Tuck Everlasting

Tuck Everlasting is a 1975 American children's novel written by Natalie Babbitt.

Fast Facts

1. Author: Natalie Babbitt
2. Genre: Children's Fiction
3. Publication Date: 1975
4. Publisher: Farrar, Straus and Giroux
5. Pages: 106
6. ISBN 0374480095
7. Adaptations: 2 Movies (1981, 2002)

Plot Synopsis

Set in the 1880s, a young girl named Winnie Foster runs away into the forest in pursuit of freedom from her restrictive life at home. There she encounters the Tuck family who live near a spring that grants immortality to whoever drinks from it.

Winnie grows fond of their the youngest son Jesse Tuck who tries to persuade her to drink from the spring. His father Angus warns against it, citing that living forever is not natural and can sometimes be more painful than dying.

The Tucks are later visited by a man in a yellow suit who threatens the family with their property and their secret. The Tucks then kill the man - an action which lands both parents in prison. Winnie helps them escape the town but refuses to go with them.

Jesse gives her a bottle of the spring water just in case, but years later discovers that she never drank it.

Tuck Everlasting was made into a film on two occasions, the most recent being a 2002 version that starred Alexis Bledel.

Critical Reception

• "In many ways, the story is a fairy tale, with a magical spring, a kidnapped heroine, an enchanted handsome prince, and even a bittersweet ending." - Common Sense Media

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