Wally Lamb, the beloved #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Hour I First Believed, I Know This Much Is True, and She’s Come Undone, delivers a holiday treat with Wishin’ and Hopin’—an unforgettable novella that captures the warmth and joy of the holiday season. Poignant and hilarious, in a vein similar to Jean Shepherd’s A Christmas Story and David Sedaris’s The Santaland Diaries, Lamb’s … and David Sedaris’s The Santaland Diaries, Lamb’s Christmas tale focuses on a feisty parochial school fifth grader named Felix Funicello—a distant cousin of the iconic Annette!
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An easy read — I laughed out loud recalling my own experience attending Catholic school!
Funny, nostalgic Christmas story
Love this book! One of my favorite authors
I’m a huge Wally Lamb fan, & while this is not my favorite of his books, it was still witty and fun.
Funniest book I’ve ever read.
Great read for the Baby Boom generation!
Brought me back to the good old days of attending a catholic grammar school. I laughed when I read Sister Fabian’s name. I, too, had a Sister Fabian in third grade. She scared the hell out of us.
I could relate to most of the story except I’m a girl, and we weren’t allowed to wear patent leather shoes otherwise boys could see the reflection of …
Depicts the real world of a Catholic-school boy in the mid-60s.
Easy to read., Reminded me of the narration of “The Christmas Story”. Could make a delightful movie.
A sweet book, like going back in time.
This book captures perfectly the agonies and ecstasies of a 1960s childhood in a Catholic household and parochial school.
Wally Lamb is one of my favorite authors. He seems to inhabit his characters and makes them come to life. This is a most enjoyable tale.
Wally Lamb absolutely nailed the Catholic School experience!!!
I spent 12 years in Catholic School in the 1950s and 60s and have read lots of accounts. Wally Lamb absolutely nailed what life was like in that environment. The book brought back so many hilarious memories. I loved it so much I sent a copy to my brother and another to a friend who also enjoys reading about Catholic school.
Great read! Finished in one day…so amusing
Not so funny if you lived through it
Love Wally lamb I’ve read all of his books
I have read all of Wally Lamb’s books! All have been hauntingly tragic page turners. WHAT A SURPRISE was this book. Made me laugh out loud. I went to parochial school …what a hoot?
Pure enjoyment!
imho, Wally Lamb knows how to tell a story, and does a nice job here. He really nails the 1960’s, w/many laugh out loud episodes in the character’s lives. I have stopped midway in others of his works due to overuse of, and frankly, gross sexual content and language. Not so much here, thankfully.