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The Wishes of Mr. Murray McBride #1
Năm Điều Ước Của Ông Murray McBride
Tuổi già có thực sự đáng sợ không?
Sẽ ra sao khi ta là người duy nhất trong dòng họ còn sống trên đời?
Sẽ ra sao khi phải sống trong ngôi nhà từng có những tiếng nói cười của người vợ và những người con thân thương nhưng giờ chúng chỉ còn là ký ức sâu thẳm nơi trái tim, những kỷ niệm về họ giờ chỉ còn là lớp màng vấn vương trong từng ngóc ngách của căn phòng mà ta không nỡ tháo gỡ?
Sẽ ra sao nếu bản thân chẳng còn lý do gì để sống. Cuộc sống như vậy liệu có khá khẩm hơn việc chết quách đi cho xong?
Và “Không” chính là câu trả lời mà ông Murray đưa ra vào ngày sinh nhật thứ một trăm của mình. Ông thấy cuộc đời của mình vậy là quá đủ, ông khao khát được sang cái thế giới bên kia hơn là ở lại thế giới này. Vào khoảnh khắc đưa ra quyết định cho số phận của bản thân, ông nghĩ mình sẽ còn hẳn gần một ngày để làm bất cứ điều gì mà mình thích chẳng màng thế giới có lụi tàn vào ngày mai hay không. Nhưng rồi vận mệnh đã dẫn lối ông gặp được Jason Cashman theo một cách vô cùng tình cờ.
Jason là một cậu bé mười tuổi mắc căn bệnh tim bẩm sinh, được bác sĩ chẩn đoán rằng sẽ không thể sống được bao lâu nữa nếu không được thay một trái tim mới. Thái độ của cậu bé trước cuộc sống và tất cả những gì cậu bé đã làm là điều mà không ai trong chúng ta có thể tin rằng nó khả thi với một đứa trẻ có thể chất yếu ớt ở độ tuổi đó. Cậu bé sướng rơn khi được khoác lên mình bộ vest bảnh tỏn nhất và hôn cô gái xinh đẹp cùng trường, cậu như một chú cún con với cái bụng tròn ủng khi được ăn bánh waffle, cậu nhảy chân sáo chỉ vì được đi tàu điện ngầm, cậu vỡ òa hạnh phúc khi được đứng trên sân vận động bóng chày nổi tiếng,… Dù ở trong bất kì hoàn cảnh nào, nụ cười vẫn có thể lấp lánh trên gương mặt của Jason.
Cuộc gặp gỡ của một người “chán sống” và một người “thiết sống” đã khiến cuộc đời của họ thay đổi mãi mãi. Hành trình cụ già trăm tuổi giúp cậu nhóc mười tuổi thực hiện năm điều ước cuối cùng trước khi cậu bé lên thiêng đàng có vô vàn những câu chuyện và cảm xúc. Và rồi, khi bi kịch ập đến, tất thảy thế giới của họ bị đảo lộn và món quà bất ngờ lại là thứ duy nhất có thể biến mong ước cuối cùng của Jason trở thành hiện thực.
Sẽ ra sao khi ta là người duy nhất trong dòng họ còn sống trên đời?
Sẽ ra sao khi phải sống trong ngôi nhà từng có những tiếng nói cười của người vợ và những người con thân thương nhưng giờ chúng chỉ còn là ký ức sâu thẳm nơi trái tim, những kỷ niệm về họ giờ chỉ còn là lớp màng vấn vương trong từng ngóc ngách của căn phòng mà ta không nỡ tháo gỡ?
Sẽ ra sao nếu bản thân chẳng còn lý do gì để sống. Cuộc sống như vậy liệu có khá khẩm hơn việc chết quách đi cho xong?
Và “Không” chính là câu trả lời mà ông Murray đưa ra vào ngày sinh nhật thứ một trăm của mình. Ông thấy cuộc đời của mình vậy là quá đủ, ông khao khát được sang cái thế giới bên kia hơn là ở lại thế giới này. Vào khoảnh khắc đưa ra quyết định cho số phận của bản thân, ông nghĩ mình sẽ còn hẳn gần một ngày để làm bất cứ điều gì mà mình thích chẳng màng thế giới có lụi tàn vào ngày mai hay không. Nhưng rồi vận mệnh đã dẫn lối ông gặp được Jason Cashman theo một cách vô cùng tình cờ.
Jason là một cậu bé mười tuổi mắc căn bệnh tim bẩm sinh, được bác sĩ chẩn đoán rằng sẽ không thể sống được bao lâu nữa nếu không được thay một trái tim mới. Thái độ của cậu bé trước cuộc sống và tất cả những gì cậu bé đã làm là điều mà không ai trong chúng ta có thể tin rằng nó khả thi với một đứa trẻ có thể chất yếu ớt ở độ tuổi đó. Cậu bé sướng rơn khi được khoác lên mình bộ vest bảnh tỏn nhất và hôn cô gái xinh đẹp cùng trường, cậu như một chú cún con với cái bụng tròn ủng khi được ăn bánh waffle, cậu nhảy chân sáo chỉ vì được đi tàu điện ngầm, cậu vỡ òa hạnh phúc khi được đứng trên sân vận động bóng chày nổi tiếng,… Dù ở trong bất kì hoàn cảnh nào, nụ cười vẫn có thể lấp lánh trên gương mặt của Jason.
Cuộc gặp gỡ của một người “chán sống” và một người “thiết sống” đã khiến cuộc đời của họ thay đổi mãi mãi. Hành trình cụ già trăm tuổi giúp cậu nhóc mười tuổi thực hiện năm điều ước cuối cùng trước khi cậu bé lên thiêng đàng có vô vàn những câu chuyện và cảm xúc. Và rồi, khi bi kịch ập đến, tất thảy thế giới của họ bị đảo lộn và món quà bất ngờ lại là thứ duy nhất có thể biến mong ước cuối cùng của Jason trở thành hiện thực.
360 pages, Paperback
First published May 11, 2018
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 3,709 reviews
April 18, 2025
When I was in my thirties, I became a young man with a mission - do good until it hurts! What an attitude.
It was hurting me, alright, because it was sucking the bright oxygen outta my bright red blood. For I was trying to Boycott Samsara. And it worked in the end - but for sure not at the start.
Why not?
Cause I was then John Bunyan's wild character Christian, sticking my index fingers in my ears and trying to block out the hoots of derision from all the Lifers in my Old Home Town.
But I HAD to go. For just like in that classic, The Story of a Soul, my "scruples" were swarming around my head like a cloud of hungry mosquitoes.
In my opinions and beliefs I'm all elbows and knees, but my wife is normally placid and gentle. That difference made us both antsy at times.
So I turned to charity work. From that time until my retirement (and a bit beyond) my plate was piled high with good deeds.
You know, there used to be an old saying in 1950's Quebec: you have to eat the black bread of your life sooner or later. Well, I'm Very glad I ate it sooner in life.
For now in my 74th year I'm thoroughly acquainted with Peace. I've mellowed. I've got most of the kinks out.
But Mr Murray McBride is in his 101st year and he feels suicidal.
Life's got no meaning.
Yikes.
But then - wow! - his guardian angel pops down into the picture in the form of a terminally ill kid. Save me, Save me, his face says to old Murray.
So Murray does.
Just like in Master and Man, he lays down his life for this kid.
THAT'S how much you've gotta do if you leave your salvation till the end.
The Five Wishes are a mere pretext for making yourself Right with God.
Well. It's a cute story, but the five star clincher for my rating is in what's left unspoken...
The awful dawning of an ultimate vocation!
Neither I nor Bunyan's Christian could afford to put off that call.
We accepted it.
And now, with the shimmering towers of Zion appearing across the wild, raging torrent -
Old Murray finally gives it the same Ultimate YES.
It was hurting me, alright, because it was sucking the bright oxygen outta my bright red blood. For I was trying to Boycott Samsara. And it worked in the end - but for sure not at the start.
Why not?
Cause I was then John Bunyan's wild character Christian, sticking my index fingers in my ears and trying to block out the hoots of derision from all the Lifers in my Old Home Town.
But I HAD to go. For just like in that classic, The Story of a Soul, my "scruples" were swarming around my head like a cloud of hungry mosquitoes.
In my opinions and beliefs I'm all elbows and knees, but my wife is normally placid and gentle. That difference made us both antsy at times.
So I turned to charity work. From that time until my retirement (and a bit beyond) my plate was piled high with good deeds.
You know, there used to be an old saying in 1950's Quebec: you have to eat the black bread of your life sooner or later. Well, I'm Very glad I ate it sooner in life.
For now in my 74th year I'm thoroughly acquainted with Peace. I've mellowed. I've got most of the kinks out.
But Mr Murray McBride is in his 101st year and he feels suicidal.
Life's got no meaning.
Yikes.
But then - wow! - his guardian angel pops down into the picture in the form of a terminally ill kid. Save me, Save me, his face says to old Murray.
So Murray does.
Just like in Master and Man, he lays down his life for this kid.
THAT'S how much you've gotta do if you leave your salvation till the end.
The Five Wishes are a mere pretext for making yourself Right with God.
Well. It's a cute story, but the five star clincher for my rating is in what's left unspoken...
The awful dawning of an ultimate vocation!
Neither I nor Bunyan's Christian could afford to put off that call.
We accepted it.
And now, with the shimmering towers of Zion appearing across the wild, raging torrent -
Old Murray finally gives it the same Ultimate YES.
March 22, 2020
This was a heart warming story of a 100 year old man called Murray McBride and 10 year old Jason Cashman. Neither of them are expecting to live much longer. Murray has outlived his wife, his two sons and most of his friends and is ready to go, even contemplating stopping his medication. But that all changes when he meets Jason at the hospital cardiology unit. Jason has a list of the five things he most wants to do before he dies and these become the five wishes that give Murray a new purpose in life as he tries to find ways to fulfil them.
This is a simple story, full of humour and love as an old man tries to navigate the world of today and Jason grows to understand that Murray was once young and vital too. There is a wonderful little girl called Tiegan who is feisty and brave who joins them in their quest and becomes important to both of them. A bit of a tear jerker so be prepared!
With thanks to Netgalley and the publisher Black Rose Writing for a digital copy to read
This is a simple story, full of humour and love as an old man tries to navigate the world of today and Jason grows to understand that Murray was once young and vital too. There is a wonderful little girl called Tiegan who is feisty and brave who joins them in their quest and becomes important to both of them. A bit of a tear jerker so be prepared!
With thanks to Netgalley and the publisher Black Rose Writing for a digital copy to read
December 12, 2020
When a cover of a book says the book is a sweet story, an alarm goes off in my head. Sweet is a word I use to describe candy, colas, and perhaps a young child. It is not a word I would ever use in relation to a favorite book of mine. What should you do when "a sweet book" is chosen by your book club; should you be a book snob or take the plunge?
The Five Wishes of Mr. Murray McBride is not a bad book. It does what the author intended; your heartstrings are pulled and you smile at the end, very much like a Hallmark movie. I can understand the appeal this genre has for some. Those readers would hate the books I find phenomenal. It almost feels unfair for me to rate it. It is similar to asking me to rate the beauty of a glitzy pink Christmas tree. I hate pink trees no matter how beautiful the decorations!
Please read this book and enjoy the sentimentality, if that's your thing. For those that liked this book, a sequel is coming. I will not be reading it, book club selection or not!
The Five Wishes of Mr. Murray McBride is not a bad book. It does what the author intended; your heartstrings are pulled and you smile at the end, very much like a Hallmark movie. I can understand the appeal this genre has for some. Those readers would hate the books I find phenomenal. It almost feels unfair for me to rate it. It is similar to asking me to rate the beauty of a glitzy pink Christmas tree. I hate pink trees no matter how beautiful the decorations!
Please read this book and enjoy the sentimentality, if that's your thing. For those that liked this book, a sequel is coming. I will not be reading it, book club selection or not!
February 6, 2020
STRONG. BRAVE. KIND.
The big TEN-OH is upon him and Mr. Murray McBride is still hanging in there, but so ready to throw in the towel. Everyone he loves is gone....or so he thinks....and he knows he's just a "crabby old codger" anyway with a monotonous daily routine.
But then he meets ten year old Jason, rescues his list of five wishes left behind in the cardiac wing and with the assistance of Father James, hunts down the boy giving himself a purpose in what's left of his life.
As Murray and an ecstatic Jason set out to knock out items on the list....with the help of a bright & feisty young neighbor girl, Tiegan Rose Marie Atherton (my favorite character) the adventure begins.
Hold on to your seat as you take a few dicey spins in a 1967 Chevy, walk the perilous streets of Chicago, visit Wrigley Field, and hope to God a young boy gets a new heart in time to save his life.
Both Murray and Jason seem a bit too spry at times given their health restraints, and the ending is a bit too "pat", but there's lots to like here as we relive the memories and regrets of an old man and dreams of a young boy.
March 22, 2020
What can I say?! What a wonderful, heartfelt, emotional and poignant story! Ten-year-old Jason Cashman and one-hundred-year-old Murray McBride – two of the most unlikeliest of friends, but what a relationship the two had.
Murray had lost his wife Jenny, whom he’d been married to for eighty years, only eighteen months prior. Murray’s grief hit him in waves, and he wondered why he was still alive; why he couldn’t join his wife and two sons in the afterlife. While Jason was struggling to live, dragging the oxygen with him everywhere he went. Jason had written a list; five things he wanted to achieve before he died. But they were pretty unattainable – until Murray and Jason met and Murray became Jason’s “Big Brother”. That was when Murray realized why he was still alive; when Jason realized he might have a chance…
The Five Wishes of Mr Murray McBride by Joe Siple is an extraordinary tale, one I’m so glad to have read (thanks Carolyn!) The side characters: Anna (Jason’s mum), Tiegan (Jason’s best friend), Chance (Murray’s grandson) and others, all had an impact. I spent much of my reading, laughing, and I will admit to tears; I couldn’t see the last few pages for them. But it is one of the most worthwhile and affecting reads I’ve read in a long time. I won’t ever forget The Five Wishes of Mr Murray McBride and highly recommend it.
Murray had lost his wife Jenny, whom he’d been married to for eighty years, only eighteen months prior. Murray’s grief hit him in waves, and he wondered why he was still alive; why he couldn’t join his wife and two sons in the afterlife. While Jason was struggling to live, dragging the oxygen with him everywhere he went. Jason had written a list; five things he wanted to achieve before he died. But they were pretty unattainable – until Murray and Jason met and Murray became Jason’s “Big Brother”. That was when Murray realized why he was still alive; when Jason realized he might have a chance…
The Five Wishes of Mr Murray McBride by Joe Siple is an extraordinary tale, one I’m so glad to have read (thanks Carolyn!) The side characters: Anna (Jason’s mum), Tiegan (Jason’s best friend), Chance (Murray’s grandson) and others, all had an impact. I spent much of my reading, laughing, and I will admit to tears; I couldn’t see the last few pages for them. But it is one of the most worthwhile and affecting reads I’ve read in a long time. I won’t ever forget The Five Wishes of Mr Murray McBride and highly recommend it.
January 7, 2019
I really enjoyed this book, though I had a couple minor issues with it. There were a few times I became frustrated by the behaviors of the 10 year olds in the story because they just didn't ring true to age. Also, the two of the male side characters felt fake. They were just too shallow and felt like cookie cutter characters. However, the characters were consistent and the main characters were very well developed, so it really didn't take away from the story.
The best part about this book is that Siple can write emotions. You felt what the characters were going through and you cared about them. That alone makes this a great story. But, it is also a good storyline. I enjoyed following all the characters on their adventures and wanted to know what would happen. I had a feeling about what would happen at the end, but it wasn't any less heartbreaking. I was engaged the whole time and did not want to put it down. Very impressive for a debut!
This is certainly a book I can recommend. If the blurb is something that interests you, then give it a try. I think with this book, you get pretty much exactly what you expect. It played out basically as expected, maybe a bit too neatly along the way with some things. But, it was emotional and enjoyable at the same time. I think this book would make a great Hallmark movie. People would love the heartfelt story.
Thank you to NetGalley and Black Rose Writing for providing me with a free electronic copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
The best part about this book is that Siple can write emotions. You felt what the characters were going through and you cared about them. That alone makes this a great story. But, it is also a good storyline. I enjoyed following all the characters on their adventures and wanted to know what would happen. I had a feeling about what would happen at the end, but it wasn't any less heartbreaking. I was engaged the whole time and did not want to put it down. Very impressive for a debut!
This is certainly a book I can recommend. If the blurb is something that interests you, then give it a try. I think with this book, you get pretty much exactly what you expect. It played out basically as expected, maybe a bit too neatly along the way with some things. But, it was emotional and enjoyable at the same time. I think this book would make a great Hallmark movie. People would love the heartfelt story.
Thank you to NetGalley and Black Rose Writing for providing me with a free electronic copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
July 22, 2020
If not for my book club, I would have abandoned this read altogether. I hated just about everything about this book. I hated the writing. I hated the dialogue, I hated the characters, I hated the plot. It felt like such a cliche.
September 20, 2025
Wystarczy przelotnie spojrzeć na najwyżej oceniane przeze mnie książki, by mieć jako taki ogląd na tytuły, przy których się rozpływam. Idealnie pasuje tu charakterystyka McBride'a z pierwszego rozdziału: ma być starszy pan (choć może też starsza pani), "żałosny, smutny i samotny". Podoba mi się ta autoprezentacyjna pigułka - kradnę. Dzięki, panie Siple.
Dzień, w którym ów gatunek nie pobudzi moich oczu do szklistego blasku, nie ozdobi szyi naszyjnikiem z trytytki - będzie to jednoznaczne z jakąś niezdrową przemianą, może końcem istnienia. BARDZO chciałabym posadzić Murray'a w honorowej loży ulubieńców. Ove, Harold Fry i pan Doubler z niecierpliwością wyczekują kolejnego kompana. Żałuję ogromnie, ale to chyba nie ten czas :(
Najmocniejsze karty autor wyciąga zza pazuchy dopiero przy samym końcu. W pełni zrozumiałe i logiczne, ale... Gdyby cała reszta serwowała choć ułamek finalnych emocji! Jakieś to wszystko takie skondensowane, lekko pospieszone. Skojarzenie z motylem, który ledwo co opuścił bezpieczny kokon i nie do końca może rozprostować posklejane skrzydła - w pełni zasadne. Trochę niewykorzystany potencjał, jak przy "Osobliwym szczęściu Arthura Peppera" (nadal pamiętam).
Nikt nie odbierze mi finałowego katharsis, ale piąteczki tu nie będzie. Oczywiście, drogi Siple trafi gdzieś do serducha, ale komorę dalej, niż Backman i spółka.
Dzień, w którym ów gatunek nie pobudzi moich oczu do szklistego blasku, nie ozdobi szyi naszyjnikiem z trytytki - będzie to jednoznaczne z jakąś niezdrową przemianą, może końcem istnienia. BARDZO chciałabym posadzić Murray'a w honorowej loży ulubieńców. Ove, Harold Fry i pan Doubler z niecierpliwością wyczekują kolejnego kompana. Żałuję ogromnie, ale to chyba nie ten czas :(
Najmocniejsze karty autor wyciąga zza pazuchy dopiero przy samym końcu. W pełni zrozumiałe i logiczne, ale... Gdyby cała reszta serwowała choć ułamek finalnych emocji! Jakieś to wszystko takie skondensowane, lekko pospieszone. Skojarzenie z motylem, który ledwo co opuścił bezpieczny kokon i nie do końca może rozprostować posklejane skrzydła - w pełni zasadne. Trochę niewykorzystany potencjał, jak przy "Osobliwym szczęściu Arthura Peppera" (nadal pamiętam).
Nikt nie odbierze mi finałowego katharsis, ale piąteczki tu nie będzie. Oczywiście, drogi Siple trafi gdzieś do serducha, ale komorę dalej, niż Backman i spółka.
October 5, 2024
Murray McBride is about to turn a hundred years old, on the day of his special birthday he meets ten year old Jason Cashman and he's struggling to survive long enough to receive a heart transplant.
Murray decides to visit the cardiac ward in a local hospital and due to the age gap he and Jason don't have a single thing in common.
After Jason leaves hospital, Murray finds a note and Jason he's made a list of the five things he wants to do before he dies. The age gap is a big one, Jason is into gaming, Murray is rather old fashioned and set in his ways. Murray decides to help Jason with his bucket list and it's the start of a very interesting friendship.
The Five Wishes of Mr. Murray McBride is a heart warming story about friendship, being grateful, hope, and types of love. A quick read, three stars from me and I wish the story had more depth and explored some of the themes raised more thoroughly.
Murray decides to visit the cardiac ward in a local hospital and due to the age gap he and Jason don't have a single thing in common.
After Jason leaves hospital, Murray finds a note and Jason he's made a list of the five things he wants to do before he dies. The age gap is a big one, Jason is into gaming, Murray is rather old fashioned and set in his ways. Murray decides to help Jason with his bucket list and it's the start of a very interesting friendship.
The Five Wishes of Mr. Murray McBride is a heart warming story about friendship, being grateful, hope, and types of love. A quick read, three stars from me and I wish the story had more depth and explored some of the themes raised more thoroughly.
November 13, 2022
I have just read my second favorite book of all. I don’t want to share a thing about the story so you can experience this book as I did. Hugely emotional to me. Tears and all. Very few stories have amazed me and left me in tears as this one. The writing incredible. The story beautiful. To me, it is perfection. I will never forget this book and plan to read more by this author.
January 10, 2019
I received a copy of this book in a Goodreads giveaway.
This started off well, but the obvious emotional manipulation at the end ruined the entire book for me. It was pretty apparent that the goal was to make the reader sad just for the sake of it, realism and plot be damned. There are a few fairly sweet sentiments scattered throughout the book, but I will have forgotten them in a few days and all I'll be left with is how angry I felt at the thrown-together, soap opera ending. I wish I hadn't wasted my time.
This started off well, but the obvious emotional manipulation at the end ruined the entire book for me. It was pretty apparent that the goal was to make the reader sad just for the sake of it, realism and plot be damned. There are a few fairly sweet sentiments scattered throughout the book, but I will have forgotten them in a few days and all I'll be left with is how angry I felt at the thrown-together, soap opera ending. I wish I hadn't wasted my time.
September 14, 2025
"Out of nowhere I’m hit by the realization that I never did this with my boys. Not once. Not that I can recall, anyhow. During the season I was always too busy. Gone half the time and at the ballpark most of the time I was in town. And I didn’t get home from games until well after Jenny had put the boys to bed. In the offseason I had to work a job at the steel mill to pay the bills, and I had to exercise to keep in decent shape, too. There just wasn’t time for playing ball with my sons. By God, I wish I’d made the time now."
Murray McBride has just turned 100. He has outlived his wife (They were married for 80 years!). He doesn’t see much to live for though he is still able to take care of himself and live in his house of many decades.
He decides to take a shot at being a Big Brother to a 10-year-old boy with a severe heart condition when he finds that the boy has written down 5 “impossible” wishes.
This story is set in Chicago where McBride was a major league ballplayer for the Chicago Cubs. There is enough about the Cubs and other famous aspects of Chicago to make that the most enjoyable part of the story.
This novel is a marshmallow that has a hard sugar shell covered with a thick coating of cake frosting. If you have a “sweet tooth” then you might want to see this mostly predictable story to its conclusion.
I did so, but now I need a long session with a mental “WaterPik” to restore my equilibrium.
Murray McBride has just turned 100. He has outlived his wife (They were married for 80 years!). He doesn’t see much to live for though he is still able to take care of himself and live in his house of many decades.
He decides to take a shot at being a Big Brother to a 10-year-old boy with a severe heart condition when he finds that the boy has written down 5 “impossible” wishes.
This story is set in Chicago where McBride was a major league ballplayer for the Chicago Cubs. There is enough about the Cubs and other famous aspects of Chicago to make that the most enjoyable part of the story.
This novel is a marshmallow that has a hard sugar shell covered with a thick coating of cake frosting. If you have a “sweet tooth” then you might want to see this mostly predictable story to its conclusion.
I did so, but now I need a long session with a mental “WaterPik” to restore my equilibrium.
May 13, 2020
Special thanks to author Joe Siple for writing this heartwarming book of hope. Thanks to Black Rose Writing and NetGalley for providing me with a digital ARC of the book to read, which allows me to write an unbiased review.
The Five Wishes of Mr. Murray McBride is a sweet tale of human connection. Murray lives in Lemon Grove, Illinois and is one hundred years old and ready to die. Jenny his wife of 80 years died over a year ago and he misses her.
Jason Cashman is ten years old and waiting for a heart transplant. Murray meets Jason and becomes his Big Brother. Together they race against the limited time they both have left, ticking off wishes one by one. Along the way Murray remembers what it is like to be young, and Jason fights for the opportunity to grow old.
Secondary characters Father James, Doc Keaton, Chance (Murray's grandson), Jason's mother Anna and Tiegan Rose Marie Atherton (Jason's intelligent next door neighbour and best friend) are all wonderful and add to the story.
Although there are sad moments in this story, I found myself quietly chuckling and sometimes laughing aloud. This book is one that I will remember for a long time. 5 stars
The Five Wishes of Mr. Murray McBride is a sweet tale of human connection. Murray lives in Lemon Grove, Illinois and is one hundred years old and ready to die. Jenny his wife of 80 years died over a year ago and he misses her.
Jason Cashman is ten years old and waiting for a heart transplant. Murray meets Jason and becomes his Big Brother. Together they race against the limited time they both have left, ticking off wishes one by one. Along the way Murray remembers what it is like to be young, and Jason fights for the opportunity to grow old.
Secondary characters Father James, Doc Keaton, Chance (Murray's grandson), Jason's mother Anna and Tiegan Rose Marie Atherton (Jason's intelligent next door neighbour and best friend) are all wonderful and add to the story.
Although there are sad moments in this story, I found myself quietly chuckling and sometimes laughing aloud. This book is one that I will remember for a long time. 5 stars
December 21, 2023
Rank sentimentality and cliches ladled on with a snow shovel.
I am not the target audience for this book.
I am not the target audience for this book.
September 10, 2020
If I could give this books 10 stars I would. The book was excellent. The story is told by the older man. I just loved him. The life he lived and deciding to help a boy in need. I love when he decides to make the 5 wishes come true. The boy in need was just awesome. Both together made you laugh, cry and made you want to route for them throughout their adventures. There is a girl in the book who kinda mellowed them out and you really need her for that. Of course I won't tell you anything about the ending but it was so sweet and so emotional that you just need to read it to see how special the book really is. Now it is Christ based but there is some swearing but in general this book was just amazing. It will be one of my favorites of the year. Looking for a great book, I highly recommend you read this novel!!
July 20, 2019
Mr. Murray McBride is 100. He lost his wife 18 months ago and wonders if today should be the day he stops taking his pills, until he meets Jason and learns about his list of five wishes. Through Jason, he meets his best friend, Teigan and they work together to get Jason's wishes completed in a race against the clock.
It isn't often that an author can completely draw you in and have you deeply invested in a story. This story tugs at your heartstrings and will bring tears to your eyes. It is a story which should be brought to life on the big screen.
It isn't often that an author can completely draw you in and have you deeply invested in a story. This story tugs at your heartstrings and will bring tears to your eyes. It is a story which should be brought to life on the big screen.
January 23, 2021
Turn on the Hallmark channel if you want to waste a day watching drivel instead of reading it. OMG! The writing was horrendous, the story so CONTRIVED, and the overall plot moronic!!
A 100 year old man, Mr. McBride (respect people, use his proper name... not ‘Dude’... as we are subjected to hear a hundred times in two hundred plus pages) no longer wants to live. He’s outlived his whole family, sans his grandson, and no longer sees the point in staying on this planet. And so the drama begins...suspense...what will he do? He decides not to take the one pill that keeps him from keeling over within hours of not taking it and sets a date to it...November 21st!!
But first, he must go see his confessor, Father something or other, who tells him to go out and do something, take his mind off things, enjoy what life he has left. Oh, did I forget to tell you that Mr. McBride is also a male model for elderly people ads, I guess that career wasn't fulfilling enough.
Miraculously, not only did Father ** take his confession, he also tells him about an art program and
that he already signed McBride up for it. Mr. McBride obviously goes, where he meets someone that later will become someone in the story line. I would say the drama builds, but you know exactly why he meets this person.
Yada,yada,yada...somehow McBride winds up being a ‘Big Brother’ to a ten year old dying boy who's waiting for a heart transplant, who he befriends in a hospital he just wanted to sit inside of that day.
More yada, yada, yada... more terrible writing, more stupid dialog and we get to the point where Mr. McBride wants to grant this boys five wishes before he dies (the boy, not Mr. McBride .... tears!).
Move ahead and he takes the boy and his best friend to the Cubs playhouse (did I mention that he was a major league player back in the late 20’s & 30’s?) so the boy can be granted wish number four and hit a grand slam - oxygen tank and all.
Insert slow motion and dramatic music as the boy hits the ball and watches in disbelief as it goes into the bleachers, the crowd roars (sound effects by the staff), and the boy starts running. He rounds first, now second, now third....slower motion, he grabs his chest, he’s suspended in air and slowly lands flat on his face!
Blood everywhere, paramedics rush the boy to the hospital. Anyone wondering who’s in the ambulance with him? Nope... not the adult Mr. McBride, or any of the dozen or so that are there; McBride was told to meet the ambulance at the hospital, it’s the ten year old friend that goes with the boy! Makes sense right? Who wouldn't want a ten year old given a medical history and such to the paramedics?
At the hospital McBride is arrested and CUFFED for kidnapping, and spends hours locked in a holding cell. I wonder if there are advocates against cuffing a sickly centurion and making him sit in a cell awaiting bail? I may have left out that the boys parents are divorced and the father is a jerk (mostly because, of course, he does not know how to express his emotions about the boys sickness so he's cold and distant) and when McBride asked to take the boy to the field the father said “No, it’s my weekend”. McBride is not put off, he has plan B, which involved taking the boy anyway.
So no one worried McBride left a note for the mother, and the little friend also left a note for her mother. Both telling them not to worry because they would be back the following day and who they were with. However, the father is furious and goes to the police to report a kidnapping. Doesn't matter that the mother knows where they are and who they are with. Of course, as would happen in real life, Five O’Clock news headline has the kids pictures plastered on TV with the caption - MISSING!
Dear God, does the drama ever stop? My heart, the tears run down my face, how will I ever be able to get through this post?
Breath... So the boy winds up in the hospital and Mr McBride in jail, at least until his 'estranged' grandson bails him out. At this point McBride can think of nothing but seeing the boy. He gets in his car (come to think of it, did I mention that the boy’s mother and his friends mother have no problem with a hundred year old man illegally driving their kids all around? Never mind that one has a life expectancy of six months) and drives to the hospital.
After seeing the boy and finding out that he’s second on the list for a new heart, which could take more than four months to get, he decides to stop taking his medicine so the boy can have his heart... because everyone wants to transplant the heart of a hundred year old man into a ten year old boy.
He notices the date, it's the date he planned on not taking his life saving pill. Funny how sometimes all the holes in the Swiss Cheese line up. He doesn't take the pill and within hours the old man is in distress... thank the good Lord he’s in the hospital where they immediately go to work on him. LOL...seems he forgot that one detail. When he wakes up where do you think he is? That’s right, he’s in the bed right next to our little pediatric heart transplant patient in the cardiac ICU... I mean where else would he be, right?
He is told that even if he had passed not only would they not have been able to use his heart, but bonus he has bone cancer that has metastasized though out his body that actually should have killed him long ago.
The boy is getting weaker, but the two of them talk and hold hands for days. The old man says all the right things... he loves the boy, the boy gave him a reason to live... and because of that reason to live the boy’s last wish was fulfilled (he wanted to be the best magician in the world and now he was because it was magic that McBride was alive today) so they could both go peacefully to their final resting place.
Now I will leave you to trot through hell reading this dribble to find out what happened to all the characters in the book. That is if you care to find out... truth is there is not a likable one in the bunch!!
The real magic is that this book not only got published, but won awards!!
A 100 year old man, Mr. McBride (respect people, use his proper name... not ‘Dude’... as we are subjected to hear a hundred times in two hundred plus pages) no longer wants to live. He’s outlived his whole family, sans his grandson, and no longer sees the point in staying on this planet. And so the drama begins...suspense...what will he do? He decides not to take the one pill that keeps him from keeling over within hours of not taking it and sets a date to it...November 21st!!
But first, he must go see his confessor, Father something or other, who tells him to go out and do something, take his mind off things, enjoy what life he has left. Oh, did I forget to tell you that Mr. McBride is also a male model for elderly people ads, I guess that career wasn't fulfilling enough.
Miraculously, not only did Father ** take his confession, he also tells him about an art program and
that he already signed McBride up for it. Mr. McBride obviously goes, where he meets someone that later will become someone in the story line. I would say the drama builds, but you know exactly why he meets this person.
Yada,yada,yada...somehow McBride winds up being a ‘Big Brother’ to a ten year old dying boy who's waiting for a heart transplant, who he befriends in a hospital he just wanted to sit inside of that day.
More yada, yada, yada... more terrible writing, more stupid dialog and we get to the point where Mr. McBride wants to grant this boys five wishes before he dies (the boy, not Mr. McBride .... tears!).
Move ahead and he takes the boy and his best friend to the Cubs playhouse (did I mention that he was a major league player back in the late 20’s & 30’s?) so the boy can be granted wish number four and hit a grand slam - oxygen tank and all.
Insert slow motion and dramatic music as the boy hits the ball and watches in disbelief as it goes into the bleachers, the crowd roars (sound effects by the staff), and the boy starts running. He rounds first, now second, now third....slower motion, he grabs his chest, he’s suspended in air and slowly lands flat on his face!
Blood everywhere, paramedics rush the boy to the hospital. Anyone wondering who’s in the ambulance with him? Nope... not the adult Mr. McBride, or any of the dozen or so that are there; McBride was told to meet the ambulance at the hospital, it’s the ten year old friend that goes with the boy! Makes sense right? Who wouldn't want a ten year old given a medical history and such to the paramedics?
At the hospital McBride is arrested and CUFFED for kidnapping, and spends hours locked in a holding cell. I wonder if there are advocates against cuffing a sickly centurion and making him sit in a cell awaiting bail? I may have left out that the boys parents are divorced and the father is a jerk (mostly because, of course, he does not know how to express his emotions about the boys sickness so he's cold and distant) and when McBride asked to take the boy to the field the father said “No, it’s my weekend”. McBride is not put off, he has plan B, which involved taking the boy anyway.
So no one worried McBride left a note for the mother, and the little friend also left a note for her mother. Both telling them not to worry because they would be back the following day and who they were with. However, the father is furious and goes to the police to report a kidnapping. Doesn't matter that the mother knows where they are and who they are with. Of course, as would happen in real life, Five O’Clock news headline has the kids pictures plastered on TV with the caption - MISSING!
Dear God, does the drama ever stop? My heart, the tears run down my face, how will I ever be able to get through this post?
Breath... So the boy winds up in the hospital and Mr McBride in jail, at least until his 'estranged' grandson bails him out. At this point McBride can think of nothing but seeing the boy. He gets in his car (come to think of it, did I mention that the boy’s mother and his friends mother have no problem with a hundred year old man illegally driving their kids all around? Never mind that one has a life expectancy of six months) and drives to the hospital.
After seeing the boy and finding out that he’s second on the list for a new heart, which could take more than four months to get, he decides to stop taking his medicine so the boy can have his heart... because everyone wants to transplant the heart of a hundred year old man into a ten year old boy.
He notices the date, it's the date he planned on not taking his life saving pill. Funny how sometimes all the holes in the Swiss Cheese line up. He doesn't take the pill and within hours the old man is in distress... thank the good Lord he’s in the hospital where they immediately go to work on him. LOL...seems he forgot that one detail. When he wakes up where do you think he is? That’s right, he’s in the bed right next to our little pediatric heart transplant patient in the cardiac ICU... I mean where else would he be, right?
He is told that even if he had passed not only would they not have been able to use his heart, but bonus he has bone cancer that has metastasized though out his body that actually should have killed him long ago.
The boy is getting weaker, but the two of them talk and hold hands for days. The old man says all the right things... he loves the boy, the boy gave him a reason to live... and because of that reason to live the boy’s last wish was fulfilled (he wanted to be the best magician in the world and now he was because it was magic that McBride was alive today) so they could both go peacefully to their final resting place.
Now I will leave you to trot through hell reading this dribble to find out what happened to all the characters in the book. That is if you care to find out... truth is there is not a likable one in the bunch!!
The real magic is that this book not only got published, but won awards!!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 27, 2019
This book grabbed me from page 1 and I wanted to keep reading till I got to the end. A wonderful, heartwarming story about a 100 year old man and a 10 year old boy trying to fulfill a wish list of 5 things. I did not see the ending coming and loved this book!
December 31, 2019
Joe Siple gave me a blurb for the front cover of my forthcoming novel, The Green House, so I thought I'd read his award-winning novel in return.
Here's the thing: The plot is very good. Powerful, meaningful. Quite emotional at the end. I appreciated the way the plot wrapped up tightly and with an appropriate outcome. The surprise at the end was a huge surprise. The problem was, the middle chunk was a slow build without much drama, and because of it, I struggled to connect with the characters. And the dialogue failed to captivate. While the delivery of the premise could have been sharper with more vivid, active writing at times (especially since it's literary fiction), the drama and excitement in the final quarter of the book is excellent and really saved it for me.
Joe Siple's storytelling is something to pay attention to going forward. I look forward to following his journey.
Here's the thing: The plot is very good. Powerful, meaningful. Quite emotional at the end. I appreciated the way the plot wrapped up tightly and with an appropriate outcome. The surprise at the end was a huge surprise. The problem was, the middle chunk was a slow build without much drama, and because of it, I struggled to connect with the characters. And the dialogue failed to captivate. While the delivery of the premise could have been sharper with more vivid, active writing at times (especially since it's literary fiction), the drama and excitement in the final quarter of the book is excellent and really saved it for me.
Joe Siple's storytelling is something to pay attention to going forward. I look forward to following his journey.
June 21, 2020
I just can't suspend belief this much! How much? This book is just TOO MUCH. A contrived story that goes way beyond any belief.
A good effort is all I can say.
A good effort is all I can say.
January 15, 2025
My Grandma loved this and wanted me to read it so we could talk about it. Safe to say she will not be getting my true thoughts.
March 26, 2023
A very poignant story of an hundred old man, befriending a boy in a hospital that needed a new heart and only had a few months to live.
The boy, Jason had a bucket list that Mr. Murry helped him achieve.
This act of kindness gave Mr. Murry a new lease on his life and encouraged Jason.
By the time a new heart was found, Mr. Murry had passed.
A book full of emotion and love.
The boy, Jason had a bucket list that Mr. Murry helped him achieve.
This act of kindness gave Mr. Murry a new lease on his life and encouraged Jason.
By the time a new heart was found, Mr. Murry had passed.
A book full of emotion and love.
May 29, 2024
4.5 rounded up
What an emotional ride. 100 year old ex MLB player befriends 10 year old boy who needs a new heart. Makes his wish’s come true. I was reading this at work at lunch, bawling my eyes out. My coworkers thought I was nuts.
What an emotional ride. 100 year old ex MLB player befriends 10 year old boy who needs a new heart. Makes his wish’s come true. I was reading this at work at lunch, bawling my eyes out. My coworkers thought I was nuts.
July 3, 2020
An easy read with a sweet story but I struggled with many unrealistic aspects of the story. It reads like someone's first attempt at a book. Not a bad story and it's a quick read.
October 20, 2025
If the title itself isn't enough to encourage a reader to add this to their reading list, I'm not sure much I can say would so persuade said reader. Still, this is my nose nudge, gently done.
Murray McBride is at the end of his life, no doubt, and he wants to end it, from this mortal coil to decidedly unshuffle himself. His grasping grandson isn't helping, his faith is worn thin and barely preventative. Enter Jason Cashman, possessed of exactly one-tenth of Murry's years. A tithing? maybe so. An angel's portion.
Jason is dying. Murray is not. Jason is angry and not ready to die. Murray is more than willing to do so. One remarkable day, intended to be Murray's last day, they meet. It didn't go well. Except for the fact that the meeting updated Murray's schedule with a postponement.
A predictable but lovely read. Comforting and hopeful. Just the thing to disappear world weariness and stress for a time in this reader's autumn world. Thank you, Author Joe Siple, and endearing characters Murray, Jason, and Teigan Rose along with all the words comprising The Five Wishes of Mr. Murray McBride .
25|52:27c
Murray McBride is at the end of his life, no doubt, and he wants to end it, from this mortal coil to decidedly unshuffle himself. His grasping grandson isn't helping, his faith is worn thin and barely preventative. Enter Jason Cashman, possessed of exactly one-tenth of Murry's years. A tithing? maybe so. An angel's portion.
Jason is dying. Murray is not. Jason is angry and not ready to die. Murray is more than willing to do so. One remarkable day, intended to be Murray's last day, they meet. It didn't go well. Except for the fact that the meeting updated Murray's schedule with a postponement.
A predictable but lovely read. Comforting and hopeful. Just the thing to disappear world weariness and stress for a time in this reader's autumn world. Thank you, Author Joe Siple, and endearing characters Murray, Jason, and Teigan Rose along with all the words comprising The Five Wishes of Mr. Murray McBride .
25|52:27c
October 27, 2018
This is a tear jerker about two very unlikely friends. Murray McBride is 100 years old and ready to die, while 10 year old Jason is hoping to live another year. They meet in the hospital and Murray learns Jason has 5 things he wants to do before he dies. Murray, with the help of Tiegan start working on a plan to grant Jason his wishes. This unusual friendship will have you smiling and crying it's great to see Murray have a reason to live. This book is a very quick read because you keep turning the pages and not realizing how long you've been in the story. I received a copy of this ARC in exchange for a fair and honest review.
August 9, 2018
What a beautiful example of friendship. I love any story about quirky characters and this book is just that.
This is a story of the unlikely friendship between a 100 year old man and a 1en year old boy. I had an entire range of emotions when reading this book. There are parts that are laugh out loud funny and parts that made me do the ugly cry.
Do not let the pitiful cover picture detour you from reading this book. This book will definitely be on the list of my favorite books of the year.
I received a copy of this book from NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
This is a story of the unlikely friendship between a 100 year old man and a 1en year old boy. I had an entire range of emotions when reading this book. There are parts that are laugh out loud funny and parts that made me do the ugly cry.
Do not let the pitiful cover picture detour you from reading this book. This book will definitely be on the list of my favorite books of the year.
I received a copy of this book from NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
August 18, 2024
I had to sit on this one for a good long while. I think it was the goodness of it that took me aback, for, most stories are modern and dark and this is like the antithesis of that. Murray is precious and the fact that we are losing his generation grieves me. Jason was cute and also appropriately annoying. Tiegan stole the book. All in all a great read and I highly recommend. Can’t wait to read the sequel!
April 8, 2024
100% deserves five trillion stars. One of the easiest but greatest reads I’ve had to date. A special book that makes your heart melt and break all at the same time (just ask Mia about my emotions by the end). I think this’ll be the type of book that people will either love or hate, but it certainly melted me. Enjoy xx
August 20, 2021
Totally implausible and sappy. The only thing that resonated is the overall message. Keep your priorities straight; cherish your family and friends always.
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