What You Wish For by Katherine Center

What You Wish For

Katherine Center

St. Martin's Press

July 14, 2020

Sam works at the perfect school as an elementary librarian. Max and Babbette Kempner own that perfect school and treat all their faculty as family. That is until the day that Max dies from a freak embolism created by sitting too long on an airplane. 

As the grief hits everyone at the Kempner School and the community of Galveston Island, Texas a stranger comes to the school to take Max's place as Principal of Kempner School, well, a stranger to everyone but Sam, that is. Duncan Carpenter was Sam's crush at the last school she had worked at. Duncan was cool, like Max, people gravitated towards him- he was the epitome of fun! The day comes when the faculty has their first meeting with Principal Carpenter and Sam is ecstatic and scared at the same time. She plans on quitting since she doesn't think that she can work with Duncan again as she believes he's married and possibly has a handful of kids. Who comes through the door into the happy lunchroom isn't anything like the Duncan she remembers, he's suited up, serious and scary. The new Principal wants to add high-tech security to the whole school almost like a prison, taking out all the fun of what Max and Babbette had created at their school.

When Sam feels all is lost she remembers the advice that Max had given her when she first arrived at Kempner School, “It’s not about fixing all your problems, anyway,” Max said. “Okay. Listen close: pay attention to the things that connect you with joy.” It wasn’t what I’d expected him to say. I leaned away and turned to frown at him. “What does joy have to do with anything?” “Joy is important.” Was it? “I don’t know. Not having car accidents is important. Joy seems pretty expendable.” But Max just smiled. “It’s one of the secrets to life that no one ever tells you. Joy cures everything.” I flared my nostrils. “Everything?” I challenged, pointing at the bandage over my stitches.” “Everything emotional,” Max clarified. “I don’t think you can cure emotions,” I said. But Max just nodded. “Joy is an antidote to fear. To anger. To boredom. To sorrow.” “But you can’t just decide to feel joyful.” “True. But you can decide to do something joyful.” I considered that. “You can hug somebody. Or crank up the radio. Or watch a funny movie. Or tickle somebody. Or lip-synch your favorite song. Or buy the person behind you at Starbucks a coffee. Or wear a flower hat to work.” I shook my head. “One flower hat can’t fix all my problems.” “No, but it can sure help.” I sighed.“You’ll never fix all your problems.” “Well, that’s encouraging.” “The point is to be happy anyway. As often as you can.”

I really needed to hear Max’s advice especially now in this crazy year of 2020 where nothing seems normal. I wonder how Ms. Center knew we were going to need that advice on finding Joy no matter what life throws at us. She is a wise, wise soul.

Will Sam, the Kempner staff, and Babbette be able to save their school? Will Duncan Carpenter remember Sam, and will Sam be able to get over the grief she is experiencing after Max dies?

Read What You Wish For to find out those questions and experience the craziness that happens with Duncan, Sam, and jerk face Kempner School Board President, Kent Buckley (also Max and Babbette's son-in-law) and the rest of the community.

I've read all of Katherine Center's books and have loved all of them. I think What You Wish For is her best yet! I was so sick of Duncan Carpenter at the first that I wanted to chuck my Kindle Paperwhite across the room and swear off reading this book, but Sam and her best friend Alice kept drawing me back in. I am so glad that I went past that 2nd chapter. I read What You Wish For in less than 24 hours I just couldn't put it down. I needed to know what was going to happen to the Kempner School, I wanted to see if Duncan turns into the man that Sam knew before and I wanted to listen to 3rd grader Clay Buckley, Max and Babbette's grandson tell us more about Maritime living. He was just enchanting.

Don't miss this book. It seriously is a read that you have been wishing for!

Without trials, there is no Joy. This book is 4.5 stars for creating that Joy!

Thank you, Netgalley, St. Martin's Press, and Katherine Center for giving me the opportunity to read What You Wish For in lieu of my honest review. It was definitely a fun read!