Pips in the Wind
Stories and Allegories Reflecting on the Fruits of the Spirit
The imaginative short stories of Pips in the Wind are charming, faith based, and lesson filled.
Catherine Wood’s whimsical and allegorical short story collection Pips in the Wind concerns the fruits of the Holy Spirit; it also imparts appreciation for nature.
Here, love is illustrated by the story of a farmer who hopes to meet his son during a brief stop at a train station after a nine-year separation caused by a bitter argument, while joy is expressed via a young rabbit who longs for daylight, despite unsettling warnings from older rabbits of potential dangers lurking beyond the rabbits’ burrows. Such straightforward premises ensure that the stories’ messages are easy to identify; this is also true in the story of a fig tree that fails to bear fruit in order to support the grapevines around it, exemplifying goodness and generosity. Elsewhere, a dove keeps trying to save a man who’s trapped underground to illustrate patience, and a faithful lighthouse keeper is determined to guard her light, despite not being supplied with enough resources to do so.
Most of the stories are driven by single characters: a powerful business executive who wants to acquire an elderly couple’s land; a young boy who loses his awareness of nature and the lessons of his people after leaving home; an elderly man who stays up all night to spy on rabbits. They are quirky and individualized, even when they’re not human, as with a young penguin who longs to fly, and the albatross who befriends and helps her; and a blind grey rabbit who is excited to share natural delights with a younger rabbit. Each is vivified by the exciting occurrences they face, like the approach of a shadowy creature, destructive hurricane winds, and light fizzling out during a violent storm.
The book’s direct vocabulary makes it accessible to all ages, and its sentences are brief for easy absorption. The stories’ messages are reiterated in poetic takeaways that repeat their language. But this formatting becomes predictable, as characters are introduced and learn important lessons in turn. People and creatures learning from their errors cycle through so that the book can highlight the importance of family, or the need to stop and help others when it’s needed. Each story’s moral has a universal application in mind; practicality in everyday life is a continual point of focus.
With the belief that it is important to view circumstances from others’ perspectives, the imaginative stories of Pips in the Wind are charming, faith based, and lesson filled.
Reviewed by
Edith Wairimu
Disclosure: This article is not an endorsement, but a review. The publisher of this book provided free copies of the book and paid a small fee to have their book reviewed by a professional reviewer. Foreword Reviews and Clarion Reviews make no guarantee that the publisher will receive a positive review. Foreword Magazine, Inc. is disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255.
