Introduction

Anne Marie can’t remember when she stopped making wishes, but she suspects that, like so much in her life, it happened unbidden. She certainly doesn’t recall making any of the choices that have left her childless, widowed, and alone at 38. Anne Marie only knows that she needs to find one good thing about life—or she might not have the wherewithal to carry on, despite her successful bookstore on Blossom Street. When Valentine’s Day finds Anne Marie and several friends trying to put a little zest back in their lives, it occurs to her that while none of the women has any need for another to-do list, they could all benefit by making a list of wishes . . . say, 20 wishes. Things they always wanted to do but never did. Anne Marie’s list includes learning to knit, doing good for someone else, and falling love again. Little does she know that one good deed—offering to be a Lunch Buddy of an eight-year-old girl at a local school—will change her life in such a profound way. Wishes, however, are powerful things. And love can come in many shapes and forms. Anne Marie and her friends soon learn that even the wildest of wishes can come true—sometimes in ways you least expect.

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Excerpt

Chapter One

It was six o'clock on Valentine's Day, an hour that should have marked the beginning of a celebration—the way it had when she and Robert were married. When Robert was alive. But tonight, on the most romantic day of the year, thirty-eight-year-old Anne Marie Roche was alone. Turning over the closed sign on the door of Blossom Street Books, she glanced at the Valentine's display with its cutout hearts and pink balloons and the collection of romance novels she didn't read anymore. Then she looked outside. Streetlights flickered on as evening settled over the Seattle neighborhood. ... view entire excerpt...

Discussion Questions

1. Have you ever written a list of wishes for yourself? Anne Marie Roche and the other widows believe that writing down what you want helps you clarify it—and achieve it, too. Based on your own experience, do you agree?



2. Anne Marie had agreed to no children when she married Robert, then she changed her mind. What do you think of her actions—and his? Could they have handled things differently? How would you have advised them?



3. Despite wanting a child in her life and wanting to do “something for someone else,” Anne Marie is initially reluctant to get involved in the Lunch Buddy program. Why do you think this is? What persuaded her to follow through?



4. Volunteering seems to be increasingly popular, especially among women. What do you believe are the reasons for this? Have you ever participated in any volunteer activity? What was it and what did you get out of it?



5. Lillie is in many ways a conventional society matron. What gives her the courage to break out of her restricted, although privileged, life? Do you think she and Hector have a realistic chance at happiness?



6. In what ways is Barbie different from her mother? Why is she drawn to Mark Bassett? Is it despite his resistance to her—or because of it?



7. The relationship between Anne Marie and her stepdaughter, Melissa, undergoes a profound transformation. What exactly brought it about, in your opinion?



8. By the end of the story, Anne Marie finds what she was missing in life. And she finds it in unexpected ways. Do you feel her list of 20 Wishes made this possible? What wishes of yours have been fulfilled—and how?

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