To Kill a Mockingbird - grace grits and gardening

my favorite Trees in Literature

August 17, 2015 By Talya Tate Boerner 12 Comments

Lately, I’ve been on a tree hunt of sorts. I searched out a few of the largest trees in Arkansas to write THIS article about Arkansas Champion Trees for OnlyinArkansas(dot)com. My tree journey led me to think about my favorite trees in literature. And thinking about my favorite trees in literature made me realize how these particular trees likely influenced my overall love of trees. At least partially.

I bet some of these are your favorite trees, too.

The Giving Tree – Once there was a tree, and she loved a boy. That first sentence gets me every time. Shel Silverstein’s classic provides the ultimate story of unconditional love and selflessness. The older I get, the more poignant this book becomes.

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Go Set a Watchman ~ a literary time capsule

August 1, 2015 By Talya Tate Boerner 10 Comments

I read Go Set a Watchman immediately after buying the book. Since then, I’ve spent some time thinking about this book I’d anticipated as much or more than the Harry Potter books (and that’s saying something). My friends and I even went to a release party at Nightbird Books. Fun!

After reading it, I’ve let the story percolate in my mind. And I’ve avoided reviews to keep from being swayed. My opinion is mixed. The things I like about the book, I really, really, like. The things I dislike still make me cringe two weeks later.Continue Reading

searching for a Boo Radley tree

February 10, 2015 By Talya Tate Boerner 6 Comments

I’ve been searching for the perfect Boo Radley tree. Know what I mean? A tree with a knothole in it, just the right height and size to leave trinkets inside. In To Kill a Mockingbird, Boo Radley hid treasures in a tree knothole for Scout and Jem.

I know you love the book as much as I, and if you don’t, well, what can I say? You might want to do some deep soul searching.

In case you need a refresher, here’s a list of the gifts left in the tree:

2 pieces of chewing gum (Wrigley’s Double Mint)

2 scrubbed and polished pennies (1906 and 1900 Indian-heads)

1 ball of gray twine

2 almost perfect miniatures of two children (Scout and Jem)

1 whole package of chewing gum

1 tarnished medal (Spelling Bee medal)

1 pocket watch that wouldn’t run, on a chain with an aluminum knife

With all the trees in our neighborhood, there must be a perfect Boo Radley tree. And I have plenty of opportunity to search. I walk Lucy and Annabelle several times a day so that at night they do this…

It works rather well. They pull on their leashes in different directions, bark at squirrels and people on bikes and mothers pushing baby strollers while I look at trees. I notice the bark more during the winter. Nature’s patterns are stunning, especially when there’s no hiding behind spring blossoms or autumn foliage.