The Seventeen Second Miracle Book

I feel like a jerk saying that I didn't much like this book, but I have to be honest. I have read The Wednesday Letters and Christmas Jars by Wright and enjoyed them very much, so I was excited to get Seventeen Second Miracle. I was certain I was going to love it. I was shocked when I didn't - I had to force myself to finish it.

It's not that the story itself or the idea of the seventeen second miracle is bad - I think reminding people to notice others' needs and offer help and kindnesses in all kinds of circumstances is great. But I was turned off by a main character who was gooey and syrupy to excess ... a little goes a long way, and I found the "hero" and founder of it all, to be unbelievably perfect. It annoyed me - a miracle or doing nothing but good every single day, sometimes at the expense of his family. I get it - I should give more and take less. But sometimes, people get grumpy. They argue. Sometimes, it's understandable that a kid will be disappointed because his dad pushes his son's plans to the bottom of the pile because there was someone else in need. There was always someone in need, and the wise sayings and advice never stopped flowing from the always kind, always patient dad who just couldn't understand why a 6th-grader might be upset that Dad couldn't find a way to compromise and help someone while also doing something nice for his son.