Claire Hartmann, Foreign Rights Agent "A splendidly conceived salute to time's passing. Like a slideshow, images parade by, providing glimpses of characters, places, and relationships as they evolve. A book to be forever treasured."

At First takes place over a period of 68 years. On their first time through, readers might by thrown off as time goes backward from 2020 to 1952, but the story's beauty takes on its full dimension when they start over again from the end and travel from 1952 to 2020. The cleverly constructed tale can be read both ways. We meet three generations of a family, their growth echoing that of a medlar tree slowly taking root in their garden. At First explores themes of family, nature, time, and passing generations.