23, 2021
It was okay - I got to the end of it. I felt it should have either focused on the gambling or the adoption. I wanted more about the dad and the biological mother as both were interesting topics/characters but it was a bit much in a plot together.
Stella was not very likeable and the self help book thing was overdone and made her annoying. I liked the shades of grey in the sister and the mum though.
Stella was not very likeable and the self help book thing was overdone and made her annoying. I liked the shades of grey in the sister and the mum though.
April 28, 2022
I don't know how I feel about this book...
For someone who is so 'aware' and reads so many 'self-help' books, Stella sure is stupid. Like she doesn't really understand anything at all? And I know that it was definitely intentional as it added to her character growth, but it made it really hard for me to actually enjoy the first 3/4 of the book.
I only liked her and her family towards the end, when things were healing between them.
For someone who is so 'aware' and reads so many 'self-help' books, Stella sure is stupid. Like she doesn't really understand anything at all? And I know that it was definitely intentional as it added to her character growth, but it made it really hard for me to actually enjoy the first 3/4 of the book.
I only liked her and her family towards the end, when things were healing between them.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 6, 2020
I really loved this book, but there were a couple of things I was left entirely unsatisfied by - her birth mother was completely unlikeable (probably for good reason, but wasn’t shared enough with the reader), and we never got the back story as to how she ended up with the parents she did (her mum could have told her this story). Otherwise I really enjoyed it.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 31, 2020
This was easy enough to read, but I just found the main character so frustrating! I understand the point that the author was trying to convey, but there were too many moments where Stella's supposed emotional superiority made me want to throw the book at a wall. And just too many plot points that were left unaddressed, while others took up far too much time. Just.. disappointing.
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