Wish You Well (novel)

Last updated
Wish You Well
Wish You Well - baldacci - bookcover.jpg
Hardcover edition
Author David Baldacci
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish
Genre Historical, Crime novel
Publisher Warner Books
Publication date
June 30, 2001
Media typePrint (hardback & paperback)
Pages365 pp (first edition, hardback)
ISBN 0-446-61010-0 (first edition, hardback)
OCLC 48103353

Wish You Well is a novel written by David Baldacci. [1] [2] First published in 2001, the story starts with the Cardinal family planning to move from New York to California due to money problems, then shifts to the mountains of Virginia after a car accident leaves the father dead and the mother in a catatonic state. The time period is in the 1940s.

Contents

The novel was made into a 2013 theatrical film scripted by Baldacci and starring Mackenzie Foy and Ellen Burstyn as a granddaughter and grandmother. Foy and Burstyn both portrayed the character "Murph," at radically different ages, in the film Interstellar the following year.

Characters

Louisa "Lou" Cardinal – the protagonist of the story. Lou is a 12-year-old girl whose world is thrown into chaos when her father, whom she is very attached to, is killed, and her mother stuck in a comatose state. She eventually goes to live with her great-grandmother, and experiences a completely different lifestyle. She is strong-willed, tough, and a little arrogant, quick to take (and sometimes to give) offense, and very thoughtful and almost openly critical. Still, deep in, she is caring and willing to make sacrifices for those around her.

Oscar "Oz" Cardinal – Lou's younger brother. Oz is 7 years old, and is very attached to his mother. When she lands in a catatonic state, he has constant hope that she will get better. heads in a catatonic state, he grabs every minute hope that she will get better. Eternally optimistic, this character is always very innocent, radiant, and joyful, although easily frightened. Still, he is willing to stand up for those he loves, as he proves in the final court case. Oz matures throughout the novel physically, mentally, and spiritually.

Amanda Cardinal – the mother of Lou and Oz, she is very protective of her children, and makes a great sacrifice for them when she uses her own body as a shield during the fateful accident. Helped by her children, in the end, she finds the strength to struggle out of her coma and plays a key role in moving the jury in court.

Jack Cardinal – the father of Lou and Oz, he is a well known author who tries to do what is best for his family. Always in need of money, he decides to move to California with promises of higher wages. However, that plan is thwarted when he is killed in a car accident. He is seen as grim and determined, much like his daughter, yet also possesses inner kindness.

Louisa Mae Cardinal – the great-grandmother of Lou and Oz. She is very hardy both physically and mentally despite her age, willing to stand up for herself no matter what the opponent, and acts as caretaker of the children. She is demanding, yet in return gives all that anyone could want. She has an almost endless source of wisdom, and advises the children in many predicaments. In the end, though, she falls victim to a stroke and dies.

Eugene "Hell No" Randall – Louisa's right-hand man. He is the main workforce on the farm. Originally displayed as a mysterious person who never speaks, he turns out to be very considerate and focused, always on task and helpful.

Jimmy "Diamond" Skinner – Lou and Oz's best friend, who often takes them on various adventures. He is fun-loving and brave, seemingly unafraid of anything, going so far as to cross a chasm on a log, crawling under a locomotive that can start at any moment, and going in to save his dog with a stick of burning dynamite, which kills him, not too far away.

George Davis – the main antagonist of the story. He is considered a wealthy farmer, affording to have servants in the field and machines. However, he is ruthless, racist, and uncaring, starving his own children and wife.

Billy Davis – the son of George Davis. He is initially portrayed as an enemy, but he gradually comes to an understanding with Lou and even stands up for them some.

Cotton Longfellow – a lawyer from Boston. He frequently reads to Amanda, hoping that she will eventually recover. He bails out the children on several occasions and shows them around the surrounding small towns. He is the main hope for Louisa's land as he battles out a legal case with Thurston Goode, a renowned lawyer.

Plot summary

The story starts out with the Cardinal family going on a trip to relieve them from some unknown stress. On the way back, it is revealed that the Cardinal family plans to move to California, due to financial concerns. Jack Cardinal is an acclaimed but underpaid writer, and plans to move with promises of higher pay. However, Amanda, his wife, is opposed to the idea, stating that they would not be happy and that Jack would not be free to write as he pleases, being controlled by the movie studios. Seeing that the children seem asleep, they battle it out.

Eventually, a violent outburst awakes Lou, a young girl who greatly admires her father. She tries to stop the argument multiple times by offering a story, but Jack is undeterred. Meanwhile, Oz, Lou's timid little brother is also awakened. Both Amanda and Lou hurry to comfort him, while simultaneously being calmed. As the argument further escalates, none of the passengers notice a man in the middle of the road, blocking their way. Jack turns the car just in time to avoid killing the man, but then loses all control. The car rolls, and when it stops, Jack is dead. Amanda faints.

The story then shifts forward to the funeral, where it is discovered that Amanda is now in a catatonic state. Lou overhears two men discussing the fate of the children, and offers the idea of moving in with their great-grandmother in the mountains of Virginia, Louisa Mae. The men accept the offer, and the two children, a nurse, and their mother head off.

When they arrive at the station, an African-American man picks them up and drives them through a series of towns, each more sparsely populated than the one previous. Soon they pick up a boy, who introduces both himself and their driver. Afterwards, he leaves to fish, and the others continue on towards Louisa's house.

Once there, Lou starts a completely new life, learning different chores and helping with the farm. In return, they achieve a comfortable, yet poor lifestyle.

Diamond, the boy they picked up, starts playing a bigger role, often taking the children out on adventures, showing them things such as a little collection of items, a wishing well, a danger-filled shortcut to the city, his version of constellations and the like. Eugene, the "mute" that drove the car, is also revealed as an honest man that will stand up for what is right. At around the same time, Cotton Longfellow, a lawyer, shows up, and offers to read to Amanda in hopes that she would get better.

Then, a mysterious offer from Southern Valley, a coal and gas company, comes in, offering Louisa $100,000 for her land. She refuses, but receives pressure from her neighbors, who have also received the offer but is told that their land is useless without Louisa's.

Then, a series of incidents occurs. Diamond dies in a dynamite explosion, killed trying to save his dog. Louisa's barn is burned to the ground in the middle of the night, causing her to suffer a stroke. George Davis, a wealthy but hateful farmer, goes into Louisa's land in search of something.

Southern Valley comes back with an offer of 5 times the original, but is now refused by Cotton. It is then revealed that a court case is to ensue.

Southern Valley is represented by Thurston Goode, a renowned lawyer from Richmond. He and Cotton each have several goes at the jury at a very eventful court case. In the end, however, Southern Valley wins, but Amanda comes in, supported by her children, and the book ends with her getting back the land Louisa fought so hard to protect.

In the book's epilogue, in which Lou is in her golden age, she writes that after the trial, Cotton and her mother married the following year, and soon afterwards he adopted the children. Oz became a star Major League baseball pitcher and later retired to become a school teacher. Eugene built his own farm, married and raised a family, and remained good friends with Lou. Lou states that, like her father, she left the mountains to become a famous writer, but she, unlike Jack, returned years later to live out the rest of her life at the family home.

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">David Baldacci</span> American novelist (born 1960)

David Baldacci is an American novelist. An attorney by education, Baldacci writes mainly suspense novels and legal thrillers.

<i>Flowers in the Attic</i> 1979 novel by V. C. Andrews

Flowers in the Attic is a 1979 Gothic novel by V. C. Andrews. It is the first book in the Dollanganger series, and was followed by Petals on the Wind, If There Be Thorns, Seeds of Yesterday, Garden of Shadows, Christopher's Diary: Secrets of Foxworth, Christopher's Diary: Echoes of Dollanganger, and Christopher's Diary: Secret Brother. The novel is written in the first person, from the point of view of Cathy Dollanganger. It was twice adapted into films in 1987 and 2014. The book was extremely popular, selling over 40 million copies world wide.

The Oz Kids is an American direct-to-video animated fantasy comedy-drama series produced by Hyperion Animation based on The Wizard of Oz, L. Frank Baum's 1900 children's novel, and its various sequels. Nine episodes were released between October 1, 1996 and February 18, 1997 by Paramount Home Video.

<i>The Wonderful Wizard of Oz</i> (TV series) 1986 TV series

The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, known in Japan as Ozu no Mahōtsukai (オズの魔法使い), is a Japanese anime television series adaptation based on four of the original early 20th century Oz books by L. Frank Baum. In Japan, the series aired on TV Tokyo from 1986 to 1987. It consists of 52 episodes, which explain other parts of the Oz stories, including the events that happened after Dorothy returned home.

<i>Petals on the Wind</i> Novel by V. C. Andrews

Petals on the Wind is a novel written by V. C. Andrews in 1980. It is the second book in the Dollanganger series. The timeline takes place from the siblings' successful escape in November 1960 to the fall of 1975. The book, like the others in the series, was a number one best-seller in North America in the early 1980s. In 2014, it was adapted into a Lifetime original movie.

<i>Homecoming</i> (novel) 1981 novel by Cynthia Voigt

Homecoming is a 1981 young adult novel by American children's author Cynthia Voigt. It is the first of seven novels in the Tillerman Cycle. It was adapted into a television film.

The Branning family, together with the Jackson family are a fictional extended family in the BBC soap opera EastEnders. Introduced in 1993 were the Jackson family, consisting of Carol Jackson, her partner and later husband Alan Jackson, and Carol's four children, Bianca Jackson, Sonia Jackson, Robbie Jackson, and Billie Jackson ; he is the only child fathered by Alan. The family becomes a more dominating presence in 1999, when Carol's father Jim Branning moves to Walford following the death of his wife Reenie due to cancer. Since then, all six of Jim's children have appeared, many of them with their own families.

<i>Heartland</i> (Canadian TV series) Canadian family drama television series

Heartland is a Canadian family comedy-drama television series which debuted in Canada on CBC Television and originally in the United States on The CW Plus syndication on October 14, 2007. Since 2010, the series moved first-run to Up TV, but still continues to air in reruns on the latter channel as a part the service's weekend schedule.

<i>According to Greta</i> 2009 film by Nancy Bardawil

According to Greta is a 2009 American drama film directed by Nancy Bardawil and starring Hilary Duff, Evan Ross, Melissa Leo, Michael Murphy, and Ellen Burstyn.

<i>Main Street</i> (novel series) Childrens novel series by Ann M. Martin

Main Street is a children's novel series by Ann M. Martin aiming at age group 8–12. It was published between 2007 and 2011. The story revolves around two sisters, Ruby and Flora Northrop, who move to the small town Camden Falls to live with their grandmother after the sudden death of their parents. The books tell us about the girls' new journey and adaptation in a new town and new people with old memories, and some with rather dubious ones. There, they make new friends like Olivia and Nikki. Olivia's grandmother owns a store with Ruby's and Flora's grandmother.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">A Good Man Is Hard to Find (short story)</span> Short story by Flannery OConnor

"A Good Man Is Hard to Find" is a Southern gothic short story first published in 1953 by author Flannery O'Connor who, in her own words, described it as "the story of a family of six which, on its way driving to Florida [from Georgia], is slaughtered by an escaped convict who calls himself the Misfit".

<i>Special Delivery</i> (novel)

Special Delivery (1997) is a romantic novel written by Danielle Steel.

<i>Jack and Jill: A Village Story</i> 1880 childrens novel by Louisa May Alcott

Jack and Jill: A Village Story by Louisa May Alcott is a children's book originally serialized in St. Nicholas magazine December 1879-October 1880 and belongs to the Little Women Series. Parts of it were written during the death of May Nieriker. The novel takes place in the fictionalized New England town of Harmony Village. Jack and Jill is the story of two good friends named Jack and Janey and tells of the aftermath of a serious sledding accident. After publication, the novel received reviews comparing it to Little Women and praising its portrayal of reality, while other reviews criticized its romance.

<i>The Land of Stories</i> Book series by Chris Colfer

The Land of Stories is a series of children's fiction, adventure, and fantasy books written by American author, actor, and singer Chris Colfer. The first book, The Wishing Spell, was released on July 17, 2012, with the sixth and final book published in July 2017. Colfer started plans for a prequel series in 2016, and has since published three books in this series, beginning with A Tale of Magic... in 2019.

Martin Fowler (<i>EastEnders</i>) Fictional character from EastEnders

Martin Fowler is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera EastEnders. The character was played by Jon Peyton-Price from Martin's introduction 1985 until 1996, and by James Alexandrou from 1996 until 2007. When Alexandrou took over the role, Martin became part of the regular cast, and was featured in prominent storylines such as sleeping with Sonia Jackson and getting her pregnant with their daughter Chloe/Bex Fowler ; developing a romantic crush on Zoe Slater, which is not reciprocated, killing Sonia’s former fiancé Jamie Mitchell after running him over in his car, which results in Martin being imprisoned for Jamie's death and subsequently feuding with Jamie’s relative Phil Mitchell ; enduring a problematic marriage with Sonia after their wedding; being stalked by Sarah Cairns, and coping with the deaths of both his brother Mark Fowler and their mother Pauline Fowler. Alexandrou quit the role in 2006, and Martin departed on 2 February 2007.

Wish You Well is a 2013 family film directed by Darnell Martin, written by David Baldacci from his 2001 novel of the same name, and starring Mackenzie Foy, Josh Lucas and Ellen Burstyn and JP Vanderloo. The movie is set in rural Virginia and follows Lou and her younger brother Oz who are forced to move to their great grandmother's farm following a tragic accident which killed their father and severely injured their mother.

<i>Mr and Mrs Bo Jo Jones</i> 1967 novel by Ann Head

Mr and Mrs Bo Jo Jones is a 1967 novel written by Ann Head. It was initially marketed to an adult audience but was marketed as a young adult novel for its paperback release the following year. The work, along with S.E. Hinton's The Outsiders, is credited with launching new realism in young adult literature.

References

  1. "Wish You Well by David Baldacci". www.publishersweekly.com. 23 October 2000. Retrieved 2023-09-19.
  2. WISH YOU WELL | Kirkus Reviews.

"Baldacci triumphs with his best novel yet, an utterly captivating drama." (Starred review)