This realistic novel begins with a segment of a poem which is also entitled "A Kindness," by William Dickey.

As a precursor to the story, the poem stands as a unique way to begin. Although Rylant has made no direct references to the meaning of the poem, she has used the lines of poetry to cause the reader to begin to consider the kindness involved in relationships of love. After reading the novel, the poem takes on added connotations for the reader. The poem speaks of the "kindness you can do me, to have been there" and "I need to have loved you.

I need to have told you so." These lines build a direct connection to the intent of the parallel human stories Rylant tells.

An omniscient narrator who knows the innermost feelings of the characters begins the story. In two brief chapters, the reader...