The Ponder Heart by Eudora Welty is a 1954 novella originally published in The New Yorker magazine the year before it appeared in book form. Two years later, it was staged as a Broadway play. In 2001, it was also adapted into a made-for-television film for PBS.

Narrated by Edna Earle Ponder, it’s the story of her uncle, Daniel Ponder, a sweet man who is considered a bit “slow.” He has inherited a hefty fortune from his father and  wants to give it away.

This plan, not surprisingly, is opposed by the extended family. The book was widely praised when released; here are two typical reviews of this darkly comical gem from Eudora Welty: Read More→