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Wishbone
It’s 2004, the year same-sex marriage becomes legal in Massachusetts, the year the Red Sox break the curse, and the year everything changes for Meg Myers.
Meg is an animal control officer who doesn’t much like people and doesn’t believe wishes come true. She grew up in state care, bouncing between foster homes and her alcoholic mother. Left physically and emotionally scarred, she is guarded about her past and pessimistic about her future. So she focuses on her job and her dream of opening an animal shelter.
Meg’s world is rocked by three women: Pam and her foster daughter, Violet; Gina, twin to Meg’s best friend Jeff; and Samantha, the vet who shares an uncomfortable past with Meg. Through her relationships with these women, Meg is forced to explore mother-daughter bonds, loss and grief, and what defines friendship and gender in her quest to find security and love for the first time in her life.
Meg is an animal control officer who doesn’t much like people and doesn’t believe wishes come true. She grew up in state care, bouncing between foster homes and her alcoholic mother. Left physically and emotionally scarred, she is guarded about her past and pessimistic about her future. So she focuses on her job and her dream of opening an animal shelter.
Meg’s world is rocked by three women: Pam and her foster daughter, Violet; Gina, twin to Meg’s best friend Jeff; and Samantha, the vet who shares an uncomfortable past with Meg. Through her relationships with these women, Meg is forced to explore mother-daughter bonds, loss and grief, and what defines friendship and gender in her quest to find security and love for the first time in her life.
372 pages, Kindle Edition
First published May 22, 2015
3 people are currently reading
54 people want to read
About the author
Elaine Burnes
10 books29 followersElaine Burnes is the award-winning author of the science-fiction novels Endurance and Tenacity, in the Captain Lyn Randall series.
Endurance won a 2023 Golden Crown Literary Society award for Science Fiction/Fantasy and was a finalist for the Ann Bannon Popular Choice Award.
Tenacity won a 2025 Goldie for Science Fiction.
Her 2015 novel, Wishbone, won a 2016 Golden Crown Literary Society award for Dramatic/General Fiction. A Perfect Life and Other Stories, was a Rainbow Award winner.
Endurance won a 2023 Golden Crown Literary Society award for Science Fiction/Fantasy and was a finalist for the Ann Bannon Popular Choice Award.
Tenacity won a 2025 Goldie for Science Fiction.
Her 2015 novel, Wishbone, won a 2016 Golden Crown Literary Society award for Dramatic/General Fiction. A Perfect Life and Other Stories, was a Rainbow Award winner.
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Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews
July 8, 2015
If I was giving a rating on how much I personally enjoyed/felt about this book I'd give it 1 star. I really didn't enjoy it at all - a hard slog from start to finish.
But.
Technically, it's excellent and underserving of such a low rating, hence the neutral score.
To try and explain further,
I think this is going to be one of those books that you either love or hate.
Due to her traumatic childhood experiences our lens and main protagonist, Meg, as an expert at emotional disconnection.
And it is through this lens of disconnection that the whole novel is written. From a technical perspective, I can appreciate the authors skill in (consistently) writing in this way - writing from Meg's brain point.
But this disconnected, often disjointed lens made the book a really really hard slog for me. The focal point of the novel doesn't want to get close to people - but that made it hard to get close to her - and as such I found myself consistently frustrated and unable to engage with the storyline.
As Edward said about opera in Pretty Woman, 'others may learn to appreciate it but it will never be part of their soul'... I appreciate this book. It is technically excellent. But I didn't love it and I can safely say that I will never read it again. I like my books to warm my heart, and Wishbone left mine cold.
But.
Technically, it's excellent and underserving of such a low rating, hence the neutral score.
To try and explain further,
I think this is going to be one of those books that you either love or hate.
Due to her traumatic childhood experiences our lens and main protagonist, Meg, as an expert at emotional disconnection.
And it is through this lens of disconnection that the whole novel is written. From a technical perspective, I can appreciate the authors skill in (consistently) writing in this way - writing from Meg's brain point.
But this disconnected, often disjointed lens made the book a really really hard slog for me. The focal point of the novel doesn't want to get close to people - but that made it hard to get close to her - and as such I found myself consistently frustrated and unable to engage with the storyline.
As Edward said about opera in Pretty Woman, 'others may learn to appreciate it but it will never be part of their soul'... I appreciate this book. It is technically excellent. But I didn't love it and I can safely say that I will never read it again. I like my books to warm my heart, and Wishbone left mine cold.
January 2, 2016
This was one of those books I had trouble putting down. Enjoyed it to the very last page. It was emotional and sexy and relevant. It was emotional without being devastating...a huge factor for me! Not a light summer read IMO. I may have to read again when I'm not as distracted! Definitely enjoyable with great character development and a nice story.
February 26, 2024
Wishbone revolves around an animal care officer in the Boston area, who grew up in foster care. The character is reminiscent of Mickey Knight in J.M. Redmann's private detective series: She is a good person with a troubled past who has mostly raised herself. She is stumbling through her life, trying to make sense of it, and trying to steer herself by a moral compass she never had modelled for her.
As the story unfolds, we learn about Meg Myers through her interesting work life, her dealings with her wreck of a mother, and her relationships with three core women, including a trans character. Each of these women teaches her something important about herself. For example, the trans character, Gina, teaches her the importance of coming out of the shadows and being authentically herself. (I won't reference the other two women, as it might give away story elements.) Though difficult material is discussed in this book, and life doesn’t stop being what it is, this book featured a strong positive character arc and a happy ending in the romantic relationship. This story blends the richness of women’s fiction with the delight of lesbian romance.
Wishbone, set in 2004, is very well written. I was impressed by a number of passages that were simultaneously cleanly written and emotionally powerful. There were also a number of great insights that I highlighted. This book had me wanting to leave my chores and come upstairs to read in the daytime.
As the story unfolds, we learn about Meg Myers through her interesting work life, her dealings with her wreck of a mother, and her relationships with three core women, including a trans character. Each of these women teaches her something important about herself. For example, the trans character, Gina, teaches her the importance of coming out of the shadows and being authentically herself. (I won't reference the other two women, as it might give away story elements.) Though difficult material is discussed in this book, and life doesn’t stop being what it is, this book featured a strong positive character arc and a happy ending in the romantic relationship. This story blends the richness of women’s fiction with the delight of lesbian romance.
Wishbone, set in 2004, is very well written. I was impressed by a number of passages that were simultaneously cleanly written and emotionally powerful. There were also a number of great insights that I highlighted. This book had me wanting to leave my chores and come upstairs to read in the daytime.
June 29, 2015
Wow, what a great book! I highly recommend. You will not be disappointed.
May 7, 2023
Wishbone is mostly a pretty okay character adventure, in which an animal control officer with a dark past in the foster care system works out her various flavours of trauma with the three women she rebounds to over the course of the book. Wishbone has the Trans Tag™ though, and I could pretty much bully it mercilessly, not only for how aggressively bad its trans character is but also how the whole thing derails the entire middle third thoroughly.
Gina does not have anything going on bar her transition, her entire character is being trans, her transness and suffering is a character-development token for our lead, and of course because she hasn't had "the surgery" she's the one who gets the sexual trauma worked out on her. The rules for Old-Time Trans depictions must state that a trans woman must at least experience threats of physical violence, too, which is fun.
I get down and mean to books like Lifetime Between Us or Knock Me Down or Light From Uncommon Stars constantly, specifically over their trans depictions, but Wishbone is a very good reminder that I'm holding those more modern books to incredibly high standards, compared to what it used to be like. If Only You Knew How Bad Things Really Are.
Gina does not have anything going on bar her transition, her entire character is being trans, her transness and suffering is a character-development token for our lead, and of course because she hasn't had "the surgery" she's the one who gets the sexual trauma worked out on her. The rules for Old-Time Trans depictions must state that a trans woman must at least experience threats of physical violence, too, which is fun.
I get down and mean to books like Lifetime Between Us or Knock Me Down or Light From Uncommon Stars constantly, specifically over their trans depictions, but Wishbone is a very good reminder that I'm holding those more modern books to incredibly high standards, compared to what it used to be like. If Only You Knew How Bad Things Really Are.
September 14, 2017
I loved this book.
In saying that, this was no easy read. It took me about 6 days to finish and I usually blow throw a novel in 1-3 sittings.
The reason being, Meg's narrative is a difficult one. She is often negative and we view her world through the same detachment Meg feels. This isn't a bad thing, as Burnes writes so beautifully it's almost like dark poetry.
Also, Meg has every reason to be detached and pessimistic (heavy trigger warnings for this one). We get to know her and her past slowly and, as we do, understanding Meg and why her thoughts are so dark makes perfect sense. I found myself mentally begging the author for Meg's happily ever after, something I usually feel a bit meh about because it's always a sure thing.
The varied cast and how they impact Meg's life were superbly written and the relationships woven neatly into the story.
Highly recommend
In saying that, this was no easy read. It took me about 6 days to finish and I usually blow throw a novel in 1-3 sittings.
The reason being, Meg's narrative is a difficult one. She is often negative and we view her world through the same detachment Meg feels. This isn't a bad thing, as Burnes writes so beautifully it's almost like dark poetry.
Also, Meg has every reason to be detached and pessimistic (heavy trigger warnings for this one). We get to know her and her past slowly and, as we do, understanding Meg and why her thoughts are so dark makes perfect sense. I found myself mentally begging the author for Meg's happily ever after, something I usually feel a bit meh about because it's always a sure thing.
The varied cast and how they impact Meg's life were superbly written and the relationships woven neatly into the story.
Highly recommend
July 5, 2015
Wow! Some difficult subject matter but well worth the read
Excellent characterizations and very well written. Sympathetic main character, deeply wounded both physically and emotionally by an abusive, alcoholic mother and the flawed foster system. Her struggles and triumphs will grab your heart and not let go. Possible triggers for some people. An excellent if sometimes difficult read.
Excellent characterizations and very well written. Sympathetic main character, deeply wounded both physically and emotionally by an abusive, alcoholic mother and the flawed foster system. Her struggles and triumphs will grab your heart and not let go. Possible triggers for some people. An excellent if sometimes difficult read.
August 25, 2015
compelling
The author created an authentic characters that I could relate to. She clearly knew the subject matter and the story was believable. I was able to trapeze around the old haunts, again making the setting ring true. There was one relationship that pushed some buttons, not a bad thing at all. Having had to interact with some of the agencies again lent to the books enjoyment. I would recommend this book.
The author created an authentic characters that I could relate to. She clearly knew the subject matter and the story was believable. I was able to trapeze around the old haunts, again making the setting ring true. There was one relationship that pushed some buttons, not a bad thing at all. Having had to interact with some of the agencies again lent to the books enjoyment. I would recommend this book.
December 16, 2015
Wishbone by Elaine Burnes: http://reviews-and-ramblings.dreamwid... 2015 Rainbow Awards Honorable Mention (5* from at least 1 judge)
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews