Any Small Thing Can Save You

by Christina Adam

Reminiscent of the legendary tales and fables told by travelers who encountered strange and otherworldly creatures that profoundly impacted their lives, a powerful collection of twenty-six vignettes details the fragility and wonder of love in everyday life. Reprint.

Genres: Fiction, Short Stories, Animals, Literary Fiction

240 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published November 1, 2001

Reviews

[karenbee · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was cleaning out a shelf of books I bookmooched and neglected and no longer want to read, and I was (re)intrigued by the title of Any Small Thing Can Save You. It's a collection of short stories, each kinda centered around an animal (but sometimes it's a stretch), one for each letter of the English alphabet. There were about 26 days left in the month so I thought I'd read one story a day for the rest of the month.

It didn't really work out that way. I enjoyed Adam's writing but the stories were a little dry and most of them were sad in one way or another, so most of the time I'd put it off for a couple of days and then read like three or four stories in one day because I was enjoying the writing.

It's a solid collection for folks who'd enjoy the overall setting/mood or who already enjoy Adam's writing, and I think the way I read it is probably the best way to read it. The stories mostly made me think of how it feels to miss people, so reading all of them at once would be too much.

I'm glad I finally got around to it, but I don't see myself revisiting it.


(three and a half stars)

[Susannah · Rating 5 out of 5]

Engaging, provocative text that calls to mind the language of Gail Godwin: the same solitary incisive viewpoint. It can be taken in small or large bites, as the chapters flow together seamlessly but stand on their own quite well. I will look for more by this author.

[Emily C. · Rating 5 out of 5]

I picked up Christina Adam's, Any Small Thing Can Save You, because the word "bestiary" drew me in. That moment foreshadowed the way that this book would have me hooked for the rest of the day.
Each short chapter tells the tale of people and nature, and how we love and live within the natural world. Adam's writing exquisitely highlights the interaction between human life, daily struggle and mundane beauty with the natural world to create a mysterious and intriguing story that leaves you full of awe and emotion after each chapter. This bestiary explores (among other topics) conflict, change, solitude, family relationships, sadness and contentment with language and details that warm the heart and offer literary bliss. If you want a new favorite, something that grounds you and brings you to the present moment in the most caring way- pick up Any Small Thing can Save You. It is truly my new favorite.

[Nancy · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love ABC books, especially ones written for adults--one reason might be because I'm a Virgo and love organization. This one is a beastiary. I have a huge collection, many mostly illustrations--certainly too numerous to list here. I even started my own ABC scrapbook of clippings, photos, etc. organized by the alphabet.

[Desiree · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was intrigued since I had never heard of a bestiary (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bestiary). I enjoyed the stories, even though I didn't always get what the message/moral was. If you want something to read each night before bed, just to help disconnect and quiet your mind, you may enjoy this book.

[Holly · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a fun, quick read of a lot of quiet short stories, some of which ended and some of which just kind of petered out.

[Karen S · Rating 4 out of 5]

Charming! I'd heard of the category 'bestiary', but had no experience with one. Loved this one!

[Kim Church · Rating 5 out of 5]

Small, quiet, beautiful book that contains the souls of animals.

[Lauren · Rating 2 out of 5]

read this back in April--forgot to post. Some of the stories were excellent but it was all too much of the same after a while.

[A.M.]

Beautiful writing and well-crafted vignettes, but the subject matter was too depressing for me. Too much death - I had to put the book down at H for personal reasons.

[Annie · Rating 5 out of 5]

this made me want to move to the wilderness.