When the Cherry Trees Bloom is a coming-of-age book that tells the story of 12-year-old Jonas Antanas Rutkauskas. With the recent death of his great grandfather and because of a death-bed promise, Jonas must make sure his great grandfather's last dying wish is honoured. The wish was for cremation and ashes returned to the old country. His great grandfather was over 100 years old and from Lithuania, a small country in Eastern Europe. He lived in a retirement home and Jonas was his only great grandchild. He is not close to his great grandfather even though he visits him frequently, the visits were more of a family obligation, a regular routine. This story explains Jonas' hesitation and the issues he had dealing with the old man, old people in general and his culture. Jonas even feels it is his nationality and name (because it is difficult, lacks popularity and excitement) that is holding him back from having friends and an exciting life. He feels it makes him weird. It wasn't until a series of events (i.e., start of the Ukrainian war) and his great grandfather's imminent death does Jonas start to see the old man and his life differently. He had only known his mostly deaf and blind great grandfather as just another old person living in a nursing home with many others like him. It isn't until a trip back to the old country with some of his great grandfather's ashes does Jonas realize the amazing life his great grandfather had. Jonas gets to see his younger great grandfather through the stories and the eyes of others, as he was as a young boy. Then as a young man and soldier during the second world war and his heroic life. He also discovers family and friendship during the Lithuanian cherry tree blossom season and why if you do visit Lithuania, you should always go When the Cherry Trees Bloom.
