ASHWORTH, ELIZABETH — The Origami Bird

Parthian. 2004. (ISBN: 9781902638256). Paperback, 7.8 x 5.1 x 0.4 inches. Whether exquisitely detailing a little boy learning to read by connecting the printed letters on a page to a picture of a daisy in "Little Miss Mischief" or, in "The Origami Bird," conjuring the feeling of "purity and delight" to be derived from step-by-step diagrams of origami instructions, Ashworth delicately conveys the spider web of evanescent human emotions, frail yet incredibly strong, inevitably temporary. Drawing, perhaps, on the talent that has made her an award-winning poet, she paints word-pictures of startling clarity in the 14 stories in her first collection; for instance, the image of ginger-haired, crooked-toothed schoolboy Denny, his thumb "perilously near his mouth," silently shaking his head to the teacher who had denied this "now-and-again pupil" the privilege of a field trip. Occasional Briticisms, like "tucking in" (to one's dinner) and enjoying a "Marmite sandwich," shouldn't deter establishing Ashworth with Americans who value emotionally full stories. 1-902638-25-5. Paperback - 2004 - good condition - - used books, secondhand books, out of print books, hard to find books, for sale, second-hand books, college books, student books, nonfiction, first edition, exlibrary books sold, signed copies, non-fiction books delivered world wide. Isbn 1902638255. Used: Acceptable.