‘THE WISHING TREE,’ BY MARYBETH WHALEN
THOUGHTS: Novels seeped in an emotional trauma deal in lots of fallout. The Wishing Tree is, mostly, a “good” novel full of second chances and forgiveness. I like Marybeth’s ability to write a heart-tugging story in a good setting; these pretty descriptive surroundings backdrop the characters. While the setting may be a haven, the story isn’t quite. It’s a story that follows Ivy Marshall who discovers a cheating spouse (just when she leaves for her sister’s wedding, no less). These types of stories need to be carefully written. Particularly those on the Christian market. For myself as a single girl, I have definite opinions on the “right” and “wrong” of an affair. Whalen certainly takes care with the subject.
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‘THE WISHING TREE,’ BY MARYBETH WHALEN #FWarchives Share on XSomething that furthers the story in a positive way is the relationship between Shea (Ivy’s sister) and her fiancé Owen. There’s flaws, and may leave some readers questioning her saying ‘I do’ to Owen however I see it as genuinely acceptable. Leah is also a charming characters; she’s probably the most consistent one of the bunch. The tradition around which this novel centers is sweet, too. Relevant to culture, I enjoyed the Twitter angle the story plays up no matter how small, however the good probably doesn’t outweigh the questions.
What I Don’t Like
Once the novel draws to a close and it’s transparently obvious who will give out a second chance, sticking with Ivy’s point-of-view seems logical choice still I miss the lack of a boy-girl POV switch-off. Especially since the middle of the novel lags in interest which I ascribe to a one-person perspective. A reader can only find interest in a characters “lies” and regret of doing so or their conscious being troubled for so long (it gets repetitive) before something has got to give. In this case, it’s at the expense of the main protagonist. Instead of being someone we can applaud, she morphs into the victim who uses her husband as the “excuse” for her attitude instead of her being more proactive.
Whalen also plays a dangerous game with Ivy trying to spark up a relationship with an ex-fiancé again. His actions deserve praise, hers are often just on the edge of going “too far.”
Conclusion
By the time I turn the last page of this novel, my mind had run the gauntlet of emotions on this one; I felt like I had a love/hate relationship with it. Starting out, I really did like it. The story is easy to read and I accepted Ivy’s reactions early on. When her lies, flirting and unnecessary “confusion” factor into chapter after chapter, I begin to feel less care for what would eventually happen. Feeling empty at the end of a book is not something any reader wishes for.
About the Book
Author: Marybeth Whalen
Publisher: Zondervan
Publication Date: 2013
Genre: Fiction; Contemporary
Shop the Book: Bookshop.org | Goodreads
Rating: 3.5 out of 5
With thanks to Booksneeze and the publisher for providing a complimentary copy of this book for reviewing purposes
It's not easy to have mixed feelings over a book, is it? I've read stories and felt the same way and then to try to describe exactly why I feel that way? Can be very hard!
I haven't been able to convince myself to try this one yet. Not on account of your review, I felt this way before. And it's nothing even against Ms. Whalen, because I don't think I've read any of her books before. Stories dealing with divorce and affairs, etc, I tend to be careful about reading. Or I try to be anyway. Perhaps the cons you mentioned were part of my hesitancy. Either way, I'll probably not read this one right now.
But nicely written review! :)
Funny you should mention steering clear of stories dealing with affairs or divorces because I was just reading a conversation about the topic. I don't take issue with divorces (most of the time) so long as it's not because a character "felt like it" – or in other words, so long as the author puts it into the story for a reason (like the woman was being mistreated or their was an affair, etc.). To clarify, I don't believe in divorce because I think that a relationship should be approached differently than society says, so when I "date," I'm not going to take it lightly.
Affairs on the other hand, I am a harsh critic of.
Oh, gosh, it's hard when a readers reaction is so mixed at the end. Usually the scales tip more one way or another – either I "mostly" liked a book, or mostly didn't. This one baffled me. I shouldn't have liked it as well as I did, yet there was something "interesting" and compelling in part about the premise. Basically, I don't think Ivy was a great leading lady, and that was disappointing.
Thanks for reading, Kara!
O boo! Great review though.
I know – my reaction also, Juju. Started out great, then sort of fizzled out. *sigh* Never a fun ending.
Rissi – Great review! I too had mixed feelings, and my review (posted earlier today) reflects it. I felt like it was all jumbled. You, however, seem to have put into words what I was trying to say … but couldn't quite figure out how. :)
Hey, Brooke! Thanks for stopping by. :) Didn't see your review, so now, of course, I will be coming by to see it – and I am sure you summed it all up just fine. Been wondering if any more reviews for this one would show up as I think it wasn't a popular choice in our book circles. Thanks for reading!