Naomi and her friend Lizzie are both orphans, living with separate families in a small American town called Blackbird Tree. Lizzie dreams of being adopted by her foster parents, while Naomi has no doubt she is loved by Nula and Joe, the couple who’ve cared for her since she was a small child. The arrival of an unusual boy named Finn—he appears in a tree which he promptly falls out of—creates a bit of tension between the two girls, but they carry on their friendship and their volunteer work with the “poor, unfortunate elderly,” a host of colorful characters in town. Meanwhile, in Ireland, two old women are making plans that are gradually revealed to be connected to the lives of some of the residents of Blackbird Tree. Moving back and forth between events in Blackbird Tree and in Ireland, author Sharon Creech tightens the threads that weave the two stories into one modern fairy tale with a wholly satisfying, happily-ever-after ending. There is wonderful, quirky humor in Creech’s storytelling, and also abundant heart, with the mysterious boy Finn, who spans both parts of the tale, adding a welcome edge to the sweetness of the story. (Ages 8–10)

From Newbery Medal winner and bestselling author Sharon Creech comes a grand, sweeping yarn that is a celebration of the great and unexpected gifts of love, friendship, and forgiveness. With a starred review from Kirkus Reviews calling it an "enchanting tale to treasure," The Great Unexpected captures the heart and the imagination.

Humorous and heartfelt, this is a story of pairs—of young Naomi and Lizzie, both orphans in present-day Blackbird Tree, USA, and of Sybil and Nula, grown-up sisters from faraway Rook's Orchard, Ireland, who have become estranged.

Young Naomi Deane is brimming with curiosity and her best friend, Lizzie Scatterding, could talk the ears off a cornfield. Naomi has a knack for being around when trouble happens. She knows all the peculiar people in town—like Crazy Cora and Witch Wiggins. But then, one day, a boy drops out of a tree. Just like that. A strangely charming Finn boy. And then the Dingle Dangle man appears, asking all kinds of questions. Curious surprises are revealed—three locked trunks, a pair of rooks, a crooked bridge, and that boy—and soon Naomi and Lizzie find their lives changed forever.

As two worlds are woven together, Creech reveals that hearts can be mended and that there is indeed a gossamer thread that connects us all.