Is there anything in this world more pure than the LOVE which exists between a mother and her child?

This book is the story of Via, an eight year old girl who just lost her mother. It could have been a very sad book, but surprisingly it isn't. It is however a book about family, happiness, LOVE, Childhood memories, dreams, wishes and wonders, and especially about Mum.

One of the things I liked most about the book was that it really felt as if an eight year old was telling the story, and, for a few moments I was allowed to go inside her mind and her heart. Through her account of what was probably the worst day of her young life she makes you laugh, cry, sing, dance and above all... REMEMBER.... you go back to being a child, when everything was simple, when anything made you laugh, and where just hugging your mother made everything alright.

What a great read... evokes all the feelings that a book about an eight year old losing her mother should evoke, but without the morbidity. Great characterizations-I fell in the love with the whole family. The narrative is from the viewpoint of the child, Via, as she relives the memories of the day that her mother was killed in a car accident. Within the memories of that single day are "stream of consciousness" type thoughts of events and impressions from her earlier childhood. It was engrossing enough that I wanted to read it during one sitting... and I'll definitely be reading it again.

One of the best books I have read this year! The Tiny One captures so well the heart of a young girl, the book could have been written by a child. Minot has a keen eye for the inner depths of a child's wisdom. The book is not so much about the death of this poor girl's Mum, but about the loving memories she has shared with her that have shaped her heart and soul. Conversations between young Via and her Mum are so tangible you feel as though you have witnessed them. You grow in just a few pages to appreciate and love the relationship between mother and child, making the knowledge that Mum is gone that much more heartbreaking. This book does not allow you to be a bystander. You must participate in the relationship forged through chapters of bonding between Mum and Via. They are so much the essence of love, that when Via finally accepts her Mums death, she knows her Mum is still with her, in little fragments and sparkles. Minot is incredibly accurate in depicting the heart of a child, and the voice of Via is a loud, strong, memorable force. The relationship Via had with her Mum is a strong memory in all readers minds, helping to keep her alive.