While on assignment in Eastern Europe, a U.S. journalist, Claire, learns of the legend of The Thirteenth Gift. The deceptively simple fable about the gift of wonder has a profound effect on Claire. It transformers her marriage, work, and the way she sees the world. The Thirteenth Gift invites readers to renew their own sense of wonderment, which can lead to freedom from fear and a greater experience of hope, beauty, and joy in daily life. It is also a cautionary tale that shows a way through the perilous consequences of greed, arrogance, and abuse of power to an uplifted state of consciousness and community. Like the message of The Twelve Gifts of Birth, this novella from Charlene Costanzo reminds readers to see the dignity that is inherent in themselves and others.