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Small Wonder: Essays by Barbara Kingsolver
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Small Wonder: Essays (original 2002; edition 2003)

by Barbara Kingsolver

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2,264346,865 (4.01)90
Twenty-two optimistic essays cover such topics as nature, family, literature, and the joys of everyday life while examining the challenges of war, poverty, and violence.
Member:carolchomsky
Title:Small Wonder: Essays
Authors:Barbara Kingsolver
Info:Harper Perennial (2003), Paperback, 288 pages
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Small Wonder: Essays by Barbara Kingsolver (2002)

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Couldn't make it past the second essay. The book reminds readers how much is very wrong with the world, and why would I want to read about that during my relaxation time?
  blueskygreentrees | Jul 30, 2023 |
green
  GHA.Library | Apr 14, 2023 |
Collection of twenty-three essays, published in 2002 and written in the wake of the 9/11 tragedy. Topics include nature, ecology, power, family life, love, society, and politics. Kingsolver is a keen observer of the world, and she writes beautifully detailed anecdotes that are incorporated into broader messages. Many of her points are still pertinent, such as environmental responsibility, sustainable agriculture, and building understanding across cultures. She speaks of her sadness at the decline of the independent bookstores and conveys her experiences as a writer. A few of these essays feel a bit dated, which is not surprising since I am reading this in 2022, looking back twenty years, but the distance also provides perspective. She elegantly portrays her attempts to overcome grief and recapture her optimism for the future, finding solace in the small wonders of everyday life. ( )
  Castlelass | Oct 30, 2022 |
3.5***

This is a series of essays Kingsolver wrote in the year following the 9-11 attack on the World Trade Center. It started when “someone from a newspaper asked me to write a response to the terrorist attacks.” As she wrote – and wrote, and wrote – she found that writing at times “seemed to be all that kept me from falling apart in the face of so much death and anguish.” What we have here are the ways Kingsolver found to refresh her soul, to think about the joys in life, the small wonders, the possible solutions to seemingly intractable problems, and the activities that renewed her sense of peace and purpose and hope.

Kingsolver can come across as preachy, but she also writes elegant passages about the restorative power of connecting with nature. I am reminded of long walks in the woods, or taking my lunch break in the park, ostensibly to read, but more often just staring out at the scenery, absorbing all that green and fresh air.

There’s plenty of horrible in the world still, but reading this book of essays reminds me of those things that can help me relieve the terror, fear, anguish, and find joy and hope again. Recently, I’ve spent quite some time sitting by the guest-room window which has a perfect view into a robin’s nest in my backyard. As I write, her eggs are about 10–12 days old, and any moment they may hatch. It’s a marvel of life and I cannot stop watching it unfold.

I read this as a book, and it’s due back at the library now, but I think this is a collection that would be good to have handy to read a chapter or two every once in a while ( )
  BookConcierge | Jul 15, 2022 |
I really did like this book. I love her love of nature and science. She did go on a couple of tangents but for the most part, I found all the essays interesting and good to read. I loved the one about a letter to her child and also the letter to her mother. ( )
  KyleneJones | Apr 25, 2022 |
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» Add other authors (3 possible)

Author nameRoleType of authorWork?Status
Kingsolver, Barbaraprimary authorall editionsconfirmed
Hopp, Steven L.Photographersecondary authorsome editionsconfirmed
Morlot, ValérieTraductionsecondary authorsome editionsconfirmed
Peters, DominiqueTraductionsecondary authorsome editionsconfirmed
Sibony, JulieTraductionsecondary authorsome editionsconfirmed
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To treat life as less than a miracle is to give up on it. --Wendell Berry
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On a cool October day in the oak-forested hills of Lorena Province in Iran, a lost child was saved in an inconceivable way.
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Twenty-two optimistic essays cover such topics as nature, family, literature, and the joys of everyday life while examining the challenges of war, poverty, and violence.

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