tales of fate and fortune on the road

~ Tell us the title: the Kindness of Strangers

~ Who penned this work?: 26 different people

~ How did this piece find it's way to your nightstand?: yet another fateful trip to Powells

~ Number of pages: 271

~ Time passed from start to finish?: about a month(ish)

~ Describe the cover: There is an outline of a human torso and strangely shaped head with a heart outline in the middle of the head and whimsical, childlike text declaring the title and basic information.

~ In what section of the bookstore would a reader find this?: Probably travel, but I found it on a random shelf while passing by in hopes of escaping the store with only one book...

~ Summary of the basic plot: It is a collection of true short stories of adventures and encounters with strangers during travel all over the world.

~ Background information on the story/author: Each story in the book is shared by a different author, but they all get a little mini bio at the beginning of their story. Most authors have penned other works in newspapers, magazines and/or their own books.

~ What did you think of it? It was great! Each story is only a few pages long, so it was easy to read a story a day quickly and not feel that I should be using my time more wisely. :) It made me long to indulge my sense of adventure and either get lost somewhere in the world or pick up a hitchhiker and learn of their journey. It also reminded me that simple kindness towards one another no matter what barriers may exist is beautiful and powerful.

~ Which page was your favorite? Perhaps the table of contents because it represents the diversity that exists within the pages. :)

~ If the story was made into a movie, who would you cast as the main characters? Um...this would be hard considering the whole 26 different stories thing...

~ Share a quote that was worth reading twice. "Here's what I love about travel: strangers get a chance to amaze you. Sometimes a single day can bring a blooming surprise, a simple kindness that opens a chink in the brittle shell of your heart and makes you a different person when you go to sleep - more tender, less jaded - than the one you were when you woke up."

Also: "DECENT UNDERWEAR: It's important."

~ Choose your rating: I laughed, I cried, I want you to read it

~ Flip to page 2, 22, or 202. Share the 7th sentence on the page. Then, after a few moments of reflection, my host reached down to the floor next to his bed and picked up what I took to be his two most valuable belongings.