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Small Change: The Secret Life of Penny Burford [Paperback]

J Belinda Yandell (Author)
5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (14 customer reviews)


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Book Description

September 1, 2004
As a young girl, while helping her minister father distribute Christmas baskets and toys to underprivileged families, Penny Burford’s life was touched and changed. As a result, in 1965 Penny Burford takes a single nickel from her husband, Roy’s, overflowing mound of change on the bedroom dresser. With that single act, she changes the course of her life—and the lives of untold others.

Penny has never kept a secret from her husband, but as her hoard of castaway change grows, she discovers that having her own money gives her the power to make her own decisions. And she finds that small change can eventually lead to big changes.

Thirty-four years later, Roy finds a large check drawn on an account bearing only Penny’s name. He is bewildered, wondering how his wife, who has never worked outside their home, managed to come by so much money. His quest to unravel this mystery leads him to other discoveries about the woman he thought he knew so well. Roy learns just how many lives Penny has touched and just how well his wife has known his own secrets all those years—and her example shows him how to begin life anew.

Small Change is a deceptively simple story that explores the human condition in a rich emotional portrait. A remarkable tale of an ordinary housewife who leaves an extraordinary legacy, it reminds us of the true spirit of charity, the lasting effects of dysfunctional childhood, and the tragic self-silencing that limits the richness of far too many lives.


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Editorial Reviews

From Booklist

Yandell's Small Change is about a devoted housewife, Penny Burford, who scoops up her husband Roy's loose change and eventually puts together a substantial bank account. She uses the money for secret charities, of which the phlegmatic Roy learns only upon Penny's death. Why Penny did what she did the way she did it then becomes the story, and the reader must return to Roy and Penny's childhoods to understand it fully. Yandell is sentimental but not syrupy: Roy and Penny's marriage is realistically drawn, and the points she makes about the nature of charity are well taken. John Mort
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

Review

Yandell reaches out to touch the minds and hearts of couples everywhere with her sensitively moving little book. -- Youngstown (OH) Vindicator - Aug. 25, 2002 --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

Product Details

  • Paperback: 150 pages
  • Publisher: Cumberland House Publishing (September 1, 2004)
  • Language: English
  • ISBN-10: 1581824149
  • ISBN-13: 978-1581824148
  • Product Dimensions: 7.5 x 4.9 x 0.7 inches
  • Shipping Weight: 1.6 ounces
  • Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (14 customer reviews)
  • Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #505,482 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

14 Reviews
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Average Customer Review
5.0 out of 5 stars (14 customer reviews)
 
 
 
 
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5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars Priceless Treasure, January 10, 2003
By 
john walker (St. Louis, Mo. U.S.A.) - See all my reviews
Small Change is a priceless treasure. If you like a story to read like a long talk with a close friend you will enjoy this conversation with J. Belinda Yandell. If you still believe in random acts of kindness and the power of small wonders, if you can believe in the magic of everyday lives, if you read to feel good, don't miss this book!
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4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars Yandell's character, Penny Burford, is an American classic, February 17, 2002
Small Change is all about the human spirit and how a speck of ambition coupled with a little courage can make gigantic changes in many lives. Penny Burford didn't win the lottery, didn't have a job, didn't have an eduction and had never even eaten a hamburger because Roy, her overbearing and demanding husband didn't go to fast food places. Penny was the textbook wife to Roy, having and raising his children, buying the groceries on the strict budget Roy allowed her, cooking his meals and cleaning his house, including picking up the pocket change he annoyingly dropped on the dresser daily. Then, one day she dropped a stray nickel into her pocket. Penny Burford and all the lives she touched in her small Georgia community were forever changed that day.
A beautiful book that brings new meaning to "Its not what you have but what you do with it that counts."
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3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars Small Change could "change" your life!!!, May 4, 2001
By 
"falconersav" (savannah, ga USA) - See all my reviews
I thoroughly enjoyed this story. Everyone can relate to someone in this story. Heartwarming, funny, and very entertaining. You soon will not forget this story and will remember the lesson that could "change" your life!! I'm waiting for it to become a "Hallmark Hall of Fame" movie!!! P.S. Hey OPRAH, this needs to be in your book club!!
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Inside This Book (learn more)
Key Phrases - Capitalized Phrases (CAPs): (learn more)
Small Change, Brother Gary, David Tolson, Roy Burford, Burger King, Santa Claus, Penny Burford, Farmer's Union, Gary Foster, Betty Colcamp, First American, Bill Colcamp, Coach Skinner, Piggly Wiggly
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