The Pipe Tree - by Lily Jessen (Paperback)

Book Synopsis

Éclair is a vibrant and free-spirited sparrow, who spends most of his days singing and begging for scraps of his favorite pastries from patrons at a local bakery. Then, one day, everything changes: lured in by a blueberry muffin, he is captured and brought to live in a cage in a Human Nest. As the days turn into weeks, Éclair and his captor, the Handkerchief Woman, forge an unlikely bond-and he slowly, reluctantly adapts to life away from the open skies. But, just as Éclair has begun to accept, and even embrace his new life, everything changes yet again. Éclair finds himself faced with a choice: to cling to the comfort of captivity or dare to dream of freedom once more. Will Éclair find the courage to spread his wings and soar beyond the confines of his cage?

This tender and thought-provoking novel serves as a powerful reminder that even in the face of despair, there is hope, redemption, and the promise of liberation.

Review Quotes

The Pipe Tree is a powerful act of imagination. Through the eyes of a bird, Lily Jessen explores the truths and contradictions of human nature in a tale full of humor, delight, and deep understanding. This is a beautiful debut, and Jessen is a writer to watch.

-Lily King, award-winning author of The English Teacher and Euphoria

How do we remember who we are when everything we once loved is lost? And how do we find the strength to break free of the things that bind us and start over? Lily Jessen's The Pipe Tree poses these questions through the story of a sparrow who, after a wild, impulsive choice, finds himself trapped in more than one type of cage. What proceeds from there is a story of resilience, connection, empathy, and finding your voice. We learn that there is no freedom without risk and consequences, and that even acts of love can go terribly wrong. We learn that loneliness is poison and that, in the end, our true selves will find their proper place, if we let them. I read this story in one sitting, with feathers in my heart. I know readers will love it as much as I did.

-Kelly Barnhill, Newbery Medal-winning author of The Girl Who Drank the Moon