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| Land of a Hundred Wonders | 
 enlarge | Author: Lesley Kagen
Publisher: NAL Trade
Category: Book
List Price: $14.00
Buy New: $1.30
You Save: $12.70 (91%)
New (53) Used (39) from $0.49
Avg. Customer Rating:  17 reviews
Sales Rank: 72275
Media: Paperback
Number Of Items: 1
Pages: 320
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.6
Dimensions (in): 7.8 x 5.2 x 0.8
ISBN: 0451224094
Dewey Decimal Number: 813.6
EAN: 9780451224095
ASIN: 0451224094
Publication Date: July 29, 2008
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
Condition: Fast Shipping. New book. May have small remainder mark. Customer service is our #1 priority.
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Product Description
From the national bestselling author of Whistling in the Dark comes another funny, poignant, unforgettable story.
The summer Gibby McGraw catches her big break, the cicadas are humming, and its so warm even the frogs are sweating. Brain damaged after a tragic car accident that took both her parents, Gibby is now NQR (Not Quite Right), a real challenge for a fledgling newspaper reporter. Especially when she stumbles upon the dead body of the next governor of Kentucky, Buster Malloy.
Armed with her trusty blue spiral note-book, Gibby figures that solving the murder might be her best chance to prove to everyone that she can become Quite Right again. But she gets more than she bargained for when she uncovers a world of corruption, racism, and family secrets in small town Cray Ridge. Lucky for her, shes also about to discover that some things are far more important than all the brains in the world, and that miracles occur in the most unexpected moments.
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| Customer Reviews: Read 12 more reviews...
This was a surprisingly enjoyable book, given the subject matter. January 4, 2009
There is comic relief throughout; several times I laughed out loud. Although the history of her injury could be ponderous and sad, Gibby's brain damage protects her (and us) from too maudlin a description of the accident. The way she twists maxims and says words incorrectly is hilarious and cleverly written. And her mental state absolves her from blame as she handles a potential rapist in a most satisfying manner. This is a good book and a fast read.
GREAT BOOK January 3, 2009
This is a must read. It is so funny, yet a wonderful mystery. It is one you won't want to put down.
 Travel with me to the Land of a Hundred Wonders December 19, 2008
I enjoyed Lesley Kagen's "Whistling in the Dark" last summer, so I was delighted to discover that she had written a second book, "Land of a Hundred Wonders".
I wasn't disappointed and actually read the book cover to cover in one night. Who needs sleep when there is a murder to be solved.
Ms. Kagen takes the reader on a journey to a small town in Kentucky. We meet Gibby, the main character a young girl of about twenty. Gibby suffered a brain injury in a car accident that also killed her parents. Because of this and the relative innocence of southern small town life in the 1970's, Gibby tells her story from the perspective of a person who although `street smart', is naive about the seedier part of life. After a while I realized that although Ms. Kagen is named as the author of the book, that I was reading the book as though it had been written by Gibby herself.
Ms Kagen presents the reader with characters that are well developed and fully dimensional.
You'll find yourself falling in love with Gibby and most of the other residents of this small Kentucky town. You'll laugh, cry and sit on the edge of your seat at times as you read this warm, funny novel that will keep you in a land of wonder, right to the end.
 Disgusting December 15, 2008
I bought this book for the pretty cover and the plot that seemed different and inspiring. What I didn't expect was the selfishness of the main character, her truly child-like naivete as she interpreted/described the events going on around her, or the sexual molestations she was receiving but didn't understand to be wrong. The character is not "mildly slow" - she has serious mental issues and has the comprehension of a 6 year old with major problems. The preview on the back made it seem like the main character had some impediments to deal with, but gosh darn it, she was still going to try. This is not the case, and I cannot fathom why other readers have found this so satisfying.
She finds the body in the very beginning, knowing that everyone is wondering what happened to the guy. She knows he's dead and murdered, knows exactly where he is, but she wants to prove her worth as a "journalist" (which the author illustrates early in the book so you know that really she doesn't have a hope). So, she naturally feels that she has to keep her mouth shut and not tell anyone until she "solves the mystery". And as far as the molestations go, I understand that there are predators who do get away with that, but it was simply unnecessary and disturbing in a story that was already heavy in its undercurrent. The tone of the writing is the optimistic mindset of a child's inner dialogue, but there is so much adult subtext that it just doesn't feel appropriate. You can't tell where the author is going, or what terrible thing the protaganist will misinterpret next.
I'm well-read and pretty tolerant of an author's vision, wherever it goes, but this was so disturbing, and in such contrast to the preview and the reviews that I couldn't even finish it.
Laugh Out Loud November 26, 2008
Funny as hell while still heartwarming,sad and hopeful! Thank you, I needed the many laughs! A genuine story of love, hate, tolerance and acceptance. Very lovable and "hateable" characters. Lesley Kagen portrayed the true flavor of the south and the year (1973)! She truly has a gift to share! I highly recommend this book as another form of anti-depressants! Thank you!
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