From Saving Wonder I pull the ribbon loose and the burlap falls away. The book has a brown leather cover but no title, and the pages are blank. "Gosh, Jules, just what I always wanted -- a book with no words. I guess you could say it's a fast read." I crack myself up, Papaw, too, but I guess Jules doesn't think it's so funny. She kicks me under the covers and just about jams my big toe. "It's a diary, stupid." Her dimple shows up, so I know she's not really mad. "But that's not how you're going to use it." Papaw raises his left eyebrow. "Well, that's a relief." I sigh. "You know how I hate to write." That isn't entirely true and she knows it. I try my hand at short stories once in a while, when we have to write something for English, and I always choose Jules to be my reader. "It's not for writing, exactly, at least not in the way you think. It's for keeping track of your Papaw's words. Like keeping a dictionary." Well that makes me speechless, mainly because I'm not sure what kind of work this dictionary idea's going to entail. Jules keeps talking about how Papaw's leaving me a legacy, like a hope chest of words, and how I should have a place to keep them. So I guess you could say Jules has saved me. No way Papaw's going to make me pick my own words now. After Jules finishes her explanation, Papaw winks at me. Jules keeps tapping my foot under Mama's quilt like she's stepping on the gas real gentle like. Even though it feels like she gave me homework for my birthday, I'd let her drive me just about anywhere. "Thanks, Jules," I say. "You're a gem." She usually hates it when I say that, but she knows I have mixed feelings. She cocks her head all apologetic like and grins back at me. Her gift falls open, its pages all naked and white. Excerpted from Saving Wonder by Mary Knight All rights reserved by the original copyright owners. Excerpts are provided for display purposes only and may not be reproduced, reprinted or distributed without the written permission of the publisher.