1996 was the year that changed everything for Maggie Dawes. Sent away at sixteen to live with an aunt she barely knew in Ocracoke, a remote village on North Carolina’s Outer Banks, she could think only of the friends and family she left behind . . . until she meets Bryce Trickett, one of the few teenagers on the island. Handsome, genuine, and newly admitted to West Point, Bryce gradually shows her how much there is to love about the wind-swept beach town—and introduces her to photography, a passion that will define the rest of her life.

By 2019, Maggie is a renowned travel photographer. She splits her time between running a successful gallery in New York and photographing remote locations around the world. But this year she is unexpectedly grounded over Christmas, struggling to come to terms with a sobering medical diagnosis. Increasingly dependent on a young assistant, she finds herself becoming close to him.

As they count down the last days of the season together, she begins to tell him the story of another Christmas, decades earlier—and the love that set her on a course she never could have imagined.

Review:

Pensive, absorbing, and profoundly moving!

The Wish is a beautifully written, touching novel that takes us into the life of Maggie Dawes as she spends her last Christmas savouring all the little things, enjoying time with those she loves, reaping as much pleasure and joy out of each day, and having no regrets before her battle with cancer comes to an end.

The prose is eloquent and reflective. The characters are strong, compassionate, and endearing. And the plot is a compelling, highly emotional tale of life, love, friendship, kindness, generosity, honesty, humour, contemplation, and acceptance.

Overall, The Wish is a charming, insightful, bittersweet tale by Sparks that, unlike most of his books that usually make me a little teary, this one absolutely slayed me. I think there was more than once when tears were trickling down my face. However, saying that this is the most exquisite, good for the soul story I’ve read in a while, and I do hope everyone grabs a few tissues and picks this one up in any version, as the audiobook narrators, Mela Lee and Will Collyer are fabulous, and spends a few hours immersed in a story that is guaranteed to remind you that life is short and every moment is truly precious.

This novel is available now.

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