The Wish by Nicholas Sparks

With exclusive travel photos and a special letter from the Author, only available for e-readers.

From the author of The Longest Ride and The Return comes a novel about the enduring legacy of first love, and the decisions that haunt us forever.

1996 was the year that changed everything for Maggie Dawes. Sent away at sixteen to live with an aunt she barely knew in Ocracoke, a remote village on North Carolina’s Outer Banks, she could think only of the friends and family she left behind . . . until she met Bryce Trickett, one of the few teenagers on the island. Handsome, genuine, and newly admitted to West Point, Bryce showed her how much there was to love about the wind-swept beach town—and introduced her to photography, a passion that would define the rest of her life.

By 2019, Maggie is a renowned travel photographer. She splits her time between running a successful gallery in New York and photographing remote locations around the world. But this year she is unexpectedly grounded over Christmas, struggling to come to terms with a sobering medical diagnosis. Increasingly dependent on a young assistant, she finds herself becoming close to him.

As they count down the last days of the season together, she begins to tell him the story of another Christmas, decades earlier—and the love that set her on a course she never could have imagined.

My Review

This book was a profound read but an incredible story. I wasn’t sure what to expect, but I enjoyed the tale’s simplicity. It covers everything from teenage pregnancy and love to an unexpected surprise. I eventually did get over the time jumps as the story evolved and enjoyed the retelling of the past. The characters are endearing, and the setting is fantastic.

This book begins in the past December 2019 in Manhattan. Maggie is a successful travel photographer. This book contains a narrative with many conversations remarks on her life while she lives out her final days.

We jump back to 1995 in Ocracoke, North Carolina. We get a lot of backstory about an unexpected time in her life. But not sure what it has to do with the present, but I did enjoy the teenage perspectives.

We jump back to the current day in this book in New York. We seem to bounce back and forth between her childhood in Ocracoke and her last few months in New York. One minute she is an esteemed photographer. The next is a sixteen-year-old girl with an accidental pregnancy struggling in high school and isolated on an island. However, she seems to have fond memories of her life.

This book begins endearing and a tragic love story as she recounts her past and time on Ocracoke Island. This book does take a turn as a secret is revealed. It also becomes an enchanting life story of love, loss, and hope. I honestly wasn’t sure what to expect with this read, but it was a profound story. I also loved how the author wrapped it up, including pictures of himself and his own travels.

If you would like to read The Wish by Nicholas Sparks you can find this book on Amazon. As an Amazon Associate, I earn on qualifying purchases.

If you like this book you may also enjoy books with these tags and categories Small Town, Contemporary Romance, and Accidental Pregnancy.