Alternate Selection of the Crossings Christian Book Club; Librarian's Choice Fiction 2004, Public Library of Cincinnati and Hamilton County 2003 Readers Choice Award, Salt Lake County Library
"...Nashvillian J. Belinda Yandell has taken a simple storyline, invested it with imagination and compelling characters, and created an inspiring tale of lives transformed.... A heart-warming tale that appeals to both old and young, male and female, Small Change convinces listeners that even small change can lead to big changes. Take the time to listen to this audio book. You'll find it worthwhile." (This review is based on the audio book of this title.) —Sue McClure, Book Editor of The Tennessean
"People who lead secret lives can be fascinating, but when Penny Burford's secret life is revealed, it is not only fascinating but a joy and a discovery that will enrich the life of each person who reads this wonderful book."— Earl Hamner, creator of The Waltons
"Small Change is a little book with a great big heart, the story of a woman who has something important to say to us all. I want to read it aloud to my family at Christmas. Maybe every Christmas." —Linda Ellerbee
"I will never again be able to ignore a penny lying on the ground again as long as I live... Everyone I know who has read this book loves it."—Kathryn Smith, Anderson (SC) Independent Mail
"Each year there seems to be one book that stands out as the perfect holiday fiction for stocking stuffers or to add to the neighbor's goodie basket. For Christmas 2002, I predict that book will be Small Change: The Secret Life of Penny Burford... Yandell has created a charming tale which shows the power of small change when collected over time, "it's what you do with it that counts."— Joyce Dixon, Southern Scribe Reviews
Roy Burford is a gruff, domineering man, but he has only one habit that his long-suffering wife, Penny, will admit annoys her: the way he empties his pockets all over the house. For years, Penny has patiently scooped up the change and dumped it into an ugly brass ashtray on his dresser. Roy is a good husband, but he can pinch a nickel until Thomas Jefferson hollers uncle. He carries a crisp one hundred-dollar bill in his wallet that he never spends. Yet he bristles when Penny offers to roll the coins... no wife of his needs to waste time rolling mere pennies! One day, in 1965, Penny picks up a nickel and, instead of adding it to the pile of coins in the ashtray, she drops it into the pocket of her housedress. The next day, she takes a quarter. Penny has never kept a secret from her husband. But as her horde of his castaway change grows, she discovers that money of her own gives her the power to choose. Though she begins with something as small as a furtive trip to a fast food restaurant in her Georgia town, Penny Burford finds that small change can eventually lead to big changes.
Small Change is available at Amazon.com in hardcover, paperback and Kindle.
