A WONDERFUL THING AND OTHER STORIES
By
Most of these short, unrealistically dramatic, stories are set in the West or Midwest. They vary, both in quality of writing and in originality of subject. Two are outstanding for good storytelling and closer to the realm of the possible: ""Love and Grandpa Swayze's Asthma"" and ""The Teacher"", which tells of Abe Lincoln's. The four stories which concern contemporary Becky Linton are the weakest; the goody-goody tone becomes annoying, as do the selfless teenagers, who sport permanent ""winning"" smiles. All in all, the collection reflects a far-fetched picture of young people.