Book Description:
Sometimes you have to hit the bottom before you can float to the top.
Maria Birch is seventy years old and, for her, every week is the same.
On Monday, she does her weekly shop. On Tuesday, she goes for a blow-dry. On Wednesday, she visits the laundrette. But Thursday is her favourite day of all – everything hurts less on a Thursday.
Every Thursday Maria walks to her local café. Waiting for her at one of the red gingham-topped tables is Albie Young, a charming man with a twinkle in his eye and an impressive collection of tweed flat caps. Every week, the pair share a slice of marble cake and a pot of tea.
Except, one week, Albie doesn’t turn up.
When Maria finds out what has happened, her perfectly ordered life is ripped apart at the seams. Suddenly, she is very lonely. Without her Thursday friend – her only friend – she no longer has the energy to circle the weekly TV listings, she has no reason to leave her apartment, no reason to laugh.
Then she discovers that Albie isn’t who she thought he was, and she’s left wondering if she knew her friend at all. But Albie has left behind a legacy – a handwritten list of wishes he never got the chance to complete.
Maria is resigned to facing the rest of her days heartbroken and alone. But fulfilling Albie’s wishes could hold the key to her happiness – if only she’s able to look past his secret…
This life-affirming and heartfelt tale is for anyone who has ever looked at their life and wanted more. Fans of Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine and The Keeper of Lost Things will love this poignant story, which shows us that for the truest loves, the end is never really the end…
My Thoughts:
As soon as I read the description for this novel I knew it was one I had to read. It promised to be a wonderful and heartwarming story and it delivered on both counts.
Wow, this is one of those books that I could probably waffle on for hours about how much I loved it. It really was that good. Even then I don’t think it would do it the justice it deserved. My only wish is that I would have loved to have seen a bit of Albie when he was alive. In his passing though, he lives a legacy of which I think a lot of us can learn from. He is one truly remarkable man.
Maria, gosh, what a wonderful character she is. In fact all the characters stand out in their own way in this novel. Each one, making their impression on my heart. Maria to start with is quite a shy, retiring type of lady, keeping herself to herself. Albie’s wish list though sees her coming out of her shell and I felt like a proud mother watching her blossom. I loved getting to know her and the other characters better.
The Wish List is a truly inspiring and endearing read. It left me on a high, wanting to go out and do good in the world. Any book that leaves you feeling like that has to be good in my eyes. There is definitely a lot to be learned from Albie and I think if everyone made more effort to perform acts of kindness each day, even just one, the world would be such a better place. I read the last part of the story through a blur of tears of happiness and what could have been’s. A beautiful story with characters that have stolen my mind and heart.
The Wish List is available to purchase from Amazon.
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