Rating: 
Summary: Endearing and warm
Review: I found" Wish You Well" to be an immensely readable tale,meticulously written and told with love.Lou and Oscar are forced to go to live with their great grandmother,Louisa Mae,following the death of their father in a car accident.Their mother who saved their lives in the accident,has retreated into a comatose state and is completely bedridden.These two city kids have to learn to adapt to life in the hills without electricity or any of the mod cons.They soon learn to help with the farm chores and adapt remarkably well to their new circumstances.They get caught up in the lives of various interesting characters who could only be called hillbillies and are exposed to a totally new set of values.A greedy gas company discovers natural gas on Louisas land and tries to force her to sell,using threats and intimidation.A tragic accident claims the life of one of their new friends and brings about a court action,which although is very predictable, is nonetheless exciting.I dound this to be a delightful story which shows that family love and loyalty can overcome most problems.
Rating:
Summary: An enchanting tale....
Review: Years ago, I taught high school English presenting such works as Edna Ferber's "So Big" and Harper Lee's "To Kill A Mockingbird" to my students trying to instill in them a love for authors and works they could understand and use in their own lives. Were I still teaching, "Wish You Well" by David Baldacci would be such a book. Having read all of his works, primarily courtroom dramas and thrillers, I knew going in that he was writing in a different genre and I wasn't sure I'd like it. May I tell you, did I ever! When a reader hates to see chapters end, much less the book, you know you're reading a winner. It's sweet, sad, uplifting, at times scary, and a joy to hold in your hands. There are lessons in the book not only for young people but all of us could profit from its homespun philosophies. Teenagers especially should read it to see what hardscrabble life was like in the mountain country of Virginia in the 1940's. It's going to be a sure-fire Hollywood hit. Congratulations, David, you mined pure gold with this one.
Rating:
Summary: FABULOUS BOOK!!!
Review: "Wish You Well" was an excellent book that I couldn't put down! I was crying so hard during parts of the book, everyone was coming up to me to see what was the matter. I grew to love the characters as if I were on that mountain sharing a piece of their life! David Baldacci captures the spirit and the essence of what life is like, even today in the mountains of rural America and its people. This book brought me back to my own homeland of memories that I couldn't seem to express until I flipped through the pages and recognized a "real spirit" and love for simplicity. Please read it, you won't be dissapointed, you laugh, cry, and become part of the community in Virginia!! Great read for young adults, too. ENJOY :)
Rating:
Summary: Excellent reading
Review: I could not put it down. A beautiful story about human endurance and the spirit of the Virginia residents that will keep you glued to the pages.I thouroughly enjoyed reading this book and recommend it to anyone.
Rating: 
Summary: A WISHING WELL
Review: THIS BOOK TOOK ME A WHILE TO GET INTO .IT STARTED VERY SLOW.ONCE I GOT STARTED I COULDNOT PUT IT DOWN. THE CHARACTERS WERE WELL DEVELOPED AND I COULD EVEN PICTURE HOW THEY ALL LOOKED.THERE WERE A FEW SURPRISES AND I LOVED THE ENDING
Rating:
Summary: What wondeful storytelling.....
Review: is the first thing you think of when you close this book at the end of the last chapter. Patterson has written a book completely unlike any of his previous work. Do not be put off by the change in genre. This is better. This is not a suspense thriller or mystery. It is a family story about courgeous characters in tough situations. The story centers around 12 year Lou Cardinal and her 7 year old brother Oz who go to live with their great grandmother Loiusa Mae Cardinal in the mountians of Virginia. A terrible accident has left their mother in a coma and they have no place left to go. Their grandmother is an unforgettable character who teaches them of life in the mountains as well as lessons for any time and place. The description of life on the mountain in the 1940s are wonderful. This little famuily faces many hardships both natural and personal. You will love this book and its characters. The story has many developments twists and turns, you will get caught up in the moments. Go get it and enjoy.
Rating:
Summary: Wish You Well is well worth the time!
Review: This is the first book I have read by David Baldacci and I'm hooked! I am a HUGE fan of Patricia Cornwell, and when I saw this book being promoted, as one of her favorites, on her website I had to read it for myself. I am glad I did. David does a wonderful job drawing the reader into the story. Although the story is sad at times, it is very moving and shows all the different human emotions throughout the entire story. I felt as though I was a part of the story myself. I could hardly bare to put it down. Although this isn't one of his "typical" books I think everyone who enjoys mysteries or historically set novels will love it the same.
Rating:
Summary: Unforgettable characters....
Review: Ok, admittedly, this is not the masterpiece that To Kill a Mockingbird is; but, the spunky Lou does bring to mind Scout in Mockingbird, and many parallels could be drawn between the wisdom/love/discipline/sensibility of Louisa (Lou's grandma) and of Atticus (Scout's dad). I will spare you a summary of this book, as so many have already done such a great job providing one (note: don't you just love Amazon's abundance of awesome customer reviewers?!?), but I would like to describe one of the themes that runs thru Wish You Well that totally captured my attention: the exploration of poverty versus "riches." The novel opens with tension and conflict between Lou's parents over Jack (dad) leaving behind his self-fulfilling, award-winning (but non-monetarily rewarding) writing career to move to Hollywood to make a buck writing movie scripts. Jack is ashamed by their lack of perceived wealth and believes this move will improve their money situation. Exit Jack. Enter life with Louisa in an old farmhouse with no phone, heat, or electricity. If you want to eat, you milk cows, plant seeds, toil earth. If you want to be clothed, you wear your dad's hand-me-downs from his childhood or sew dresses from chop sacks. I'm thinking, "Now THIS is poverty!!" But then the details of Lou's friend's Diamond's life are slowly unfurled, and I was face to face with a young boy without family, money, schedule, home, or education. So, I'm thinking, "OoooH! THIS is really poverty." The difference, tho, between Louisa, Diamond, and Jack is that Jack was the only one who perceived himself to be poor. Hmmmm. So just when I think I "get it" re: the whole poverty theme in this book, one more family is revealed to me - the Davis family. But, lest I give away too many details, read and see for yourself. This is a beautifully written story with unforgettable characters that made me realize (yet again!) how easy I really have it and wonder whether I might be less for it. Thus, my response to David Baldacci's "confession" of sorts in his intro: "...I have always been drawn to stories of the past in my native Virginia, and tales of people living in places that sharply limited their ambitions, yet provided them with a richness of knowledge and experience few have ever attained." So I leave it up to you to decide for yourself who of these characters is "rich" and who is poor; I already made up my mind.
Rating: 
Summary: Not so good ending
Review: Good at spots, but a not so good ending. I am annoyed by books were people do stupid things, and both the kids and the lawyer seemed to loose IQ at the book limped to a close. Not as good as his others.
Rating: 
Summary: Wish You Well
Review: It must be me. I love David Baldacci's books, but this is about the worst that he has written.
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