The Wonder of All
Things by bestselling author Jason Mott is
simply irresistible. It is about a thirteen-year-old girl, Ava, who is also the
daughter of the town’s sheriff, who possesses supernatural healing powers which
came to light after a horrifying air show in the small town of Stone Temple in
North Carolina. The excited townsfolk had gathered in
large number to see a local man who had become a pilot perform in an air show
for his hometown. But the excitement soon turned into a nightmare when the
plane crashed into the crowd of spectators. Lying under the
rubble, Ava realized that her best friend, Wash, is injured and when she
touches him he is instantly healed.
When the news spread about the
healing powers of Ava, people thronged the small town. Some out of necessity,
either seeking healing for themselves or for loved ones but the vast majority
of visitors came out of curiosity. People were opinionated about the whole
thing. Ava’s family had to deal with the situation in the best possible way,
and it was also beginning to take its toll on Ava. What was not immediately
apparent was the health and emotional risks involved every time Ava healed someone.
It becomes gradually clear that it saps every ounce of her energy and she
becomes weaker, emotionally and physically.
Author Jason Mott is a gifted storyteller and this superbly written and well-crafted story will make you think things you’ve never thought before. The Wonder of All Things is an exploration of one of life’s most intricate issues – how far we would allow ourselves to be used for the good of others, however self-motivated some cases may be. The book is an examination of the motives that drive each individual, and sadly in the vast majority of instances it is driven by “self.” But sometimes, good is not always good, as in the case of Ava. How are we to discern the thin line that separates serving others and being accountable to own self? Are we not equally responsible for own good as much as we are for the good of others? The Wonder of All Things is a clear aide memoire of the extraordinary gifts life has bestowed on each individual and how we are to celebrate it.
Let me leave you with these words: "There is always comfort in pretending that change has not happened in life, even when we know full well that nothing will ever again be the way it was."
