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. From its opening parable gleaned from recent news about a lost child saved in an astonishing way, the book moves on to consider a world of surprising and hopeful prospects, ranging from an inventive conservation scheme in a remote jungle to the backyard flock of chickens tended by the author's small daughter.

Whether she is contemplating the Grand Canyon, her vegetable garden, motherhood, adolescence, genetic engineering, TV-watching, the history of civil rights, 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 those places, too. In the voice Kingsolver's readers have come to rely on -- 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.

Kingsolver has a talent for writing life-affirming essays. For her, "God is in the details, the completely unnecessary miracles sometimes tossed up as stars to guide us" (p. 6). We find her taking heart in "a persistent river, a forest on the edge of night, the religion in a seed, the startle of wingbeats when a spark of red life flies against all reason out of the darkness. One child, one bear" (p. 21). Rooted in the "small wonders" of daily life and full of hope, her essays ultimately touch the canopy of life's bigger questions. Kingsolver's diverse subjects include September 11th; democracy ("the majority rules so hard; we seem bent on dividing all things into a contest of Win and Lose, and declaring that the Losers are losers," p. 18); the Grand Canyon ("that vermillion abyss attenuates humanity to quieter internal rhythms," p. 22); mothers and daughters; tv, the "one-eyed monster;" raising chickens; Columbine ("in a society that embraces violence, this is what 'our way of life' has come to mean," p. 182); genetic engineering ("I'm a scientist who thinks who thinks it wise to enter the doors of creation not with a lion tamer's whip and chair, but with the reverence humankind has traditionally summoned for entering places of worship: a temple, a mosque, or a cathedral," p. 108); the homeless ("their presence is a pure, naked shame upon us all," p. 198); the "demise" of independent bookstores; short stories ("A good short story cannot be simply Lit Lite. It should pull off the successful execution of large truths delivered in tight spaces," p. 212); writing poetry ("poems fall not from a tree, really, but from the richly pollinated boughs of an ordinary life, buzzing as lives do, with clamor and glory," p. 231); the San Pedro River (near my childhood home in Southern Arizona); and even the "colorful" art exhibit "pinned to a clothes line" here in Boulder (my new home) that recently made national news (p. 157).

This collection will appeal to anyone longing for hope after September 11th, or to anyone who cares about the times we're going through. Barbara Kingsolver is a national treasure, and in these of essays she delivers exactly what she promises: small wonders.

G. Merritt


Pretty but preachey   April 15, 2002
 72 out of 104 found this review helpful

The first time I read a Kingsolver novel I remember thinking, wow, here's a writer to watch. Her first novel had that special spark, and I could tell her next book would be even better. Then came Animal Dreams, and I remember being so moved at this astonishing story of flawed humans trying to love in the midst of an environment in peril--great stuff. In High Tide in Tucson, her ability to write accessible, heartfelt, fresh essays was encouraging. I rushed to buy Small Wonder, eager to see what she had to say now.

Unfortunately, the essays on the natural world very quickly began to appear to be jumping off places for political statements. Sometimes parallel themes are a revealing way to explore a subject, but mostly I was left feeling that there was no cohesive thematic resolution to them. Kingsolver delivers poignant factual accounts of American society that are deeply unjust, and she is one brave writer who does not "look away." However, instead of illustrating that social change can come about in new ways, her words made me feel hopeless and guilty of crimes so entrenched in American society that they can't possibly be undone--by me or anyone else. I couldn't help thinking that the author lives a lifestyle most of us dream of, and that perhaps she might want to take that into consideration. Much as we'd like to, we can't all emulate her ways. Television to me is educational and entertainment, and hasn't ruined my intellect. Does a 99 cent hamburger ruin the environment and promote slave labor, or is it a cheap way to fill a child's belly when you work so much you have no time to cook? If buying a new car is an implied waste--hers is over ten years old and still runs fine--can she please tell me where she bought hers, so I can get the same model?!? I came away from these essays wondering where is the hope she "rages" for? Kingsolver on love, family, the natural world, and other cultures, is pure treasure. I want to understand her politics, but the book reminded me of a grade school teacher wagging her finger at students who make unforgivable mistakes sometimes out of ignorance, and sometimes because it's so difficult to live in this costly, complicated world. If we don't have the money to buy land on which to grow our own food, are we bad parents? I don't think so. Those of us who are single parents, work two jobs, well, we simply do the best we can. I wish she had more compassion for that aspect of society.

Kingsolver claims to have begun Small Wonder on September 12, 2001. If the material steeped a while longer than eight months, would it have come across kinder? I'll read her again, but this book is clearly not up to her usual standards. Sorry.


Small wonder indeed   February 25, 2005
 65 out of 102 found this review helpful

Before I can say anything else about this book I much point out what I found to be the most startling aspect of Small Wonder... Kingsolver invokes the imagery of 9/11 so frequently and as the justification for so many different things I felt like I was watching a Bush press conference. I know we are suppose to tiptoe around when speaking about mass homicides so I am not sure if this is political correct to say but... Kingsolver was a better writer before 9/11 than after. Obsession and passion are one thing but too often she just settles for trite instead as in the laughable line "If I got to make just one law, it would be that the men who make the decisions to drop bombs would first, every time, have to spend one whole day taking care of a baby."

Speaking of men dropping bombs... I was also extremely surprised by Kingsolver's frequent reinforcements of gender serotypes. While on the one had she briefly mentions wanting to instill in her young daughter what she could be a doctor or whatever she wanted to be on the other she so often associates war and other vices with men and home and hearth with women. "When the going gets tough, seems like men reach for a weapon and women look in the pantry." Although I don't really understand the point she was trying to make there I do understand it enough to know that it represents a sexism I was surprised to find Kingsolver support frequently.

Another big turn off for this book is that in many of the essays a lecturing tone is adopted and in the marketplace of idea nothing will make me roll my eyes at you quicker than an attitude of superiority. Another big stumbling block that Kingsolver must overcome in future works if she wasn't to have a greater impact is that although she does have a point she is trying to make (well, in most of her pieces anyways) she is often disorganized in presenting it; one word - outline!

While the previous flaws apply to her work as a whole a much more narrow problem only present in one or two of the essays but yet infuriating to me is that she sometimes invokes high minded principles in ways that only the white, wealthy and well fed can. In particular I am speaking of her stance on genetically modified foods. While yes there are a number of important unresolved questions regarding such foods (and genetic engineering in general) what cannot be denied is the increased food yields that such crops have produced. For a well fed suburbanite to implore others to starve for her idyllic beliefs almost caused me to put away the book for good but I am glad I got through the rest of it.

While the wonders here are in fact small... and few there are still a few exceptions. `Letter to a Daughter at Thirteen,' `And Our Flag Was Still There' and `Going to Japan' were all good - not good enough to redeem the book as a whole but still good.


A thought-provoking collection of personal/political essays   August 21, 2002
 38 out of 39 found this review helpful

I am a long-time fan of all of Barbara Kingsolver's novels (The Bean Trees, Pigs in Heaven, Animal Dreams, The Poisonwood Bible, Prodigal Summers), so I was interested to hear more about the person and the views behind the stories. Small Wonders did not disappoint. Kingsolver makes it clear that for her, the personal is political, meaning that the choices that we make as individuals have political impact. So, the essays are wide-ranging, from her family life and her garden, to her concerns about the natural environment and thoughts about the U.S.'s reaction to Sept. 11. The essays are well-written, interesting, and thought provoking. I found myself agreeing with most of the points that she makes, and many of her ideas linger afterward; for example, she asks us to consider the environmental costs of shipping food all over the world, instead of eating what is grown locally. Or what it means to have TV streaming into your home every day. Or what the consquences of genetically engineering food might be, not just for our health, but for the environment. I recommend the book highly to fans of her novels as well as to people interested in a thoughtful read.

Some may disagree with her post-Sept. 11 analysis -- her concern about our country's agressive response. To those I would say, all the more reason to read the book, and hear her side of it, even if you ultimately disagree, exactly because voices such has hers have received little airplay. Here, her own words say it better than I could:

"Questioning our government's actions does not violate the principles of liberty, equality, and freedom of speech; it exercises them, and by exercise we grow stronger. I have read enough of Thomas Jefferson to feel sure he would back me up on this. Our founding fathers, those vocal critics of imperalism, were among the first leaders to understand that to a democratic people, freedom of speech and belief are not just nice luxuries, they're as necessary as breathing. The authors of our Constituion knew, from experience with King George and company, tha governments don't remain benevolent to the interests of all, including their less powerful members, without constant vigilance and reasoned criticism. And so the founding fathers guarenteed the right of reasoned criticism in our citizenship contract--for always. No emergency shutdowns allowed. However desperate things may get, there are to be no historical moments when beliefs can be abridged, vegetarians required to praise meat, Christians forced to pray as Muslims, or vice versa. Angry critics have said to me in stressful periods, "Don't you understand it's wartime?" As if this were just such a moment of emergency shutdown. Yes, we all know it's wartime. It's easy to speak up for peace in peacetime--anybody can do that. Now is when it gets hard. But our flag is not just a logo for wars; it's the flag of American pacificists, too. It's the flag of all of us who love our country enough to do the hard work of living up to its highest ideals."


Review.   May 6, 2002
 33 out of 41 found this review helpful

If you are stunned that Kingsolver has the audacity to criticize America and its citizens, don't be, the rest of the world shares the same intelligent objections to the emptiness of American consumerism. And most likely if you're amongst those that are stunned it's because you haven't reached out to other sources of world events and opinions besides CNN and your local NBC affiliate. Americans, leading the world's corporate conglomorate, are slowly killing both the ecosystem and cultural diversity. It's not something that's up for debate, it's not something that's defendable, it's the truth, but we're also taught that we're glorious and true and just and so we shouldn't have to take criticism, we shouldn't question status quo. I'm not interested in arguing with anyone, all I will ask of you is that if this book has made you angry, ask yourself "why" and then go out and investigate the truth for yourself. Consider other alternatives. I give the book a positive review because it stratles both mainstream and counter culture society, and can potentionally expand the minds of some persons in great need of just that.

Buy it, read it, argue it, debate it, criticize it, mark it up with your pen and tear about pages. Whatever you do, be ACTIVE, engage the possibilities of both great books and your own life.