by PatriciaLeavy (Author)
Professor Peyton Wilde has an enviable life teaching sociology at an idyllic liberal arts college--yet she is troubled by a sense of fading inspiration. One day an invitation arrives. Peyton has been selected to attend a luxurious all-expense-paid seminar in Iceland, where participants, billed as some of the greatest thinkers in the world, will be charged with answering one perplexing question. Meeting her diverse teammates--two neuroscientists, a philosopher, a dance teacher, a collage artist, and a farmer--Peyton wonders what she could ever have to contribute. The ensuing journey of discovery will transform the characters' work, their biases, and themselves. This suspenseful novel shows that the answers you seek can be found in the most unlikely places. It can be read for pleasure, is a great choice for book clubs, and can be used as unique and inspiring reading in qualitative research and other courses in education, sociology, social work, psychology, and communication.
Format: Paperback
Pages: 154
Edition: 1
Publisher: Guilford Press
Published: 14 Dec 2018
ISBN 10: 1462538150
ISBN 13: 9781462538157
This compelling, highly original novel brings us to a meeting of people with radically different perspectives and life experiences who are asked to collaboratively answer a question. We eavesdrop on their lively discussions, explore the beauty of Iceland with them, cheer as we see them help each other conquer personal fears, and rejoice as they bond into a caring community. People with very different ideas can learn to learn and care for each other. Kindness matters. We need each other's ways of knowing. If I ran the world, I would make this book required reading. --Laurel Richardson, author of Seven Minutes from Home
A thoroughly enjoyable and thoughtful read! Seven brilliant thinkers from diverse disciplines and countries have just four days to answer a deceptively simple question. This beautifully written novel, set in Iceland's magical landscape, draws readers into a puzzle the group must solve, while simultaneously exploring characters' personal struggles. The gradual peeling back of layers, intriguing premise, realistic dialogue, and abundant food for thought make Spark not only a page turner, but also an intellectual treasure that will stick with me. --Christine Sleeter, author of The Inheritance