The Seven Wonders of Sassafras Springs

Content Warning: The section of the guide includes discussion of child abuse and mental illness. 

A boy named Eben McAllister lives in Sassafras Springs, Missouri, a little town that is not even featured on the map and that he believes is “invisible.” He sits on the front porch with his father, whom he calls “Pa,” his Aunt Pretty, who has lived with the family since Eben’s mother’s death, and his dog, Sal. Eben is reading a book about the Seven Wonders of the World, and his mind is “a million miles away” (3). His aunt calls on him to “wake up and see the world” (3), but Eben complains there are no “wonderful” things in the town. Eben declares that one day he will travel the world to see the wonders. His aunt reprimands him for wanting to leave his father alone with the farmwork, but Pa says Eben is “free” to determine his life. 

Eben’s father asks him if his book explains the meaning of a wonder. Eben reads that a wonder is a “marvel” that provokes “awe,” “admiration,” or “surprise.” His father explains that to appreciate such things, a person must first see the “marvels” of their own surroundings, suggesting a deal.