The Search for Wonder in the Cradle of the World begins with "Genesis"—as it should.

The swinging Lord, that master maker/ of cool chords, shifted in his empty/ heaven and said, "I need me some music,…" From there on, it was very good.

In Search for Wonder, Tony Abbott shares his curiosity of life’s complexities, of our relationships with each other, the world around us, and God’s often-baffling master plan. In one poem, "Unburdening," he uses the phrase, "so much distracts us from the task of being human" and that profound truth resonates throughout this collection.

There are deeply personal poems here. "Point of Light" and "Raining on God" for example, one about the loss of his daughter, the latter about a neighbor’s similar loss. Loss is a recurring theme because loss and how we cope with it are part of the human experience. Loss of children, loss of memory, loss of reason to hold onto those treasures in our lives that make "the house, the car, the trout worthwhile."

Toward the end, Abbott expands the view and takes us with him on his travels. In "This Monster Time" he unloads some of the baggage he has gathered along the way. And the horror in Eve’s eyes of the// history that will start unreeling/ here forever—Dresden, Auschwitz,/ Hiroshima. Adam’s guilt hidden/ in his hands. Better not to see.

This is a collection to be cherished, shared and reread—the work of a master. Highly recommended.

—MSD

"Sex, religion and art are The Three Great Secret Things which fourteen-year-old David Lear must comes to terms with in this lovely, thoughtful story of self-discovery. A timeless, classic novel for readers of all ages, Tony Abbott's novel is especially notable for its emorable characters, its authenticity of time and place, and its beautiful, beautiful writing. The compleeing story draws the reader toward one of the great endings of alltime."

Lee Smith