Abby Frank first read “Walk Two Moons” by Sharon Creech when she was ten years old. It was the end of elementary school and she was struggling with anxiety that she didn’t know how to handle. She was homeschooled during this time, and her mother gave her the book as an English assignment. Little did Frank know that it would change her life.

In “Walk Two Moons,” the main character goes on a journey to visit her mother’s grave before her mother’s birthday passes. The book details how this girl is able to process her mother’s death; in the story, the reader is not aware her mother is dead until you reach the end, as she herself cannot accept it. Although the book’s themes focus on loss and grief, it helped refine Frank’s perspective of her own life.  

“[The book] helped me realize that there are more important things in life than the little [things],” Frank said. “But it also taught me to cherish small moments and the importance of family, which was something I was struggling with at the time.”

Frank’s strongest memory of “Walk Two Moons” is of a scene with the main character and her mother. In the scene, the mother eats blackberries, which stain her lips purple, and kisses the bark of her favorite tree. She leaves an imprint of her purple lips on the tree, creating a mark on her small world. 

“[The scene] reminds me of our fleeting mark on the world and the beautiful little things in life,” Frank said.

This scene has stuck with Frank since she first read the book, inspiring her to write poetry and influencing the way she views life. 

When Frank is hit by anxiety or a particularly bad day, she takes time to read “Walk Two Moons” again. It allows her to step back and think about how she views the things around her: school and family, death and life.