What is the importance of the Gingko Tree in the novel, The Most Fun We Ever Had?

In addition to being highly symbolic, the gingko tree serves as an important setting. As the work opens, Marilyn seeks shelter and anonymity under the gingko tree. The tree with its "prodigious leaves" graces the yard of the Sorenson family home, handed down to Marilyn by her father. It is under this tree where Marilyn and David consummate their relationship. Toward the close of the work, David is tending to the ailing gingko when he suffers a heart attack and falls from a ladder. In addition to its symbolism, the tree serves as a pivotal point for majority of the characters as they come face-to-face with their patriarch's mortality.