The Wish Collector

 

Maria's Book Banter is off and running in the new year and it’s wonderful to be back! I stumbled on the title The Wish Collector by Mia Sheridan while taking a break from this blog. Its description compared it to Phantom of the Opera; one of my favorites. So, I was eager to get started. As I discovered, this book has many flavors to it, making this review a bit formidable to write.

Professional dancer, Clara just moved to New Orleans to perform with the city’s ballet company. She's having a difficult time adjusting to her new surroundings when she hears the heartbreaking story of the Windisle Plantation and its Weeping Wall. Where legend has it, if a written wish is slipped through a crack in the wall, it will be granted.

Clara becomes obsessed with this haunting tale and eventually pays the Weeping Wall a visit. As she places her wish through a crack, Clara detects movement behind the wall. After investigating further, she could tell that there is someone back there and asks who it is. A male voice answers saying that his name is Jonah.

After some friendly conversation between Clara and Jonah, she learns that he lives at Windisle. Then she realizes that he had the paper that she wrote her wish on and that he probably collects all the wishes that come through that wall. That’s when Clara nicknamed Jonah the Wish Collector. They eventually make a “date” for her to come back so he could tell her about the history of the plantation. This story has gotten off to a good start. I'm happy to be on this journey with Clara and Jonah to see where it takes them.

From there, the narrative takes us back in time to 1860 to Windisle Manor, where we meet Angelina and John. Angelina is the daughter of a slave and slave owner, and John is a soldier. Their love story is the basis of the lore of Windisle Plantation, where supposedly the spirits of Angelina and John are trapped because of a curse. This romantically tragic storyline is revisited throughout the book.

Back to present day, Jonah is a broken man with a mysterious past that left him scarred physically and emotionally. He has been living as a recluse at Windisle for some time. It surprised him that he agreed to meet with Clara again. Was it out of pour loneliness? Yet, there was something about her that intrigued him. Particularly, the wish she wished for; it was something he had never seen. Her wish was to help free Angelina’s spirit by breaking the curse.

Clara would come back to the Weeping Wall time and time again. Jonah recognized loneliness and sadness in Clara, but he could tell she is a pretty girl with a sweetness to her. He also saw a certain strength about her too. Talking to Clara makes him smile - something seemingly he hasn’t done in a while. However, Jonah doesn’t say much about himself. Why?

On her end, Clara opens up to him about her life’s struggles, bringing her peace and making her a better dancer. Was he a Wish Granter as well as a Wish Collector?

From my perspective as a reader, It’s kind of nice to see these two individuals who have such a need for personal connection come together.

Finally, Jonah makes a shocking, regret-filled confession about his life. His startling admission could put him in a completely different light in Clara’s eyes. Would it? Clara has really grown to care for him and value their friendship. How would this revelation affect their unusual relationship?

If you have read this blog in the past, you know I'm not a huge fan of romance novels. The Wish Collector definitely has those amorous aspects as well as an overly dramatic ending. However, it is so much more than a simple love story. There are complex characters living complicated lives who have to make difficult choices. It’s also a beautifully written story of hope, forgiveness, generosity and taking risks too.

I will also add that I wasn’t crazy about the part where Clara is trying to break the curse. It wasn’t totally clear to me what her motivation was. Nevertheless, I can overlook this novel’s flaws somewhat because Clara and Jonah’s arc is just so lovely. I wanted to keep reading to see what happens. Would they have a happy ending that I wish for them? If you read The Wish Collector, I think you would feel the same.

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