Published: July 28, 2008 03:32 pm            

BOOK REVIEW: Macomber makes you wish for more

In trying to report on the wonderfully written Debbie Macomber tome “Twenty Wishes” to my wife the other day, the best description I could muster on the spot was “a chick flick that’s a book.”

Having had time to ponder that, a simpler turn of phrase comes to mind: Excellent.

I am late to the Macomber party, as the perennially best-selling author has penned more than 100 books over the years. I can see now why her fans remain so loyal.

“Twenty Wishes” is the latest in Macomber’s Blossom Street series and follows 38-year-old Anne Marie Roche, a book store owner whose husband died nine months prior to the opening chapter.

Having nothing else to do Valentine’s Day night, she and three other widows gather to brighten each other’s spirits and, in the process, come up with the 20 wishes idea. Each woman would write down 20 things they always wanted to do in life, then set out to empty that list. Items on the list could be serious — visit Paris with someone you love — or silly — buy red cowboy boots.

While some in the group got started right away — Anne Marie’s 63-year-old friend bought a red convertible within days of their meeting — Anne Marie had a slower start. She was still grieving and trying to piece together a normal life; one of her wishes ended up being “find a reason to live.”

To do so, she became a volunteer at the local elementary school, where she signed up to eat lunch once a week with 8-year-old Ellen, a second-grader who lived with her grandmother. The other women spent their time joining the gym, setting up charities and otherwise finding ways to lighten their hearts.

The “chick flick” description is apt in that you know how this book will end by the halfway point. But that in no way diminishes from the journey you’re taken on to get there. Macomber’s writing combines modern elements — Ellen referenced watching “South Park” at one point, while several characters Googled each other — with heart-felt descriptions of the characters and thorough back stories, almost like each one was personally related to the author.

Several chapters concerning what happens with Ellen and her grandmother, in particular, are emotional enough to warm the coldest heart; I think my office might even have gotten a bit dusty after I read those parts.

If you like to read in any way, you should put “read a Debbie Macomber” on your wish list. I suspect you won’t be disappointed.

Contact editor Paul Laneat 693-1000, ext. 116.



IF YOU READ

• WHAT: “Twenty Wishes”

• BY: Debbie Macomber

• DETAILS: Published by Mira Books, 360 pages

• GRADE: A

        

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