Wish You Well

By: David Baldacci

Narrated by: Norma Lana, David Baldacci

Length: 9 hrs and 50 mins

Publisher's summary

It is 1940 and a tragedy sends Lou and her little brother, Oz, along with their invalid mother, from New York City to the rugged mountains of Southwest Virginia to live with their great-grandmother. The story is told with both heartbreaking elegance and large doses of touching humor as the lives of Lou and Oz are changed forever.

The portraits of the land and its people are described with an extraordinary eye for detail, and the story flows through swells of prejudice, innocence, faith, and the question of whether one can ever really wish another well. The climactic courtroom battle is as unpredictable as it is relentless and will not only decide the fates of Lou, Oz, and their mother, but also those they have touched.

©2000 Columbus Rose, Ltd (P)2000 Hachette Audio

Critic reviews

"Richly textured." (Library Journal)
"Baldacci triumphs with his best novel yet, an utterly captivating drama." (Publishers Weekly)

one of my top ten stories of all time...out of a

This was an absolutely wonderful novel. It's a novel that I read out loud to my two girls when they were young. That said, let me say that I really like David Baldaccis novels when he writes outside of his genre .I like his other novels too! Wish You Well was special though.The premise of the book was unique in that it takes place through a young girls experiences with loss,adapting,love , friendship and.... the mystery of life around her.There are no patent plots here, suprises abound with twists and turns. Know that it was an emotionally challenging book for all of us. My husband was also hanging around a lot to listen in and the deeper in the book we got the longer he hung out! This book is in our top ten of all time( there are more than ten now ,but we are in the thousands). When my youngest was asked by Reading Rainbow (she was 5 ish)...."what's your favorite book young lady?" ...she responded "Wish You Well, by David Baldacci.' That stopped everyone. When asked about the book she told them about the plot ...now they became speechless. This isn't written for children. Believe me it's an adult novel. And absolutely lovely.

I just came by this author by accident!

I found The Christmas Train book at work. I just wanted to read more by David Baldacci.

Excellent on all counts.

This is a well told story placed in southwest Virginia that is time well spent particularly for those that enjoy historical fiction. Thoroughly enjoyed and highly recommend.

Excellent story!

Enjoyed it just as much or more hearing it read as I did when I actually read the book. Thank you Mr. Baldacci.

Wonderful book!

Would you consider the audio edition of Wish You Well to be better than the print version?

The narration was captivating.

What was one of the most memorable moments of Wish You Well?

The entire book was a well woven tale.

Which character – as performed by Norma Lana and David Baldacci – was your favorite?

The main character Lou was my favorite, who tells the tale through the eyes of a young girl.

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

The climactic ending.

Wonderful story of a family’s struggle with life after loss

This is easily the best story I’ve ever read. The characters are so real and their lives so believable it was hard to take a break from reading. It will make a great movie, although there has never been a movie based on a book that could match the greatness of that book. I hope this one can come close. I especially enjoyed the author’s prologues after the story ended. It was a great accounting of our lives we live here and now.

Hallmark...here's a potential movie

Would make a great Hallmark movie . Has all the makings...predictable but still a well told story.

A Dramatic Change for Baldacci

In this novel, he returns to the place where he grew up. He leaves to become an award winning writer and never returns. After a tragic accident, his family goes to live with their great grandmother in the same house where their father lived. Life is rough. People are poor. But there are many lessons to learn.

Beautifully Written

The story is captivating and revitalizing. The writing itself is unique and majestic. I felt the environment of the story surround me as I listened, as if I were right there alongside the characters throughout each page and chapter.

Wonderful Story...average narrator.

This was such a wonderful journey through the lives, and emotions of the characters within. I was deeply moved, several times, and appreciated the honesty with which the story was told. The narrator, while having a lovely voice, did not do justice to the dialect of the mountain people. That was a bit of a detraction, at times, but still well worth the listen.