One Sentence Summary:
Nicholas Sparks’ The Wish is a romantic and heart-wrenching story of two individuals — Garrett and Dana, who have to decide between reconnecting, no matter the cost, or leaving their childhood dreams in the past.
Book Genre and Target Audience
The Wish by Nicholas Sparks is a romantic fiction novel best suited for adult readers, ages 18 and above.
Main Topic of the Book
The Wish tells a story of a past love re-emerging from the past and the choices the characters must make when faced with the impossible – to continue a past love or move on with their lives.
Key Ideas
The Wish contains the following important topics and ideas:
- Love and Romance: Garrett and Dana re-connect after thirteen years apart to rediscover the youthful love that was their bond in the past. Dana, however, is no longer single and Garrett is nursing a broken heart and struggling to move on. Will the duo choose to remember their sweet past or take the safer route and give up the reconnection?
- Saying Goodbye: Dana is married and Garrett is getting ready to move away for college. With such circumstances looming, the two find it hard to express their true feelings for each other. Garrett has many unanswered questions while Dana has to say a painful goodbye to her previous love.
- Friendship & Second Chances: Dana and Garrett’s mutual friend, Tim, plays a key role when it comes to helping the two reconnect. He encourages Garrett and Dana to step out of their comfort zones, take risks, and explore the possibilities life has to offer. Garrett and Dana both get a second shot at love and happiness.
Main Parts of the Book and Short Summary
Part One: Childhood Dreamers
The Wish starts off with Garrett and Dana as teenagers, madly in love. Garrett is an artist and Dana loves broadway, and together they have a dream of making it in their respective fields. Despite opposition from family, the two chase their dreams and make plans to move to NYC together.
Part Two: A Chance Encounter
The story fast-forwards 13 years down the lane when Garrett and Dana happen to meet after being apart for so long. Through his mutual friend, Tim, Garrett discovers that Dana is married and his heart is broken. He realizes that these years have changed the two of them and their dreams in many unexpected ways.
Part Three: Exploring Possibilities
Garrett and Dana resurface the childhood dreamers inside of them and dream of a life together. With guilt and past loves at the back of their minds, the two explore the possibilities of rekindling the flame of their past loves. Through surprise visits and thoughtful gifts, Garrett and Dana realize they still love each other and decide to spend their last summer together.
Part Four: Decisions & Parting Ways
Unfortunately, their new-found joy only serves to make the parting harder. Garrett and Dana find it hard to let go and make the difficult decision of staying in touch or going ahead with their respective lives. With a heavy heart they agree to depart and never look back.
Key Takeaways
The Wish is a story of love, regrets, and the decisions that shape our lives. Readers will learn about the importance of reconnecting with our childhood dreams, taking risks, and the painful goodbye associated with relationships that could have lasted for a lifetime.
Author’s Background and Qualifications
The Wish is written by Nicholas Sparks, a globally renowned author and the acclaimed mind behind many New York Times bestselling novels. He has published twenty-one novels and two non-fiction books, most of which have been adapted into feature films. Some of his most popular books include The Notebook, safe Haven, and Message in a Bottle.
Target Audience
The Wish is best suited for adults, ages 18 and above, who love a heart-warming story about romance and second chances.
Publisher and First Publication Date
The Wish was first published on October 30th, 2001, by Grand Central Publishing.