Plain Wisdom: A Book Review

Plain Wisdom, by Cindy Woodsmall & Miriam Flaud, is a simple and easy read. I am going to be honest. When I first started this book, I didn't really like it at all. I found it very plain, and rather boring. However, as I continued to read, I found myself enjoying this heartwarming book. I especially found myself enjoying Miriam. Even though we come from two very different worlds, Miriam is kind, loving and very much down to earth. Her simple ways, yet willingness to work hard every single day, is an inspiration to all.

There were several stories that I absolutely loved, and one that I just said ugh, what an awful story. I loved the story of Miriam's old table and having to get a new one, when her son couldn't find his pants, and the stories of Christmas. The one story that I just did not like was Cindy's story about hope as a child. I just could not understand how her long car ride, and an over bearing father, really had anything to do with real hope. I won't say anything else, you will have to read the book to decide for yourself if you agree with me or not.

I even have a favorite line from this book, "Through our words we have the power to bring darkness and light into our world, and the worlds around us." How true is that? How often do we think of this before we speak, or write?


Plain Wisdom is a loving, gentle, and non overbearing story of friendship, and the joy of diversity and being different. My 10 year old son always asks me if he can read the book I am reading. Usually I have to say no, because well adult books are for adults. When he asked me if he could read, Plain Wisdom, at first I said I am not sure. Now that I have completed the book, I can tell him yes. We homeschool so we are already unique and different. I think the stories in this book will help him to understand that being different is not a bad thing at all.