45 pages • 1 hour read
Betty G. BirneyThe Seven Wonders of Sassafras Springs
Fiction | Novel | Middle Grade | Published in 1980A modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more.
Chapters 9-11Chapter Summaries & Analyses
Chapter 9 Summary: “A Setback and a Surprise”
It is the seventh day of Eben’s quest, and his aunt has prepared his traveling clothes. His father, however, has received a letter from Molly about an influenza outbreak in her town in Colorado, so Eben must postpone his trip. Eben is devastated and says that his findings may not be wonders. Aunt Pretty suggests that they all decide on this. Eben narrates the stories, and his father and aunt are captivated. Influenced by Mrs. Pritchard’s doll, Aunt Pretty shows Eben her “clothespin people,” a gift from Cally, her childhood friend. They lost touch when Cally moved away, but the clothespin dolls remind Aunt Pretty of her. Eben resolves to search for the seventh wonder.
Eben visits Uncle Alf. Uncle Alf’s wife died young, and he now lives alone. He expects Eben’s visit, having learned Eben is looking for wonders, and leads him into his house, where he shows him a wooden miniature of Sassafras Springs. Uncle Alf has worked on it all his life. Eben observes the miniature and sees every little detail: his aunt and his father on the porch, Eben himself reading a book, Mrs. Pritchard hanging laundry, Cully in his yard, Calvin playing his saw, and Eulie and Violet in their garden. Eben realizes these scenes have just happened.
Uncle Alf wants to tell him about the secret of the carvings and starts his story, “Graven Images.” When he was a boy, Uncle Alf wanted to carve wood but did not know the technique. One day, an artist named La Flame visited Sassafras Springs offering to paint portraits for $5, but Uncle Alf’s family could not afford it. When La Flame saw Uncle Alf carving, he showed him how to work the wood and told him when he was ready to start. La Flame left town, but Uncle Alf kept carving, whittling an angel without realizing what he was doing. Years later, he met his wife at a dance, and her face resembled the carved angel’s face. Uncle Alf says he just carves the wood without understanding anything else.
In the miniature, Eben observes “odd” details like a woman and a man standing in the graveyard, a cloud of locusts above a farm, a man tending a fire, and an old woman sitting at a loom. Eben realizes the past and the present are “mixed up” in the carving. Uncle Alf says the future is also represented. Hearing this, Eben notices a figure at the end of the road, holding a suitcase and leaving town. The figure resembles Eben himself, and he feels strange. Uncle Alf says that people are either satisfied where they are or long to see the world. He says that Eben can decide which group he belongs to; however, leaving Sassafras Springs does not mean Eben will never return. Eben realizes that “a small thing can be a prize” (195). Uncle Alf reveals that Old Emma’s loom was destroyed but that most of his carvings come from its wood. Finally, he asks Eben to tell Aunt Pretty to visit him. Eben returns home curious and excited.
Chapter 10 Summary: “Day Nine: Change of Plans”
Eben tells Uncle Alf’s story to his father and aunt. Aunt Pretty is surprised to hear about the man’s carvings, though they have known each other all their lives. She decides she will visit him. She also tells Eben that she called her cousin Lottie in St. Louis and that Lottie would happily have Eben at her home. Eben rejoices and thinks that St. Louis must have “wonders” too.
The next morning, his aunt leaves to visit Uncle Alf, and Eben’s father tells him that Uncle Alf was Holt’s rival in the past. Eben believes his aunt might marry him and that this might be another wonder of Sassafras Springs. Eben then goes to Jeb’s house, where Jeb says that everybody knows the news about his trip to St. Louis.
Eben works hard during the week to help his father and feels he would miss him if he left. He decides to take another stroll around Sassafras Springs with his dog, thinking he might find more wonders.
Chapter 11 Summary: “The Beginning”
Eben leaves for St. Louis on a beautiful Saturday morning. He wears clothes made by Aunt Pretty, and his father gives him some money. Eben promises his aunt he will always return to see her. As the family drives to the train station, Eben sees the whole community on the road wishing him a nice journey. Eben and Jeb say, “See you soon” (210), and Eben knows he will miss him.
Chapters 9-11 Analysis
As Eben tries to find the seventh and final wonder, his journey is challenged by a sudden turn of events that constitutes the novel’s climax. He must postpone his trip to Colorado due to an influenza epidemic, losing the incentive that instigated his journey. Momentarily, Eben also loses his faith, contesting his discoveries’ value: “Maybe they weren’t Wonders after all” (181). Eben has not yet “figured out how an applehead doll measured up to a pyramid or a musical saw […] to the Hanging Gardens of Babylon” (181), which suggests that Eben must explore the meaning of wonder to complete his journey.
In this, Eben finds encouragement from his father and aunt. Aunt Pretty prompts him to share his discoveries; she and his father learn unknown details about their town or stories they had forgotten, emphasizing the significance of Eben’s quest to the broader community. Moreover, as Eben illuminates the lives of people in Sassafras Springs, he motivates his aunt to share her own personal “wonder”: the dolls that serve as a memento of her childhood friend. The emphasis on childhood as a source of “wonder” again underscores The Importance of Imagination in Childhood. At the same time, the moment facilitates a shift in Eben’s viewpoint. While he still believes in big things as wonders, he realizes that the stories he discovered were “each in [their] own way […] a one-of-a-kind-marvel” (182). Eben’s conclusion emphasizes that wonders can be found in small and ordinary places—that all people’s lives have value and meaning—and reinforces his determination to complete his quest.
The final story highlights the theme of Finding a Sense of Place while completing Eben’s journey. Now motivated only by curiosity and appreciation for Sassafras Springs, Eben resolves to discover a final wonder and finds a magical wooden miniature that mysteriously features scenes from the past, present, and future. The carving reflects Eben’s reimagining of home and suggests his newfound bond with the town. As he sees his future self leaving home, his feelings are mixed: “Seeing myself walking down that road with no one stopping me made me feel kind of funny inside. Glad and sad and kind of lonely” (195). While Eben still desires to travel, a sense of belonging has taken the place of his initial feelings of boredom and limitation. Ultimately, Eben realizes that even a small town like Sassafras Springs has value and meaning: “I was only looking for big things […]. But a small thing can be a prize too” (195).
This understanding of the value of simple things establishes Eben’s growth, and the novel rewards him for it: While he cannot travel to Colorado, his father suggests he visit other relatives in St. Louis. Eben embraces the idea, knowing now he can find wonders anywhere: “So there it was: St. Louis, Missouri! There had to be some Wonders of the World there” (201). Eben is now truly ready to explore the world because he is motivated by a sense of connection with his immediate surroundings, wherever those happen to be.
The scene of Eben’s departure for St. Louis emphasizes the theme of Fostering Community Through Storytelling. As Eben leaves for the train station, he sees the entire community bidding him farewell: “As the truck coasted down Yellow Dog Road, I was surprised to see so many people out” (207). Eben’s quest for extraordinary stories has revitalized the town, bringing the community together. As Eben embarks on a new journey, he has the support of his community, which reinforces his feeling of home even as he physically departs. Whereas at the start of the novel, Eben longed for faraway places, he is now certain he will return to his hometown. In particular, Eben’s exchange with Jeb—the promise to “see [him] soon” (209)—emphasizes his bond with the community, which empowers him to embark on a new journey of discovery.
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By Betty G. Birney
