Octavia Boone's Big Questions About Life, the Universe, and Everything

Octavia's best friend, Andrew, wants to know why time runs forward instead of backward, or if it's possible to talk to an alien jellyfish. Octavia has much bigger questions on her mind:Why do bad things happen, like Hurricane Katrina and 9/11?What is the meaning of life?Is there a God?Octavia's father is convinced that art and Henry David Thoreau hold the key to life. Her mother, Ray, though, has always been seeking greater meaning-up until now. Octavia's problem is not only that her parents have different answers to the big questions but that their answers are threatening to tear her family apart.Could it be that some questions are too big to have just one answer?Could it be that the universe is far wider than Octavia's-or perhaps anyone's-view of it?