Small Wonder: Essays

Amazon.com

Readers familiar with Barbara Kingsolver will find that Small Wonder, a collection of 23 essays, shows the same sensitivity and thoughtfulness, the same rich knowledge of and love for the natural world, as her spellbinding novels. In "Knowing Our Place," she describes the two places in which she writes: a tin-roof cabin in Appalachia and her home in the Tucson desert. In "Setting Free the Crabs," she uses her daughter's decision not to take home a beautiful (and occupied) red conch shell from a Mexican beach to illustrate our own need to give up our sense of ownership of the earth, to resist "the hunger to possess all things bright and beautiful." Many of these pieces, like the lovely title essay, were written (or rewritten) in response to the events of September 11, which threw into relief the growing social and economic inequities that are so little remarked on in the American media. These are political essays, although Kingsolver is not a natural rhetorician; her prose is too supple and inclusive. She is more inclined to follow the turns of her mind, like water in a curving stream bed, than to hammer home a point or two. But she has a rare gift for apt allusion (from sources as wide-ranging as Robert Frost to Beanie Babies) and for the elegant use of facts and figures. And she is highly quotable. It is easy to imagine the speechwriters and activists of the next 10 years dipping into Small Wonder for inspiration and the perfect phrase. --Regina Marler

Book Description

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.

Customer Reviews:

worst book i've ever read.......2006-08-14

This book was required reading for my advanced placement english class. I consider myself a lover of the written word. I dream of someday becoming a novelist, or at least an english teacher. It usually takes me 3-5 days to finish a book, especially a good book. It has taken me 2 months to read this book. It is not only boring, but often times repetetive. Barbara Kingsolver relates everything to September 11th. Granted, this was a tragic day for our country and should always be remembered. But I dont see why Ms. Kingsolver found it necessary to write a whole novel about it. I find even less necessary for this to be required reading. Every once in a while Ms. Kingsolver finds the need to express herself with words that are a little more complicated than need be. It was a less than pleasent read and I wouldnt recommend it to my worst enemy.

A thought-provoking book......a place for reflection and solace........2006-08-09

I agree with the reviewer who cautioned to take this book in small doses. I was moved to tears by the second page, and realized I needed to pace myself. On that second page, Kingsolver was describing the story of a lost child in Iraq (who was found)....her point of view was from the parents of this child, and the heart-wrenching terror they must have felt as the babysitter came running towards them in tears, without their son. This story has an incredible ending, and an incredible message....as does each essay. Some essays are heavy and may provoke thoughts or ideology that makes you uncomfortable, or disagreeable. That is okay.....that is the point of these essays. (As for the reviewer who noted the author's "sexist" remarks - tell me how many women have started a war. Hello? Open your eyes. That is not a sexist statement, it's a fact). If more people would take Kingsolver's gentle, thoughtful manner of considering how our actions affect the global community and our future generations, maybe we could really improve upon our reputation as uncooperative, self-serving, greedy and over-consumptive Americans. Maybe.

As for reviewers who likened this to an anti-Bush or post-9/11 rant, they obviously didn't read the entire book. There are beautiful essays detailing a trip to the heart of Mexico, gardening with her daughters, and the long-term effects of the food choices we make - among many others.

All in all, I did find myself coming to this book on my lunch hour for a good dose of hope and solace. Sometimes taking time to acknowledge one small wonder in this hectic world can make your mood a little bit lighter.

Be prepared to leave your baggage at the door..........2006-06-05

When you embark on this journey with Ms. Kingsolver, if it doesn't make you squirm, you're not paying attention.
I got this book on tape because I loved Kingsolver's fiction. I didn't know it was a running commentary on political and environmental issues that are close to the author's heart. I was delighted to find that the author and I share many of the same what could be called 'liberal' views on various issues. This book will make you think about old issues in a new light... but not a glaring one... more like the light that wakes you gently through your window in the morning.

Yes, you may not agree with everything she says, but that's not the author's goal. She states her beliefs in a steady calm voice (I have the cassettes) and gives reasons she came to her current positions. Kudos to her for doing her research before making a sometimes bold statement on a sensitive issue.

Barbara Kingsolver challenges us to find our own voice in the face of the many controversial issues that face us as individuals living in a sometimes not-so-United country. I don't believe she is pushing her own agenda... more sharing her personal journalling on things that are on her mind, and maybe on yours, too. If you don't agree, don't let it ruin the book for you. Look for ways that it can inspire you to challenge or even strengthen your alternate position on an issue.

In the end, after all, aren't our differences and freedom to make our own choices part of what makes this country so great?

A great collection of reflections.......2005-12-01

I read this book in one sitting on vacation, and was intrigued the whole time. As an expectant mother, I found her candid openness about motherhood and its challenges very beautiful. I find myself thinking more and more about the world in which I will raise a family and the values I wish to instill in my children, and this was a commom theme througout the essays. Kingsolver writes the essays with the same lyrical style as her novels. I highly recommend this as a great, quick read.

An amazing woman, and an amazing book.......2005-09-05

Without being to preachy, Ms. Kingsolver discusses some of the worlds problems, all the while throwing in personal stories of the people and places she loves. She offers her beliefs and commentary in an honest and genuine way. She is truly inspirational, and this is my favorite of her books. This book will not disappoint you!

Small Wonders: Healing Childhood Trauma with EMDR

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Recommend!
An excellent case history guide to EMDR with children
Intriguing stories of recovery from trauma!

Small Wonders: Healing Childhood Trauma with EMDR

Manufacturer: Free Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

Adolescent Psychology | Psychology & Counseling | Health, Mind & Body | Subjects | Books

General | Psychology & Counseling | Health, Mind & Body | Subjects | Books

Psychotherapy, TA & NLP | Psychology & Counseling | Health, Mind & Body | Subjects | Books

Physical Therapy | Allied Health Professions | Medicine | Subjects | Books

Obstetrics & Gynecology | Specialties | Medicine | Subjects | Books

ASIN: 068484446X

Book Description

Childhood can be an exciting time, full of joyous exploration, new skills, friends, and imaginative play. It can also be very frightening, especially when children have experiences that threaten their feelings of safety and well-being. Even common traumatic childhood events can deeply affect children's normal healthy development, their self-esteem, and their families. Many behavioral problems stemming from common traumatic events could require years of psychotherapy or medication. That is, they did -- until the advent of EMDR. Developed by psychologist Francine Shapiro in the late 1980s, EMDR had already helped thousands of adult clients when Joan Lovett experienced its healing power firsthand.

Eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR) is a comprehensive therapeutic approach that helps patients release disturbing thoughts and emotions that originate in traumatic experiences. Experiences can be traumatic in the commonly accepted sense -- abuse, disasters, violence -- but children may also perceive and respond to more ordinary events as very threatening. A playground accident, the loss of a loved one, school problems, or choking on a piece of popcorn can be a part of growing up. They can also be critical incidents that cause a child to view him- or herself as helpless or powerless, to become fearful, and to develop debilitating behavioral problems.

In Small Wonders: Healing Childhood Trauma with EMDR, Joan Lovett, M.D., shares engaging clinical stories -- mysteries involving children who present her with puzzling and disturbing behaviors. She imaginatively focuses her knowledge of pediatrics, play therapy, and EMDR to alleviate the real-life ordeals of real-life children.

Featuring a foreword by Francine Shapiro, Small Wonders is the most comprehensive and insightful book to explore the potential of EMDR for child therapy. This enlightening book is intended for parents who are concerned with having their children feel confident, for adults who want insights into the way the events of their childhood shaped their self-image, and for professionals who want to know more about EMDR and how it can be adapted to meet the special needs of traumatized children.

Customer Reviews:

Recommend!.......2004-04-12

Easy to read and helpful for understanding the process of EMDR. I would have to agree with the previous reviewer Laura M that PEACEFUL HEART : A Woman's Journey to Healing is a must-read. Aimee Jo Martin's story clearly illustrates and details her journey with successful EMDR treatments. Quite powerful if you want to really see how effective EMDR can be.

An excellent case history guide to EMDR with children.......1999-03-13

Dr. Lovett, the clinical detective (behavioral pediatrician) writes poignant analyses of her work with childhood traumas great and small, in which she applies the bilateral stimulation techniques of EMDR. Her writing style is easy to read, and demonstrates the relative rapidity of trauma resolution when EMDR is properly interwoven into more traditional therapy. Her book is a valuable guide for clinicians skilled in the EMDR technique, as well as informative for parents considering such treatment for their child. As an EMDR therapist who teaches workshops on treating children, I highly recommend this engaging volume. Frances Klaff Ph.D.

Intriguing stories of recovery from trauma!.......1999-03-05

This is a well-written book about a pediatrician's experience with EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprogramming) as a healing tool for people suffering from the results of traumatic incidents. It would appeal to laymen as well as professionals. The intriguing stories are like little mysteries, which unravel in a hopeful way. The author experienced a serious car accident and was finally helped to overcome some puzzling symptoms with EMDR. She got training in the technique and began using it (with great success) in her practice. This book is alive with vignettes of children with problems that no one has been able to fix, but who have responded to EMDR. This compelling book would appeal to anyone interested in a short term method of overcoming limiting behaviors.

Small Wonders: Tiny Treasures in Patchwork & Applique

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Small Wonders: Tiny Treasures in Patchwork & Applique
Elizabeth Hamby Carlson
Manufacturer: Martingale & Co Inc
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Applique | Crafts & Hobbies | Home & Garden | Subjects | Books

General | Crafts & Hobbies | Home & Garden | Subjects | Books

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Mimi Dietrich's Baltimore Basics: Album Quilts from Start to Finish

ASIN: 1564772500

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Small Wonder
Barbara Kingsolver
Manufacturer: Faber and Faber
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

ASIN: 0571215769

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Small Wonder cassette tapes

Small Wonder
Barbara Kingsolver , and Kingsolver Barbara
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Audio Cassette
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Small Wonder: Essays

ASIN: B000IOEQ3K

Customer Reviews:

Small Wonder cassette tapes.......2007-01-13

These are very inspiring essays by one of our most brilliant writers. If you have enjoyed her fiction, you will really like her voice (literally, as she reads her essays aloud)as an observer of our human condition on this planet. There is a particularly great take on the 911 catastrophe.

Small Wonder: The Amazing Story of the Volkswagen Beetle (Volkswagen)

Average customer rating:

Too corporate
"Small Wonder"
Extremely insightful on a car that shaped the industry.
Small Wonder- Great result
The amazing story of the VW is still applicable in 2001

Small Wonder: The Amazing Story of the Volkswagen Beetle (Volkswagen)
Walter Henry Nelson
Manufacturer: Bentley Publishers
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Transportation | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books

Foreign | Automotive | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books

General | Automotive | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books

History | Automotive | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books

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ASIN: 0837601479

Book Description

First published in 1965, "Small Wonder: The Amazing Story of the Volkswagen Beetle" is the most successful book of all time on the Beetle. Originally selling over 1.2 million copies, "Small Wonder" is often quoted as the source by many subsequent histories. Now, Bentley Publishers is releasing this new edition, with new foreword by the author, in honor of the new Beetle and the renewed interest in the original Beetle.

Given complete access to Volkswagen archives in both Germany and the U.S. at the time of writing, author Walter Henry Nelson gives a highly detailed account of the Beetle's development and success. Nelson gives many behind-the-scenes details and glimpses into the people who shaped the company, providing a rich picture of how and why Volkswagen and the Beetle evolved as they did.

Filled with numerous personal tributes and valuable insights, "Small Wonder" provides the reader with a better understanding of the Beetle's "cult car" status.

Customer Reviews:

Too corporate.......2007-06-13

I loved Volkswagens ever since I was a lad of twelve, and so had a natural interest in this book. It starts off well enough - the story about the car's development in Nazi Germany was fascinating - but I soon tired of the excessively corporate style in the later years (details about various VW executives and their industrial philosophies) and didn't bother to finish it.

They used to give these out when you bought a Bug in the 1960's.

"Small Wonder".......2004-12-16

"Small Wonder" Review

The book "Small Wonder" was a very descriptive book about how the Volkswagen car as we know it today came about. It started when Ferdinand Porsche designed the "peoples car." When the car first came into production people didn't want such a different looking car. Some people thought it was ugly. There were a couple of different prototypes for the first VW car. A few were not excepted. The one that finally made it was different then the other ones because it had a window in back and a little different front end.
The cars were tested day after day. The cars were run until they didn't run any more. They kept running the cars until every problem was fixed. There were a lot of problems with the cars. Some were more serious then others. VW came out with 5 different cars first. They were the k, s, ss, ssk, sskl. . They were less powerful then most cars today . although smaller cars today have around the same amount of horse power and the cars are lighter.

I personaly do not like the book because of how detailed it is . If it was less detailed and more of a story then it would be more of what I like to read. If you like books that are really detailed and have a lot of facts then this is a good book for you. Also if you would like to know the history of the Volkswagen then it is also a good book for that.

Extremely insightful on a car that shaped the industry........2003-05-02

Just what I was looking for, and then some. This book starts at the very beggining, with the Beetle's mentor and VW's founder Dr. Porsche. (Did you know he was Czeck?)
It follow's the company's history (which is to say, the car's history) with just the right amount of coverage to its amazing journey from WWII to the car's EOP (end of production) in Puebla, Mexico. The cronology of this book is excellent. Worthdly of a movie script, this book is extremely enganging. As you read its history, names like Ford, Peugeot, Renault amongst others keep poping up narrating each one's influence on the company's history. (Did you know H. Ford II was offered the factory, for free?)
The only thing that I'd wish from this book was to have the author do either a follow up or a revised update. This book finishes with the beetle's last production car, but the company has certantly not. I wish I could get more info from the company's developement from that point forward, including the launch of the new beetle among other superb new VWs...

Small Wonder- Great result.......2002-11-14

On of the world`s most informative and well resourced books on the VW history.Gives an insight to the early vehicle development,political hurdles that had to be overcome as well as the generic industrial resistence that was present.H.Nelson, a gifted author,not only writes about the "first row" people but also about production personnel and production techniques.
Sales and marketing development & especially how the U.S. market was won not only fascinates the VW buff but everyone who ever had anything to do with the automotive industry.

The amazing story of the VW is still applicable in 2001.......2001-10-25

In 1969, after I had purchased a new VW, the dealer sent me "Small Wonder" by Walter Nelson. I have just finished reading this book once again, 22 years later, and the book is as applicable in todays society as it was back when it was first published. This book is not only about the Volkswagon car. It contains a good deal of history surrounding pre-war Germany, the rise of Hitler to power, WWII, and reconstruction of the bombed out factory with American assitance following the war. Any person considering a sales career should read and study this book.

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Small Wonder
Barbara Kingsolver
Manufacturer: Faber and Faber
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

ASIN: 0571215777

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Inventions and Inventors...Just Go For It.....

So You Want to Be An Inventor?
Judith St. George
Manufacturer: Puffin
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Exploration & Discovery | History & Historical Fiction | Children's Books | Subjects | Books

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ASIN: 0142404608

Amazon.com

The creators of the Caldecott Medalist So You Want to Be President? mirror that successful format in this enthusiastic, fact-filled picture-book tribute to predominately American and European inventors. Kids may be inspired to make history themselves when they learn that Benjamin Franklin was concocting new inventions by age 12. Solid advice such as "If you want to be an inventor, find a need and fill it" or "If you want to be an inventor, be a dreamer" precedes sections on people who did just that. Famous innovations such as Eli Whitney's cotton gin share equal billing with ideas that never really took off, like Andrew Jackson Jr.'s adjustable eyeglasses for chickens or Franz Vester's coffin with escape hatch (in case the person inside was still alive.) The brief anecdotes about each inventor and invention don't offer much historical context, but readers will devour fascinating facts on the origins of Velcro (cockleburs on a Swiss engineer's pants) and the story of where the expression "the real McCoy" came from (the train lubricators of Elijah McCoy). Two female inventors--one who was fed up with dishpan hands and invented the first dishwasher, and actress Hedy Lamarr, who helped invent a system for guiding torpedoes by radio signals in World War II--accompany the otherwise male-heavy cast of characters. One-sentence biographical notes in the back list the inventors in alphabetical order and a bibliography concludes the book. David Small's lively, color-washed illustrations steal the show, zeroing in on comical moments in history and creative gleams of discovery to great effect. (Ages 7 and older) --Karin Snelson

Book Description

Judith St. George and David Small, the Caldecott Medal-winning team who created So You Want to Be President?, are back with another spirited and witty look at history, this time the history of inventions. So You Want to Be an Inventor? features some of the world's best-known inventors—Thomas Edison, Eli Whitney, Alexander Graham Bell—as well as some of the lesser-known geniuses. St. George and Small are quick to point out that inventors have been kids and adults, presidents and farmers, men and women. Some of their inventions you may know, such as the radio or the telephone. Others were so bizarre that they never made it— for example, the vacuum haircutting helmet or eyeglasses for chickens! This book is the perfect introduction to the sometimes zany, always interesting world of inventors and inventing.

Customer Reviews:

Inventions and Inventors...Just Go For It............2002-11-18

Author Judith St. George and award winning illustrator David Small are back with a new and engaging look at history, and those who enjoyed their first collaboration, So You Want To Be President, are in for another captivating, fun-filled treat. So you want to be an inventor and you think you have what it takes. Take a peek inside the covers of this clever book, and find out a little about some of the famous and not-so-famous who have gone before you. Ms St. George's easy to read, short profiles are written in an entertaining, conversational style, and complemented by Mr Small's dazzling and humorous illustrations. Each bold and busy page is filled with history, trivia, fun-facts, and playful wit that whets the appetite and inspires. Perfect for youngsters 8-12, So You Want To Be An Inventor is a marvelous collection that celebrates ingenuity, and may just get your kids' creative juices flowing. Who knows, you may be living with the next Thomas Edison, Henry Ford, or Josephine Cochran (she invented the dishwasher).

Small Wonder: Global Power and Its Discontents (New Critical Theory)

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Small Wonder: Global Power and Its Discontents (New Critical Theory)
Fred Dallmayr
Manufacturer: Rowman & Littlefield Publishers, Inc.
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Philosophy | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books

Political | Philosophy | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books

Book Description

Small Wonder presents the dangers of the underside of modernity: the unleashing of unlimited lust for (global) power and wealth. Relying on leading critical intellectuals, Dallmayr offers a critique of the self-deceptions of our age, pleading in favor of the cultivation of the small wonder of everyday life.

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Her best Bethlehem book
Entertaining escapism...
A delightful charmer

Small Wonders
Marilyn Pappano
Manufacturer: Dell
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback

General | Romance | Subjects | Books

General | Contemporary | Romance | Subjects | Books
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ASIN: 0440241197
Release Date: 2003-08-26

Book Description

Small Wonders

Coming home to Bethlehem in hand-cuffs isn’t the way Cole Jackson’s life was supposed to turn out. Now, trapped in the last place on earth he wants to be, he’s facing serious jail time…and the woman and kids who are both better off without him. Once Cole thought sexy single mother Leanne Wilson could make a new man of him…until he walked away from the tantalizing promise of a future together. But seeing her again rekindles the kind of passion that could set one lifelong sinner on the rocky road to redemption.

Liar. Schemer. Heartbreaker. Sure, Leanne knows Cole Jackson. Everyone knows how he cheated the good folk of Bethlehem, then skipped town, leaving Leanne to pick up the pieces. She swore she’d never forgive him, but something’s happened since Bethlehem’s bad boy returned. Maybe it’s those five thousand hours of community service that are slowly turning the town Cole’s way. Or maybe it’s how he’s seducing her all over again with a passion that makes her yearn for forever with the man who could be her last, best mistake…

Download Description

Coming home to Bethlehem in hand-cuffs isn't the way Cole Jackson's life was supposed to turn out. Now, trapped in the last place on earth he wants to be, he's facing serious jail time... and the woman and kids who are both better off without him. Once Cole thought sexy single mother Leanne Wilson could make a new man of him... until he walked away from the tantalizing promise of a future together. But seeing her again rekindles the kind of passion that could set one lifelong sinner on the rocky road to redemption.

Liar. Schemer. Heartbreaker. Sure, Leanne knows Cole Jackson. Everyone knows how he cheated the good folk of Bethlehem, then skipped town, leaving Leanne to pick up the pieces. She swore she'd never forgive him, but something's happened since Bethlehem's bad boy returned. Maybe it's those five thousand hours of community service that are slowly turning the town Cole's way. Or maybe it's how he's seducing her all over again with a passion that makes her yearn for forever with the man who could be her last, best mistake...

Customer Reviews:

Her best Bethlehem book.......2003-12-31

I recently started reading the Bethlehem series and, even though I'm a romantic suspense person, I'm hooked. I have enjoyed all of her books except for the endings. Her books fall in this pattern-the main characters fall in love, one of them needs to be forgiven for some indiscretion he/she neglected to tell the other, the other character cannot forgive the person, and an angel dramatically changes the mind of the character in the last 5 pages. Bang -end of story.

Her latest book, "Small Wonders" began with everyone knowing most of Cole's problems. The book dealt with self discovery, the ability to change, and being able to forgive yourself.

The secondary story of Melissa and Alex was also wonderful. As a Special Ed teacher I felt especially appreciative of how this story was handled. I wish more people were so easily accepting.

I thorougly enjoyed the whole book. Oh, and the angels were still there, but the characters were given litlle nudges throughout the book, not a mind altering nudge at the end.

Entertaining escapism..........2003-10-06

Leanne Wilson is not known for making the best choices when it comes to romantic relationships. Her four year-old son's father skipped town as soon as she told him she was pregnant. Then, Leanne thought she had finally met the love of her life in Cole Jackson -- until he conned almost the whole town of Bethlehem into a nonexistent investment, and took off with all of their money. It doesn't matter to Leanne that he eventually repaid everyone. A thief is a thief, in her book. She'll also never forgive him for leaving his twelve year-old son behind, even though she loves the boy like her own. Now Cole is back in town, sentenced to five thousand hours of community service as punishment. But, just who's being punished here -- Leanne or Cole?

Cole Jackson knows what he is, and figures it's too late to change. He never dreamed he'd end up back in the small town where the majority of the residents hate him. All Cole wants is to serve his jail time and get the heck out of there. Instead, he gets the shock of his life when the judge sentences him to almost two and a half years of community service. Now he'll have to live across the street from Leanne Wilson, the woman he loved as much as a man like him could, and the son he left behind. Cole would much rather be behind bars!

I found the first few chapters of SMALL WONDERS a tad annoying with Cole's constant inner self-loathing, and Leanne's constant inner pity parties. Whenever they met on the street the two harped at each unmercifully. But, as the story continued, and the two really started to communicate, I was glad I persevered. Cole is one of the most unlikely of heroes, Leanne almost too good to be true, but as the story unfolds, they work well together.

This is the first of Marilyn Pappano's books I've read, and I'm thinking of tracking down the rest of the books in this series. Several surprise twists and turns held my attention, and a bit of a paranormal twist added some sparks to the story.

Overall, I recommend SMALL WONDERS as an enjoyable, mostly light read with intriguing characters. If you're looking for an entertaining, hometown type of romance, this is the book for you.

A delightful charmer.......2003-09-03

Con artist Jack Coleman works his trade in Savannah until the local police arrive to arrest him claiming he is Cole Jackson. However the local cops hand him over to Bethlehem, New York police sergeant Nathan Bishop to escort Cole back north to face charges of embezzlement and child abandonment.

Cole hates returning there because he left behind his son Ryan and the woman he loves Leanne Wilson, owner of SMALL WONDERS. Unable to do anything but plead guilty though he knows his parents and siblings would call him a barbarian for the con is in the gene pool, Cole is shocked by the sentence. The Judge sentences him to 500 hours of community sentencing under some weird young man Eli. Though he plans to book at the first moment he can flee, the magic of the town begins to cleanse his soul as much as his love for his son, Leanne, and her son.

The latest miracle romance is a delightful charmer though in many ways it is similar to previous stories in the series. The key is the cast. The reprobate Cole knows he has the con gene while Leanne oozes goodness yet is no turn the other cheek miss. The two children act like youngsters while Eli provides mysticism to the usual wonderful Marilyn Pappano novel.

Harriet Klausner

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