Tuck Everlasting

Tucks everlasting

Cover of the 25th anniversary edition with Babbitt illustration
Author	Natalie Babbitt
Country	United States
Subject	Immortality, aging, secrets
Genre	Children's fantasy novel, drama
Publisher	Scholastic
Publication date	1975
Media type	Print (hardcover)
Pages	139 pages
ISBN
LC Class	PZ7.B1135 Tu

Tuck Everlasting is an American children's novel written by Natalie Babbitt and published by Farrar, Straus and Giroux in 1975. It explores the concept of immortality, which might not be as desirable as it may appear to be. It has sold over 5 million copies and has been called a classic of modern children's literature.

Tuck Everlasting has been adapted into two feature films, released in 1981 and 2002, and three times into unabridged audio books: by Listening Library/Random House in 1988 and narrated by Peter Thomas, by Recorded Books in 1993 and narrated by Barbara Caruso, and by Audio Bookshelf in 2001 and narrated by Melissa Hughes. It has also been adapted into a stage musical with music by Chris Miller, lyrics by Nathan Tysen, and book by Claudia Shear and Tim Federle.

Ten-year-old Winnie Foster is tired of her family and is thinking of running away from her home in rural Treegap. One day, while in a wooded area her family owns, she sees a boy about the age of 17 drinking from a spring. He tells her that his name is Jesse Tuck and tells her not to drink the water. Soon after, his brother, Miles, and mother, Mae, take her away with them and explain what is happening and why they did what they did. All the while, they are being pursued by a man in a yellow suit who had approached the Fosters asking questions about their land the day before.

The Tucks explain to Winnie that the spring is magical and grants eternal life to anyone who drinks its water. They discovered its effects by accident after heading to the Treegap area to try and build a new life for themselves. In the process, Miles had to deal with his wife leaving him and taking their children with her. They have been living in seclusion outside of Treegap for years, reuniting every ten years and drinking from the spring. Winnie grows particularly fond of Jesse and his father, Angus Tuck, who teaches her about the life cycle that they are no longer a part of and why she must keep their secret.

Meanwhile, the man in the yellow suit has been pursuing the Tucks. Once he discovers Winnifred has been taken by them and overhears their whole conversation, he steals their horse and rides it back to the Foster homestead. After he informs her family of Winnie's whereabouts, they dispatch him and the local constable to return her. However, he breaks away and rides ahead of the constable for he has a selfish motive for finding Winnie.