Monday, November 24, 2008

Small Wonder

I simply love this book...so please pardon me, I am about to wax euphoric.

Barbara Kingsolver is an amazing story teller. She has a way of making you forget the complexities and complications of life and concentrate on simply living. Reading one of her books is like breathing in a lungful of clean, fresh air. I have enjoyed all her works of fiction, but I didn't expect to be so enthralled by her non-fiction as well.

Small Wonder is about hope in the midst of hopelessness, about little things that can light up your world and make your life meaningful. Her stories speak to that little voice in us, that is often subdued, sometimes smothered, that cries out at injustice, longs for peace and hopes for goodness to prevail.

In the author's words, I create imagined lives. I write about the likes of liberty, equality & world peace, on an extremely domestic scale. She writes in a tone that has a tinge of despair but is also hopeful in a child-like way.

She quotes Barry Lopez: If we hope to succeed in the endeavor of protecting natures other than our own, it will require that we reimagine our lives....It will require of many of us a humanity we've not yet mastered, and a grace we were not aware we desired until we had tasted it.

8 comments:

X-Country2 said...

I love good book recommendations. I don't trust myself to pick anything out. :o)

Anonymous said...

I am going to have to add this book to my list! Thanks for sharing.

Anonymous said...

I am going to have to add this book to my list! Thanks for sharing.

lauren said...

thanks for the recommendation - these wintery nights coming out are good for reading. before I read your post, I just saw the title in my google reader and thought you were talking about the TV show from the 80s. The girl that was the robot - haha.

I Run for Fun said...

Oh, yeah...that's why the title seemed so familiar!

BeachRunner said...

HEY! What happened to the yummy food pics? Kavi is going all Oprah on us.

I'm kidding. That is a wonderful book recommendation. How are you feeling?

Felice Devine said...

Thanks! I hadn't heard of this book and I'm always looking for new ones to read. I'm going to check it out.

I Run for Fun said...

Ah Beachy, I just felt in a blissful thanksgiving-y mood! My leg is recovering fast, thanks to your concern and tons of motrin. Aren't you on the road yet, heading for a lovely thanksgiving weekend? You don't want to be stuck in traffic, so better get going. Have a lovely time.

Happy Runner and D10, I am sure you will love this book. I haven't started on her other book, Animal Vegetable miracle yet, but this one is really good.