Twenty Wishes

From Publishers WeeklyMacomber returns to Seattle's fictional Blossom Street of A Good Yarn (and others) for a hopeful tale of four widows who meet at 38-year-old Anne Marie Roche's bookstore. Separated from her husband after he refused to have a baby with her, Anne Marie felt certain they would reconcile—until he suddenly died. Lillie Higgins lost her husband in the same plane crash that claimed the husband of their daughter, Barbie Foster. Elise Beaumont entered widowhood after cancer claimed her husband. Together, the four make life-fulfillment wish lists. With Elise's prodding, Anne Marie decides to fulfill one of her wishes—do good for someone else—and becomes a lunch buddy to an at-risk third grader. Anne Marie, meanwhile, must deal with the reappearance of her adult stepdaughter, Melissa, who always held her in disdain. Elise mainly serves as a catalyst for Anne Marie's journey, but there is plenty of focus on Lillian and Barbie, who find purpose in unexpected and difficult relationships. Though stilted dialogue can pull readers out of the moment, Macomber's assured storytelling and affirming narrative is as welcoming as your favorite easy chair. (May) Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. From BooklistMacomber brings her readers back to Seattle’s Blossom Street and quickly whisks us into the lives of its inhabitants. This tale begins on Valentine’s Day at Anne Marie Roche’s bookstore when four widows—Anne Marie, Elise, Lillie, and her daughter, Barbie, members of one of her book groups—decide to celebrate friendship together. One of them brings up the idea of making a list of wishes: things they’ve secretly wanted to accomplish but never did. However hesitant they might be at first, as the women complete their lists, they begin to embrace the idea of making each wish a fact. Anne Marie, especially, has had a hard time coming to terms with the death of her older husband and for almost a year has holed up inside her store and herself. Her wishes are fulfilled in ways she’d never imagine. Witnessing her rebirth is a joy to behold. Even the most hard-hearted readers will find themselves rooting for the women in this hopeful story while surreptitiously wiping away tears and making their own lists of wishes. --Maria Hatton