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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

Small Wonder
by Barbara Kingsolver
Hardcover: Apr 2002,
288 pages.
Paperback: Apr 2003,
288 pages.

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Reading Guide
Reader Reviews

Author Biography
Books by this Author
Critics' Opinion:   good
Readers' Rating:  Five Stars
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BOOK SUMMARY

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

Good  Library Journal - Judith Robinson
This gentle, intelligent gadfly will provide intellectual stimulation, whether or not the listener agrees with her positions.

Good  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.

Good  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.

Good  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.

Good  San Francisco Chronicle
A delightful, challenging, and wonderfully informative book.

Good  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 5 of 5 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

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