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    Wish You Well
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    Wish You Well
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    Wish You Well
    Audiobook9 hours

    Wish You Well

    Written by David Baldacci

    Narrated by Norma Lana

    3.5/5

    ()

    Currently unavailable

    Currently unavailable

    About this audiobook

    David Baldacci's million-copy-plus bestseller is now a feature film available on DVD and video on demand!
    Precocious 12-year-old Louisa Mae Cardinal lives in the hectic New York City of 1940 with her family. Then tragedy strikes--and Lou and her younger brother, Oz, must go with their invalid mother to live on their great-grandmother's farm in the Virginia mountains. Suddenly Lou finds herself coming of age in a new landscape, making her first true friend, and experiencing adventures tragic, comic, and audacious. But the forces of greed and justice are about to clash over her new home...and as their struggle is played out in a crowded Virginia courtroom, it will determine the future of two children, an entire town, and the mountains they love.
    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherHachette Audio
    Release dateNov 1, 2005
    ISBN9781594834462
    Unavailable
    Wish You Well
    Author

    David Baldacci

    David Baldacci is one of the world’s bestselling and favourite thriller writers. A former trial lawyer with a keen interest in world politics, he has specialist knowledge in the US political system and intelligence services, and his first book, Absolute Power, became an instant international bestseller, with the movie starring Clint Eastwood a major box office hit. He has since written more than forty bestsellers featuring Amos Decker, Aloysius Archer, Atlee Pine and John Puller. David is also the co-founder, along with his wife, of the Wish You Well Foundation, a non-profit organization dedicated to supporting literacy efforts across the US. Trust him to take you to the action.

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    Reviews for Wish You Well

    3.5/5

    496 ratings37 reviews

    What did you think?

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    • 5/5
      Very different from all the other Baldacci books I've read. I started it reluctantly, thinking I would not like it. It didn't take long to realize that I was wrong. This book is exceptionally well-written. The story is compelling. The characters are very well drawn and are engaging. I highly recommend this book.
    • 5/5
      A tender story o 12 year old Louisa May Cardinal and her 5 yr old brother Oz who after the death of their father in an car accident, move from New York with her severly injured mother to live with her great grandmother in the mountains of Virginia. This is a story about the love of family and friends and their life on a hardscrabble the farm that will move you.
    • 5/5
      I am going to make this one short and sweet. I have never read anything by David Baldacci before as the only books I saw by him seemed to be legal-type books which I don't read much of. But after seeing Wish You Well on the shelf at the local library, it sounded like a book I could not pass up.

      Because I really didn't know what I was in for, the first chapter or so didn't have me convinced, but once I got to about the third chapter I was totally captivated!! This was such a beautiful story! I can't even find the words worthy of describing it.

      The setting of this book is magical. I could picture it so clearly in my head, although I have never stepped foot in the state of Virginia or been on a mountain in my entire life. David Baldacci's writing is almost poetic the way it filled my head with the images of this place that I can only think of as being amazing. Then we have the characters. There were so many that I fell in love with that I couldn't begin to tell you my favorite. But, if I had to pick, it would probably be Louisa. Little Lou and Oz melted my heart, and you couldn't find a better friend than Diamond or more exceptional people than Eugene or Cotton. And Louisa was the perfect example of an beautiful human being. I wish I knew someone like her in my own life, as I would certainly be blessed to know them. They will not be forgotten anytime soon.

      There were many times I found that my eyes welled up while I was reading. To me this means that the book has reached me on such an emotional level that it has far surpassed any other book that I had thought was the best thing I had read before. I am quite sure that it will take me awhile to find another book that has this kind of impact on me.

      If you want a book that you will become emotionally attached to - this is that book. When I closed the back cover, this book had definitely accomplished what it set out to do - it made me feel. It grabbed my emotions and never let go. It made me smile but it also broke my heart. It made me feel the pain of loss, and the shame of cruelty. But along with this I felt joy and love.

      I have already recommended this book to many people. And now I am recommending it to all of you. If you only read ONE book this year, make it this one. You can thank me later.
    • 3/5
      An enjoyable read.
    • 5/5
      I loved this book. I fought reading it for a long time but now I can't wait to see the movie. Books usually don't do that for me.
    • 5/5
      I loved this book, the end was especially riveting.
    • 4/5
      A book so unlike other David Baldacci books that I had to make sure it was the same man - and it was. The book was captivating from the clear descriptions of the mountains to the depth of the characters. This was one that I could not put down and made me (almost) wish for such a simple life.
    • 4/5
      Wonderful, heartwarming story, but not without a shock or two. Haven't read Baldacci, before but this was a good book to start with.
    • 1/5
      I haven't finished this book because I found it boring at the outset, maybe I'll give it another try, or try one of his other books.
    • 5/5
      Precocious twelve-year-old Louisa Mae Cardinal lives in the hectic New York City of 1940 with her family. Then tragedy strikes--and Lou and her younger brother, Oz, must go with their invalid mother to live on their great-grandmother's farm in the Virginia mountains.Suddenly Lou finds herself growing up in a new landscape, making her first true friend, and experiencing adventures tragic, comic, and audacious. When a dark, destructive force encroaches on her new home, her struggle will play out in a crowded Virginia courtroom...and determine the future of two children, an entire town, and the mountains they love.I do not currently hold this book, but it's a great read. Highly recommended.
    • 3/5
      A sweet book written in the nostalgic style of 1950's or earlier (I had to check the copyright to confirm it was from 2000) which takes place before WWII. Two children are left without a guardian when their father dies in an accident which also leaves their mother comatose. They leave NYC to live with the great-grandmother they've never met, in the Virginia mountains. They learn industriousness, milking cows, helping with planting and other chores, make friends and enemies at the local school. Their gr-granmother is well known for her kindness, and charity, but when the local coal company wants to buy her land they stand to lose it all.With the current controversy over mountaintop mining and other energy extraction, the theme is certainly relevant, tho handled in a manner more reminiscent of Christian novels than one would expect from Baldacci.
    • 1/5
      As one of the bestselling writers of legal thrillers like n Absolute Powern, David Baldacci is known for his hair-raising plots and fast-paced suspense. But in a significant departure from his usual fare (though the end result is no less compelling), Baldacci slows things down a bit for his latest saga,Wish You Well, a story he culled from his own family's history and experiences. It's a coming-of-age tale reminiscent of that timeless classic, n To Kill a Mockingbirdn, where the setting -- Virginia mountain coal country in the post-Depression '40s -- is as much a character as any of the people who walk the pages.

      The lives of 12-year-old Lou Cardinal and her eight-year-old brother, Oscar ("Oz"), are forever altered when an auto accident takes the life of their writer father and leaves their mother in a catatonic state. Used to the hectic bustle of New York City, they find themselves transplanted to the mountain cabin home of their great-grandmother, Louisa Mae Cardinal. Their new home has no electricity or running water, and their food comes not from any grocery store but from the barn and the land. Their new neighbors are simple folk, many of them poor, uneducated, and worked to the bone. But beneath them all is The Mountain, with its power to mesmerize and nurture their minds and their souls.

      Though Lou rebels against her new life at first, she eventually grows to appreciate her hardscrabble existence, rising before dawn to milk the cows, attending school in a one-room schoolhouse, and then working till dusk to prepare, plant, and harvest crops. Her great-grandmother's simple lifestyle, boundless spirit, and obvious love of The Mountain become contagious. But there is plenty of ugliness here, too, not the least of which is the pervasive poverty and prejudicial ignorance subscribed to by some. When a greedy corporate entity enters the picture, Baldacci takes his readers into territory more familiar, culminating the tale in a highly satisfying David-and-Goliath-style courtroom battle.

      The title is an apt one, a reference to Oz and Lou's childish wishes and their belief in things wondrous and magical, a belief that often slams up against the harsh truths of reality. Yet in the end, something magical does prevail. And although all the characters in this tale may not survive, the mystical allure of The Mountain and its effect on those who come to know it, does.
    • 4/5
      This loving look at a time in not so distant past is full of values we've forgotten in the modern world... Respect, hard work, adventure, loyalty, sacrifice. Lou and Oz have grown up in a loving family, but when a tragic accident occurs, they go to live with their great grandmother in the mountains of Virginia. Life is definitely different and harder but also richer. Lou especially comes to love this new life and learns to forgive her mother and fight for what she loves.
    • 5/5
      The year is 1953 -- and the worst of tragedies has struck the Cardinal family. A devastating car accident takes the life of Jack Cardinal, a Pulitzer Prize-winning author, and leaves his young wife a bedridden invalid who has completely withdrawn. Lou and her younger brother Oz travel by train with their mother to the heart of the Appalachian Mountains, where their great-grandmother Louisa lives on a remote farm, ready and willing (if not financially prepared) to take the broken family in. Rising every morning hours before dawn, working on the farm and learning at the school house their father attended years before, Lou and Oz slowly begin to heal emotionally and grow in unexpected ways. All while waiting for their silent mother to return to them. When a natural gas company comes to town and makes an offer on her land, Louisa refuses to sell. To keep their farm, with the weight of the company and their own greedy neighbors against them, the family must rely on the kindliness of a town lawyer to try their case in court -- while both Lou and Oz pray for a miracle. The climactic courtroom battle is as unpredictable as it is relentless and will not only decide the fates of Lou, Oz, and their mother, but also all who have been touched by them.Beautiful story about family, friendship, growing up, community. One of Baldacci's best.
    • 5/5
      There’s a wishing well in David Baldacci’s novel, Wish You Well. There are children with deep wounds and wishes. There are adults worn down by care, worn out by pain, and worn to warmth by love. And there’s a Virginia landscape standing proud against the inroads worn by mankind. The world of the 1940s is very different from today of course, but the greeds, prejudices, loves and concerns of the characters in this book are as real today as they were then.The author offers insights into backstories with perfect timing, creating depth and breadth without ever distracting from what’s going on. Tragedy melds with hope, wishes just might be fulfilled, and a city girl grows up to love the mountains of her father’s youth. It’s all beautifully depicted with convincing insights into a childs-eye view of friendship, life and love, and it's a lovely novel, convincingly researched, beautifully plotted, and enticingly told despite occasional predictability.Disclosure: I needed a feel-good read!
    • 4/5
      My husband apparently read this book many years ago and then handed it to me, telling me I would like it. I was puzzled at the time, because he mostly reads mysteries/suspense/thrillers, and those are NOT my favorite genres. It's sat on my TBR shelf for some time for that reason. This book, however, is my favorite genre, historical fiction (and perhaps partly memoir). Set in 1940, it tells the story of the Cardinal family. After their author father dies in an auto accident, 12-year-old Louisa "Lou" Cardinal, her younger brother Oscar ("Oz"), and their mother Amanda, catatonic after the same accident, move from New York City to live with Lou's great-grandmother and namesake, Louisa Mae Cardinal, in the mountains of Virginia. Louisa is helped by a black man named Eugene, and a lawyer in the nearest town named Cotton.Much of the book describes in detail what the land and life was like in this rural area at the time, which was fine with me. Lou and Oz have some fun times with an orphan boy nicknamed Diamond, until he is killed in an explosion in an abandoned mine. This happens about 2/3 of the way through the book, and then the pace of the plot picks up, with courtroom drama and a predictable happy ending.Baldacci explains in an author's note at the beginning that the story "is fictional, but the setting, other than place names, is not." His grandmother lived all but the last ten years of her life in those mountains, and his mother the first 17 of hers. He spent much time interviewing his mother in preparing to write this book, and states that the book is "in part, an oral history of both where and how my mother grew up." He concludes, "I've spent the last twenty years or so hunting relentlessly for story material, and utterly failed to see a lumberyardful within my own family...while it came later than it probably should have, writing this novel was one of the most rewarding experiences of my life."This was an easy and pleasant read. I'm not sure why some reviews and descriptions of the book describe it as being set in 1953, because it clearly is not.
    • 3/5
      As the author states, it's about his motivation as a writer. The story is pretty dull for about 2/3 of it...kids running around being kids. There is some drama among them. Then, with only two hours to go in a the 10 hour book, it picks up and begins to sound like Baldacci. Good lawyers, bad lawyers and a bad corporation. The book is really about the characters, not the plot.
    • 5/5
      The Wishing Well by David Baldacci is a wonderful surprise. I listened to the audio tape cassette version of this book. I have enjoyed his legal mysteries before but this is completely different. His inspiration for this story comes from Virginia where his mother grew up some old family photos and letters. It is his belief that by understanding the challenges that our ancestors went through, we are better able to face our own.Jack Cardinal is a famous writer but not wealthy. His books are taught more in schools than bought by the general public. He is driving his family to California for a job that promises more money so that he can better support his family. On the way, he and his wife, Amanda get into an argument about the trip. She wants him to spend more time with the children and knows that will not happen with the new job. There is an accident and he is thrown from the car and killed. Amanda is wheel chair bound and does not open her eyes or communicate with anyone. Their daughter, Lou was listening to the argument and tells everyone that they have someone to live with, their 82 year old great grandmother in the mountains of Virginia. The executors of the Jack’s will send Amanda, Lou and Oz, Lou’s eight year old brother to Louisa, the great grandmother. The children learn their farming chores, adjust to no electricity and no indoor plumbing and begin to have the greatest respect and love for Louisa. This is great story telling at its best. There is drama, a barn burning, a mine explosion and wonderful courtroom scene that. The author tells an unforgettable story of an old woman’s respect for the mountains and sorrow of the mines that rape them. Their life is poor but it actually filled with riches of wisdom of the old woman, of the miracle of nature and the will to survive and love the gift of life. The book was read by Kate Burton and she did the male and female voices and accents with great expertise.I highly recommend this book.
    • 5/5
      An interesting departure from his usual books, this was still an extremely well-written story of people who live in the backwoods of Virginia and are completely happy with their lives. It was recommended to me by a customer who gives copies to friends and family because he believes in the message of this book so much. I can't say I disagree. Beautifuly written and realized. I loved it!
    • 5/5
      The story setting moves from New York to the mountains in Virginia when Lou’s dad and award-winning writer dies in a car accident. It describes the life of Lou and her brother Oz after being thrust to be cared by their great-grandmother in the mountains far away from civilization. The story has excellent promise and has all the emotional elements of friendship, trust, sadness, loss, truth, love and victory in the right proportions. The clear descriptions of the people, events and locations made me feel the book and not just read it.The characters were marvelous (and I rarely use this word). Lou mostly plays the part of a mature stubborn child, but when situation demands alternates to the 12-year-old kid. The sibling love and understanding is simply adorable. Great Grandma Louisa Mae Cardinal is a woman of character who shows superior strength when she needs to stand up for a cause she believes in. She is a giver by nature and manages to leave a pleasant mark in us. I was deeply upset when she passes away and hoped that the author would have allowed the wishing well to grant Lou’s wish. For me, all of the characters were impeccable; there was not one person or situation that I felt was out-of-place.It has been a while since I read a family drama but this one has touched me like never before. A big 5 on 5 and take time to feel this one.
    • 4/5
      After a terrible accident that leaves two children's father dead and their mother in a coma-like state, two children from the bustling city of New York to the quieter town in Virginia. A coming-of-age story that asserts that wherever you go, friends and family will follow.
    • 4/5
      I guess I'll call this a feel good book. I can see how some people might think this is an extended episode from the Walton's or something, but I read it as a slice of Americana and an homage to a rural way of life in Appalachia in the 1940's. There's a touch of To Kill a Mockingbird in here, and a slight "fairytale" ending I suppose. It is full of interesting characters, good and bad, and it really gave me a sense of the times and the Virginia mountain land. I had read praise of this book and I was glad to find it was deserved. At the end of the novel, reading the final chapter called "Today", I found myself smiling and admiring what an enjoyable book this was. Recommended.
    • 5/5
      This was such an unexpected book- it leaves you with such a good feeling when you're done. It was passed on to me by a friend with the promise to pass it along when I was done. Just beautiful.
    • 4/5
      A wonderful book of family, faith, home during the struggles of living in Appalachian country around the 1940's. It makes you want to know more about your family roots; and what heritage plays in the persons we become.
    • 4/5
      PlotTwelve-year-old Louisa Mae "Lou" Cardinal and her seven-year-old brother "Oz" are in a car accident which kills their famous author father and leaves their mother in an unresponsive state. The children and their mother live in New York City, but move to Virginia after the accident to live with Lou's namesake, her great-grandmother Louisa Mae Cardinal. The children have a rough adjustment to the rural, small town lifestyle. Meanwhile, the coal mining industry is dying, but natural gas is picking up and companies are eying land in the Virginia town to exploit its natural resources.Settingrural Virginia, 1930sCharactersLou is a spunky tomboy who cares deeply for her brother and learns to love her great-grandmother and come to terms with her feelings regarding her father's death and her mother's illness. Oz grows up in the book. Louisa, the great-grandmother, cares for the children and works to raise them well while giving them hope that their mother may someday recover.PacingSteady, not overly quickly. Moderate-length chapters. NarrationThird-person, mostly following Lou.=====Language - GSex - noneHomosexuality - noneViolence - minor physical fights
    • 3/5
      I expected more intrigue, and maybe I was wrong to assume this book would have it. A friend told me this was his favorite book of all time, so as I read, I looked for its charm. When Lou and Oz unexpectedly must go to the Virginia mountains to live with their grandmother, their life turns upside down. During their time there, they meet some wonderful characters, including a few that seem right out of To Kill a Mockingbird. The struggles of poverty, weather,and farming Baldacci clearly depicts as he lead the story to a courtroom trial conclusion (again, similar to Harper Lee's story).Overall, I can't say I would recommend this book. The pace was much too slow for me.
    • 5/5
      Very good story, believable, uplifting
    • 4/5
      Lou and Oz Cardinal lose their father in a car accident and their mothr is left in a catatonic state. The children and their mother move from New York to the Virginia Mountains where their father grew up and their great grandmother still lives. The children's life is changed dramatically and, as their story unfolds, they experience the hardship, the tragedy and the sacrifice that are hallmarks of life in the mountains. The story is somewhat predictable but Baldacci's characters come to life on the page. I dislike efforts to "write" dialect and this books is no exception. Even that flaw, however, could not spoil my enjoyment of this sweet, simple story.
    • 5/5
      "How" and "why" he wrote this book is described by Balducci in his own words at the end of the audio version---a wonderful taste of his view of one's place in family history. I would be curious to know how some of his thoughts, although not written too long ago, would change with the current economic conditions (2009). This was a listening experience that held your attention completely. His other books do that, too, but this was very rewarding in a different way.
    • 4/5
      Quite different from the other Baldacci books I have read. It took me a little while to get into it and to get myself properly located in the past, but once I did the story of the two almost orphans who move from the city to a farm in the mountains, the top of a mountain, in Virginia the story was engrossing.