Some call him cheesy. Or maudlin. Or even a misogynist (that was me). But even so, Nicholas Sparks remains one of our most gifted writers. His novels of love and loss are universal, embroidered with the kind of idiosyncratic details that make you feel like you're there. And his latest, The Wish, takes us on the most off-the-beaten-path journey yet. A frame story told through flashbacks and letters, The Wish jumps seamlessly between the mid '90s and the present to tell a tale that's old-fashioned yet timeless.
When sixteen-year-old Maggie Dawes ends up pregnant, her parents ship her from Seattle to the Outer Banks to live with her aunt, an ex-nun lesbian. Scared and sullen, Maggie finds Ocracoke rundown and boring. But then she gets to know her aunt -- and meets her tutor-to-be, Bryce Trickett. It's her relationships with both -- and seeing the world through Bryce's camera lens -- that transforms Ocracoke into a haven.
Inspired by Bryce's passion for photography, Maggie begins taking her own pictures. And it turns out to be a therapeutic outlet, helping her through her pregnancy the way that painting helped the teens in her aunt's convent:
"I imagined pregnant girls in a bright, airy room in the convent with wildflowers blooming outside. I thought about how they felt as they lifted a brush, adding color and wonder to a blank canvas and feeling -- if only for a brief moment -- that they were like other girls their age, unburdened by past mistakes. And I knew that they felt the same way I did when I stared through the lens, that finding and creating beauty could illuminate even the darkest periods." (229)
Photography evolves into Maggie's North Star, guiding her into the future. At the same time, the events that unfold for her and Bryce elevate coming-of-age angst to a new level. In telling their story, Sparks weaves his magic to celebrate life's fragility.
And although much of this story is indeed sad and dark, his metaphor of photography reminds us that pictures -- like life -- are all about catching the light.
5 comments:
He's still got it! As they say..and you've got some of the best book reviews around too! Thanks so much for this review! & of course, thank you for your comments too.
Oh, it's the battle of the wills. More are getting COVID at work. I work the weekend. And my computer at work crashed and it has been out all week so I have been doing busy work of nothing..practically, but I found out later that someone who just had COVID has it again and so does her daughter. I feel like people are going back to work too quickly who had it. It's like impossible to get tests these days. Sigh, I have chosen to stay home today and tomorrow too.
Besides we have a snow storm on the way too. It is getting ridiculous how Omaha is with the mask mandate. The gov. says no to it..but if you do go out, every store sign is pleading that you wear one..and which I do. Now there is news that the city council wants to fire the new health director who wants people to be safe. Such a crazy time, we are in.
Oh, I so love that last line of your review. Sparks has a way of capturing the best of life's situations. Although, I have to be in a certain mood to read him. Fantastic book review. This might have been the perfect time for him to have a new book out, too.
I hope you are doing well and things are going OK. Just stress here. Hopefully, February will be better. Thanks for the comments. Yet, truly our winter of discontent.
So good to see you reading so many types of genres! What a wonderful review. Yes, Sparks definitely has that spark. I am sure a movie will follow. He certainly has a way of drawing you in.
Meanwhile, I've been all over the Dolls Kills site. Some interesting things! That's for sure. Of course, I even wonder when I will get back to certain stories, myself.
Thanks so much for being here. Stay well! Stay safe!
Wow!!! What an alluring plot, and I love the descriptive quote you included from page 229. I could totally picture it in my head...love writing that paints a picture! The cover matches the theme of photography, too, and "catching the light" - quite literally! It's amazing what art in all forms can inspire within us.
I've never read one of his books, but have seen bits of several movies though. They are tearjerkers.
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