Small Wonder: Summary and book reviews of Small Wonder by Barbara Kingsolver, plus links to an excerpt from Small Wonder and a biography of Barbara Kingsolver.
Small Wonder
by Barbara Kingsolver
Hardcover: Apr 2002,
288 pages.
Paperback: Apr 2003,
288 pages.
In her new essay collection, the beloved author of High Tide in
Tucson brings to us, out of one of history's darker moments, an extended
love song to the world we still have.
Whether she is contemplating the Grand Canyon, her vegetable garden,
motherhood, genetic engineering, or the future of a nation founded on
the best of all human impulses, these essays are grounded in the
author's belief that our largest problems have grown from the earth's
remotest corners as well as our own backyards, and that answers may lie
in both those places.
Sometimes grave, occasionally hilarious, and ultimately persuasive,
Small Wonder is a hopeful examination of the people we seem to be, and
what we might yet make of ourselves.
BOOK REVIEWS
Media Reviews
Library Journal - Judith Robinson
This gentle, intelligent
gadfly will provide intellectual stimulation, whether or not the
listener agrees with her positions.
Booklist - Donna Seaman
Food, motherhood, gardening, literature, television,
homelessness, globalization, scientific illiteracy, selfishness, and
forgiveness all come under sharp and revelatory scrutiny. As does love
of country Americans who read and think are patriots of the first
order.
Kirkus Reviews
Her best pieces--a discussion of adolescence addressed to her daughter; an essay on
the difficulties of writing about sex-have a narrow focus. Good
intentions and craft marred by sanctimony.
Publishers Weekly
This book of essays ... is like a
visit from a cherished old friend...Respect for the intelligence of her
audience is apparent everywhere in this outstanding collection.
San Francisco Chronicle
A delightful, challenging, and wonderfully
informative book.
Book Magazine - Penelope Mesic
While far from perfect, this book expresses the misgivings and despair
experienced by many of us, and counters our shared sense of loss with
the treasures of a quiet life.
Recent Reader Reviews
Rated of 5
by Cloggie Downunder The voice of reason Small Wonder, Barbara Kingsolver’s second book of essays, was written after the events of 9/11, and touches on subjects as diverse as Terrorism, why the world doesn’t like America, Genetic Modification, Teenagers, Mothers, and Self-Sustainability.... Read More
War, natural disaster, reckless gods and the recognition of impermanence in the world are just some of the threads that AS Byatt weaves into this most timely of books. Linguistically stunning and imaginatively abundant, this is a landmark.
A beguiling, imaginative, inspiring story about the bigness of being alive as an individual, as a member of a tribe, and as a participant in history, exploring how we use storytelling to survive and shape our own truths.
Brilliantly evoking the long-vanished world of masters and servants, Margaret Powell's classic memoir of her time in service is the remarkable true story of an indomitable woman who, though she served in the great houses of England, never stopped aiming high.
Vivid, daring, and unforgettable, The Printmaker's Daughter shines fresh light on art, loyalty, and the tender and indelible bond between a father and daughter.
I read The Healing in two sittings it is a fascinating story of plantation life at the beginning of the Civil War. Granada, a slave newborn child...
read more
The Uncommon Reader is a novella by novelist and playwright, Alan Bennett. The story starts with the Queen coming across the mobile library van...
read more
Arizona bills Amazon for $53 million in uncollected sales tax(Feb 06 2012) The ongoing sales tax battle between many US states and large online retailers, most notably Amazon, continues with a thrust from Arizona which, last week,...
Full Story
Amazon rumored to be opening bricks and mortar stores(Feb 03 2012) There are mumblings in the blogosphere that Amazon is to open bricks and mortar stores. Launch.it offers four possible scenarios:
of 5
by Cloggie Downunder
RSS feed
