Awarded the Bronze Medal, Coming of Age Category, 2024, Readers Favorite
Editor's Choice, Readers House Magazine Winner of Literary Titan Gold Book Award for Excellence Winner Readers' Favorite Five Star Medallion
A masterfully crafted tale that touches hearts, teaches empathy, and reminds us that friendship comes in unexpected, beautiful forms.
Wishes Are Free
is a heartwarming tale that masterfully captures the emotional landscape of childhood friendship, loss, and healing. Diana Mercedes Howell has crafted a touching narrative that resonates with both young readers and adults alike.
The story centres on ten-year-old Rose O'Reilly, who faces the devastating departure of her best friend Linney. Through her special Sunday kitchen chats with her recently widowed grandfather, Rose embarks on a journey of emotional growth and discovery. The parallel between Rose's loss of her friend and Grandpa's loss of his wife creates a beautiful symmetry that adds depth to their relationship.
Perfect for anyone who loves funny, touching, unforgettable stories of family and friendship.
Ten-year-old Rose O'Reilly and her best friend from birth, Linney, vowed they'd be together until the day they would meet up in heaven floating on clouds of pink cotton candy. Then boom, Linney moves 2,000 miles away.
Feeling abandoned, Rose turns to Grandpa, whose wife, his own best friend, has recently died. They hold chat cafes in the kitchen on Sundays. It helps them to forget how much losing your best friend hurts. With Grandpa's help, Rose learns that friends are everywhere if you have a big heart and know where to look.
Your grandpa can be your friend. Or a boy with cerebral palsy, and a lost dog, or a classmate who comes to school with unexplained bruises. Still, there's that achy hole in Rose's heart Linney left behind. She asks Venus, the Evening Star for a new best friend, for Grandpa to come to live with them, and for a dog of her own. May as well wish for a dog, too, because wishes are free. It's a tall order. Even for Venus.