Wake Up to Wonder: 22 Invitations to Amazement in the Everyday

Marsh (Vintage Saints and Sinners) dips into the lives of 22 extraordinary figures to reveal the ordinary patterns of life that make for remarkable people. Many of them are well-known; Francis of Assisi and Fannie Lou Hamer are mentioned, for example. But refreshingly, the book includes exemplars who are not. The author picks out habits or practices from each subject that readers can easily do as well. The book’s vignettes include a personal reflection with suggested exercises and activities—journal writing, singing, or finding a place of solitude—to assist readers in living more intentional lives. The book’s tone is conversational and incorporates disarming matter. For example, Marsh gently points out which practices don’t suit her or which character traits she herself doesn’t possess to the extent she would like.