“Part memoir, part natural history, and thoroughly engaging, Bailey’s charming book tells of a mysterious illness that confines her to bed for more than a year. When a friend brings her a wild violet plant and, inadvertently, its resident woodland snail, Bailey embarks on a journey of compassion and discovery as the snail’s small world seems to mirror her own. My favorite book of 2010.”—Laurie, Vashon Book Shop, Vashon Island, Washington