Structure

The collection is made up of 23 essays on various topics, including nature, species preservation, genetically modified foods, the ethics of food, gardening, family, writing, and war and American nationalism after the September 11 attacks. The first, title essay and the last essay provide a general introduction to Kingsolver's ideas on pacifism and the war. The first half focuses on personal responsibility and matters of international ecologies, while the second half veers toward family and Kingsolver's relationship to writing and literature. As a whole, the collection emphasizes the political dimensions of personal choices, mainly the importance of choosing ethical foods and choosing pacifism over violence.

Several essays begin with an anecdote or an allegorical story that serves as a springboard for the main topics discussed in the essay. In the case of "Small Wonder," the story of the lost child in the bear den represents the possible solutions to...