In this utterly transporting debut about the power of words, the importance of friendship, and the magic of wonder, Curly Hines must decide whether to fight to save the mountain he calls home.
Having lost most of his family to coal mining accidents as a little boy, Curley Hines lives with his grandfather in the Appalachian Mountains of Wonder Gap, Kentucky. Ever since Curley can remember, Papaw has been giving him a word each week to learn and live. Papaw says words are Curley's way out of the holler, even though Curley has no intention of ever leaving.When a new coal boss takes over the local mining company, life as Curley knows it is turned upside down. Suddenly, his best friend, Jules, is interested in the coal boss's son, and worse, the mining company threatens to destroy Curley and Papaw's mountain. Now Curley faces a difficult choice. Does he use his words to speak out against Big Coal and save his mountain, or does he remain silent and save his way of life?From debut author Mary Knight comes a rich, lyrical, and utterly transporting tale about friendship, the power of words, and the difficult hurdles we must overcome for the people and places we love. Praise for Saving Wonder:"Knight delivers a strong environmental message and a language lesson in her debut novel... Readers will feel Curley's sorrow and cheer him on during his campaign to save what he loves most. Knight frankly addresses the reality of harsh changes, but Curley's spirit, moving people inside and outside the community to act, is inspirational." -- Publishers Weekly Mary Knight has lived in many wondrous places -- Traverse City, Michigan, and Whidbey Island, Washington, among them. She and her husband now reside in Lexington, Kentucky, where she enjoys living in the rolling green hills of horse country, exploring the Appalachian Mountains to the east, and watching University of Kentucky basketball. Most of all, she cherishes time with friends and family, who add great wonder to her life. Saving Wonder is her debut novel. From Saving WonderI pull the ribbon loose and the burlap falls away. The book has a brown leather cover but no title, and the pages are blank. "Gosh, Jules, just what I always wanted -- a book with no words. I guess you could say it's a fast read." I crack myself up, Papaw, too, but I guess Jules doesn't think it's so funny. She kicks me under the covers and just about jams my big toe. "It's a diary, stupid." Her dimple shows up, so I know she's not really mad. "But that's not how you're going to use it." Papaw raises his left eyebrow. "Well, that's a relief." I sigh. "You know how I hate to write." That isn't entirely true and she knows it. I try my hand at short stories once in a while, when we have to write something for English, and I always choose Jules to be my reader. "It's not for writing, exactly, at least not in the way you think. It's for keeping track of your Papaw's words. Like keeping a dictionary." Well that makes me speechless, mainly because I'm not sure what kind of work this dictionary idea's going to entail. Jules keeps talking about how Papaw's leaving me a legacy, like a hope chest of words, and how I should have a place to keep them. So I guess you could say Jules has saved me. No way Papaw's going to make me pick my own words now. After Jules finishes her explanation, Papaw winks at me. Jules keeps tapping my foot under Mama's quilt like she's stepping on the gas real gentle like. Even though it feels like she gave me homework for my birthday, I'd let her drive me just about anywhere. "Thanks, Jules," I say. "You're a gem." She usually hates it when I say that, but she knows I have mixed feelings. She cocks her head all apologetic like and grins back at me. Her gift falls open, its pages all naked and white. Praise for Saving Wonder:"Knight delivers a strong environmental message and a language lesson in her debut novel... Readers will feel Cur
