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Valentine’s Day, turned out to be a pivotal day for Anne Marie Roche and some of her widowed friends as they got together to celebrate what had once been a romantic holiday for each of them. As the most recent widow, Anne Marie felt empty and deprived since the thing she wanted most in life, was the thing that had come between she and her husband. In a whimsical mood the widows decided that each should make a list of the things they’d always dreamt of doing but had not yet done in their lives. At the top of Anne Marie’s list was to find one good thing about life; learn to knit; do something good for someone else; and falling in love again. Elise Beaumont suggested to Anne Marie to volunteer as a ‘lunch buddy’ at the local grammar school. Not truly enthusiastic, but willing to give it a try, Anne Marie met 8 year old Ellen who would help Anne Marie, not only make her wishes come true but find some of the best things in life she had all but forgotten existed. *** For any reader who looks for a book to provide the most excellent reading pleasure along with a totally satisfied feeling of fulfillment, they must add Debbie Macomber to the top of their reading list. In reading this story, I am reminded of a bit of advice from a dear friend who once told me, “God hears all your prayers …. Only sometimes he says, “no.”” HE may say “no” to what you want but He may answer them in a way you never would have guessed and Macomber wrote a splendid story in showing just that. Returning to the fictional Blossom Street of Seattle, setting of several other stories, i.e. A GOOD YARN; the SHOP ON BLOSSOM STREET, etc., Macomber introduces Anne Marie Roche who is still reeling from the sudden death of her husband Robert as they were about to reconcile after a brief separation. The separation had been Anne Marie’s idea in order to convince her husband how serious she was to have his child. After his death and age 38, her regret over that ploy and guilt had just about drained the life out of her. Then she and her friends came up with an idea to get themselves all out of the doldrums. Make a wish list, no matter how silly or whimsical, but just make a list and see if they couldn’t make some of their wishes come true. At the top of Anne Marie’s list was a simple wish, find something good about life (or in other words, be happy). By volunteering to be a ‘lunch buddy’, Anne Marie soon found the joy in life, along with finally getting out and “acting” on some of her other wishes. Although Anne Marie and her relationships with young Ellen, as well as her ‘strained’ relationship with step-daughter Melissa were the focus in the story, Macomber filled this book with two other delightful stories that were equally engrossing. The well-to-do mother daughter widows, Lillie and Barbie, who’d both lost their husbands together in a plane accident, were also extremely entertaining as they made their lists. In the most entertaining way, author Debbie Macomber showed them each finding their hearts true desire in the most unlikely of places and not as either of them would have ever expected. Bottom line: If your wish, like Anne Marie’s is to “find something good about life” then just pick up TWENTY WISHES and you’ll find something fantastic. Highly recommended. Marilyn Rondeau - Reviewers International Organization (RIO)
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TWENTY WISHES
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