false 33486632 1545151 1405522 0446525316 9780446525312 7 http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1183345178m/1405522.jpg http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1183345178s/1405522.jpg http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1405522.Mitten_Strings_for_God_Reflections_for_Mothers_in_a_Hurry 4.37 19 The Best American Short Stories anthology since 1990, understands the hectic agendas, short tempers, and full-time careers today's families endure. But she has also learned to limit the chaos. The title comes from Kenison's youngest son, Jack, cuddled up with mom one quiet afternoon as she crochets mitten strings. He holds up a long piece of yarn and proclaims, "I'm knitting a mitten string for God"--a sweet phrase, but a bit misleading. Despite a sprinkling of minor religious references, the larger focus of Kenison's beautifully written first book lies in living with care and awareness. Chapters with titles like "Grace," "Healing," "Spirit," and "Breathing" offer soothing pictures of a family life that honors patience, imagination, and Sundays without plans. Kenison weaves together personal stories and wisdom from such philosophers as Thoreau and Anne Morrow Lindbergh; the graceful resulting tapestry shows how peace and simplicity can be savored in a world hell-bent on pushing people to accomplish more, own more, and do it all as quickly as possible. --Liane Thomas ]]> 14012 3.69 3598 488 2000 3 0 false Fri May 01 00:00:00 -0700 2009 Sun Sep 21 20:32:54 -0700 2008 Wed Jun 10 18:58:01 -0700 2009 more...]]>