"The Past is ours, given and earned, forever, until we forget - I learn as I go." Like an intricate tapestry, "Growth & Wonder: A Social Experiment 1951-2001" weaves together tales of author Maria Ladd Motch's growing-up years with reflections from her present-day life. Maria writes of her childhood in rambling historic Vermont and Rhode Island homes with her nine siblings and her parents - homesteaders, organic farmers (before it was trendy), devout Catholics, and prolific artists; and of her life with her husband, children, and newest loves, her grandchildren. Through a six-month series of Maria's recent journal entries intermixed with texts from her earlier diaries, stories contributed by siblings, and a collection of 200 captioned photos taken by her father over six decades, readers will see the world through Maria's eyes - a world that is vivid, colorful, textured and rich. "Live a lush and ardent retreat, a gentle lull to dream."