Wishin' and Hopin'...a Novel by Wally Lamb

When you read an author for the first time and you fall in love, you feel as if you hit the author jackpot. Well, if you're anything like me you do. There are so many authors out there today and when I find one whose name I remember I know that they must be good.


That describes Wally Lamb to me. An author who can wrap me into his words, his stories, his pages. The first novel that I read by him was She's Come Undone. It was fabulous and I still remember it to this day--I can't tell you how many years ago that I read this book, but for me to remember it today? That is saying something about Wally Lamb as an author.


I am now reading Wally Lamb's novel Wishin' and Hopin'. This book sucked me in from the moment I started reading the first chapter titled Flight.  Love, love, love it! He has an amazing way with words. Such an amazing way that you are drawn in to the book. I have no doubt that I will have the book finished by next week.


Wishin' and Hopin' is about a fifth grade boy growing up in 1964. Ten year old Felix is trying his best to navigate himself through the fifth grade which he finds somewhat hard to do considering that he gets nightmares from scary movies and he bears a striking resemblance to a certain adorable cartoon boy. There are, however, things that young Felix can depend on: the birds and bees are as puzzling as ever, television is magical, and this will be one Christmas that he will never forget.


In the beginning the book starts out by being narrated from the adult Felix. He tells of how in the fifth grade he is the reason for Sister Dymphna's nervous breakdown. I started laughing at his description of her melt down and how she had been mopey since morning prayer. Maybe it's the Catholic in me, but it made laugh even imagining!


I highly recommend this book if you are wanting something festive to get you in the Christmas spirit and if you ever sit and reminisce about holidays from your past. You know the ones you remember--the one where you got that beloved toy, the one where you got a bike, the one where you had strep throat. I think that that is one part of why Christmas is so magical to me, just being able to sit and soak in all of the memories.


If you do decide to check out Wishin' and Hopin' I don't think you will be disappointed one bit. Let me know if you decide to check it out!

Wally Lamb is also the author of many successful novels such as She's Come Undone and I Know This Much is True, both of which made it to the New York Time's bestsellers list and Oprah picked them both for her Book Club. He resides in Connecticut with his family.