Wish I May

by Justine Picardie

Kate Linden is a 35 year old single mother, who dreams of a rosy future with a dream man who will love both her and her son Sam. But while she's waiting for the arrival of that unknown saviour, she finds herself as entangled as ever with her handsome, domineering cousin Julian, the son of her mother's twin sister. As she returns to Julian's childhood home in Norfolk for a family weekend, Kate is drawn back into the mysteries that haunt her. What was the truth of the relationship between her mother and Julian's father? Who was responsible for her mother's death in a car crash? And will the patterns of that dark past repeat themselves, or can she escape them, and create some happiness of her own? Justine Picardie writes with a clear, beautiful voice about family intrigues and intricacies, and the struggle to make sense of our place inside them, as well as the outside world. It is a story about the shadows cast by the past, and the ghosts of what has gone before; but also of a sustaining hope for the future, and the magical transformations of love.

Genres: Fiction

326 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2004

About the author

Justine Picardie is a British novelist, fashion writer and biographer. She is the editor-in-chief of Harper's Bazaar UK and Town & Country UK. Her 2010 biography of Coco Chanel (“Coco Chanel: The Legend & the Life”) was shortlisted for the Galaxy National Book Awards.

Her eldest son is Jamie MacColl, the guitarist for Bombay Bicycle Club.

Ruth Picardie was her sister.

Reviews

[Aayushi Pathak · Rating 1 out of 5]

I truly did not understand the gist of the book..? What point was the writer trying to make? The plot is unexplained, it's not clear as though who exactly is the male protagonist; Adam or Julian. There's no complete role of either of them and the mystery of Kate's mother's death is absolutely unsolved. Why does Kate even fall for a guy who's not sure about her? There's zero communication between the two and still they are planning to move in together? What? Also, he's ready to leave her at first sight of reconciliation with his wife and Kate, like a dumb idiot is still waiting for him?
And what's up with cousins falling in love with each other? The whole family knows and NOBODY has problems with it? I mean..what??
I HAD to drag myself to the last page JUST to know if there's anything interesting I can find at all, but to no avail. And still am not able to relate to the title! What an utter waste of time! Total thumbs down👎👎

[Sneha · Rating 4 out of 5]

I would describe this book as something that has no beginning or end. This could be a slow read for some and personally, it was not a page-turner for me too but I think that's exactly why I liked it. It's slow and grim but from where I am in life, I could resonate with some of the feelings explored in the book. The story is simply a fragment of a life.
A life that engulfs you and makes you feel seen and lost at the same time. A life that shows the way and yet leaves you feeling stranded. A life with so many complications that it becomes ordinary. Lines blur. binaries blur. Love is found not whole but in crumbs and pieces everywhere.

P.S. This read can be quite depressing to some.

[Pam Coll · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very nice story and method of telling. Has a very credible feel in the unfolding of the characters.

[Josie · Rating 1 out of 5]

I don't think I've ever read a book with a more irritating writing style than this one. It was so vague and wishy-washy that I felt like throwing it across the room. Every chapter ended with either a question mark or an ellipsis. And all the questions inside brackets, the rhyming words, hearing her mother's voice (or was it just the wind sighing through the trees...?) -- it was maddening.

For example:

Her mother drove off a road on her way back to London from Elverson House. A blind bend, it must have been; another one, as treacherous as the way that led to Elverson. (Blind, mind, unkind, wrote a childish hand inside her head, from force of habit; round the bend, round the twist, round the houses...)

Doesn't it make you want to scream? Imagine 324 pages of that. Idk why I read it all.

[Annemieke · Rating 3 out of 5]

Het is een mooi boek over een gebroken gezin, redelijk vlot geschreven met een beetje humor.

Kate is een alleenstaande moeder met haar zoon Sam. Ze is op vrij jonge leeftijd haar moeder verloren. Ze blijft zich al die jaren afvragen wat er nu precies is gebeurd. Was het een ongeluk? Nu is het tijd voor een nieuwe liefdesrelatie. Kan zij de juiste man vinden? Kan zij haar leven weer op orde krijgen?

Ik twijfel tussen 3 en 4 sterren. Uiteindelijk voor drie sterren gekozen omdat ik wel wilde weten hoe het verhaal afloopt, maar niet het boek steeds weer op 'moest' pakken. Het verhaal hield mij verder dus niet zo bezig maar was wel erg leuk om te lezen. Vandaar de 3 sterren.

[meredith · Rating 2 out of 5]

Started off interesting, then became quite a boring, redundant book. full of superfluous rambling language and the same description from the protagonist over and over and over again.
hrmmm.
underwhelmed.

[JayeL]

July 2015: not available on audio at Mechanics' Institute

[Adri · Rating 3 out of 5]

A slow read, ruminative, self-absorbed, but nevertheless very readable.

[Pauline Rutschow · Rating 1 out of 5]

Kept reading because I hoped to find out the mystery of her mother, but no luck. One of the worst I read in a long time.