Tuck 40th: Do I Want to Live Forever?

There are three books that I remember nearly every girl in my fourth-grade class reading: THE BRIDGE TO TERABITHIA, ARE YOU THERE GOD, IT’S ME MARGARET and TUCK EVERLASTING. It’s the kind of classic middle-grade fiction that, like the Tucks, will go on forever. We’re thrilled to participate in the 40 Days for 40 Years Blog Tour celebrating the book’s 40th anniversary. Each blogger was asked to answer the following question:

What if you could live forever?

On the one hand, wouldn’t it be amazing to live forever? To see how people and technology change over and over again, to learn new languages, travel the world, read ALL the books, meet new people, and have grand adventures? That’s what literary immortals do, anyhow.

I would definitely travel (for as long as I want in each place), read everything I can get my hands on, audit classes at universities, and learn new skills and crafts every year.

But the truth is that immortality doesn’t appeal to me, particularly the part where you have to stay young(ish) while those you love age and die. And of course, you’d have to continuously move around and keep to yourself lest others become overly suspicious.

I think in the end, I would do exactly as Winnie did, even though it’s a heartbreaking and irreversible decision. I wouldn’t trade in the privilege of seeing my children grow up or of growing old with my husband, siblings, and best friends, for an eternity of adventure, but also of secrets and shadows.

Would you choose to drink from the eternal spring? Follow the conversation on social media using #Tuck40th

You can find out more and/or purchase the 40th anniversary edition here.

TUCK EVERLASTING by Natalie Babbitt
40th Anniversary Ed.: Jan. 20, 2015 | Farrar, Straus and Giroux | Pages: 192 | Buy it on: Amazon ~ IndieBound

Blessed with—or doomed to—eternal life after drinking from a magic spring, the Tuck family wanders about trying to live as inconspicuously and comfortably as they can. When ten-year-old Winnie Foster stumbles on their secret, the Tucks take her home and explain why living forever at one age is less of a blessing than it might seem. Complications arise when Winnie is followed by a stranger who wants to market the spring water for a fortune.

A brand-new introduction from Gregory Maguire, the author of Wicked, and additional bonus materials make this special edition of Natalie Babbitt’s Tuck Everlasting a must-have for lovers of the book and a great way to introduce a new generation to a classic.

 

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