The Fantasy World of Nancy Springer

 The girl named Saffron knows family and clan the way she knows earth and
sky, as absolutes. Of course, after a separation of four years, she
looks forward to seeing her grandmother again, and makes a gift for her,
a clay spindle. When Grandmother does not know who she is or what her
gift is for, Saffron’s world is shattered. What good is a circle of clay
now? How can anything ever make sense again?