Rating: 
Summary: Book on tape, great for a long drive
Review: I have not read or listened to any of David Baldacci's books before. My wife and I listened to "Wish You Well" during a drive from Georgia to North Carolina and back. We both enjoyed the storyline and descriptions of the Virginia mountains in the early 1940's. The main characters were quite endearing and the evil ones were easy to dislike. An example would be the humerous exchange with the character Eugene during the court battle. I almost had to pull the car over. I was laughing so hard my eyes were tearing making it difficult to see.Maybe it was the narrator, maybe it was the author, but I am inclined to read more of this writers works. I would even consider listening to another audio book of his while taking another long trip.
Rating: 
Summary: Wish You Well~
Review: Wish You Well is the second book of Baldacci's that I've read, the other being The Christmas Train. Realizing that these two novels are not his normal genre, I am not comparing them to his other works. Wish You Well is a cute, entertaining read that is a southern tale of life living in the Virginia mountains. The story centers around two children, Lou and her little brother Oz, who find themselves living with their great grandmother, Louisa May Cardinal, after being in a tragic accident. Meeting Louisa for the first time, the children have to adapt to a completely different way of life, coming from New York City, to a small, rural place that contains no electricity, running water or any modern day convenience. Baldacci does a good job of painting the image of mountain life, it's inhabitant's struggles, trials and tribulations. It was a bit long, and is not a page turner, but it is a charming and entertaining story.
Rating: 
Summary: Rewarding experience reading this book
Review: My sweetest memories of my childhood in southeast rural Virginia, are the echoes of my two grandmothers as they responded to my, and my siblings' requests to "tell us a story." In a soothing, gentle drawling speech that has all but disappeared in our age of uniform media-inspired pronunciation, they would tell short little tales and anecdotes about their childhoods, or about our parents when they were children. Entertained by the hour, we were then unaware that we were tapping into a link with our pasts, even less aware that we were learning the cycle of life: we, the children, would one day be the parents, and then the grandparents. Auditors, we were learning the stories to pass on, while creating new ones to add to the repertoire. To read David Baldacci's "Wish You Well" is to hear my grandmothers again. True, "Wish You Well" takes place on the mountainous side of the Old Dominion, not the flat side where I grew up, but the challenges were the same: people who depended on the land for survival were at the mercy of nature and, sometimes, at the mercy of interloping industry that offered long-term promises it could not fill. They came, they took, they left. Ultimately, however, this is a novel about love, relations, relationships and sacrifice. Through a set of disastrous circumstances, Lou and Oz and their comatose mother find themselves transported from 1940s Brooklyn to a mountain top in far southwestern Virginia where their great-grandmother, Louisa Mae Cardinal takes them into her simple home. Here, they meet Eugene, a young black man who lives in Louisa's house, Diamond, an orphan who lives in the woods and Cotton, a small-town lawyer who does not realize the extent of his ability to persuade. The younger Louisa Mae, who insists upon being called Lou is an aspiring writer (following her father's footsteps). She is the older and stronger of the two children and acts as surrogate mother to her younger brother, Oz (short for Oscar, though "The Wizard of Oz" and symbolism in it do come into the story). Baldacci acknowledges in the prefatory Author's Note that portions of this book are autobiographical, leaving us to wonder if he is Lou or in Oz, or perhaps both as personifications of different parts of his developed personality. It does not seem accidental, however, that the scrappy Lou, who gets into more than one fight with a bully, bear the name Louisa Mae -- that of another author who wrote transparently autobiographical fiction. Josphine March also preferred to be known by a one-syllable name. Baldacci writes directly and effectively, sometimes drawing us into scenes that are almost too painful to read. If you are wise, you will not read the last chapters in a public place as I did (on the stairmaster at the gym). As I finished, with tears streaming down my face, I glanced up to see the woman next to me staring with a look that clearly said, "If it's that painful to exercise, just stop." Rather than break the spell of "Wish You Well" I just smiled and did not bother with an explanation. In the Author's Note, Baldacci tells us that "writing this novel was "one of the most rewarding experiences of my life." Reading it was one of mine.
Rating:
Summary: Delightful Tale
Review: This is the first book I have read by Baldacci and I am delighted to have found him! His ability to bring the characters to life is truly a gift. It was so easy to see Lou's character growth and to rejoice as she goes from the simplicity of a child to the deeper understanding of an adolescent.The story itself is one that would be enjoyed by a wide range of ages. So many different individual life stories that flow together smoothly.I could just visualize Louisa's mountain, the harshness and the beauty. I admired her strength and love of family.
In this story he reminds us of the importance of community and how the gifts of the land are far more constant than our human exploits.
Rating:
Summary: A classic in the making
Review: My mother is very into David Baldacci's books but I have never had the urge to read one. I am not into political, courtroom or espionage books which seems to be the area he usually writes in. My mom convinced me to read Wish You Well swearing it wasn't like the others. I am glad she did, she was right. You almost feel like you are watching a full length feature instead of reading a book. The characters are very unique and very lovable. After finishing the book, I thought about the books I had to read for classes in High School and I can see this being one that will be added to the reading list. A nice wholesome story with a little bit of mystery and the definate makings of a classic. Look out To Kill a Mockingbird!
Rating:
Summary: A beautiful book!
Review: This is the first David Baldacci book I've read. I thought it was very well done. I think this would be a great book for Jr. High/High School students. As an adult who has read quite a bit, some of the plot twists are predictable, but it does not detract from the book, instead giving a warm fuzzy feeling to the reader. I enjoyed this book very much as a weekend read.
Rating:
Summary: Hmm
Review: This book is about two siblings: Lou(short for Louisa May), an outspoken, aspiring writer, and Oz(short for Oscar), a shy but thoughtful book. At the beginning of the book, they are in a car accident with their parents. Their father is killed, and there mother becomes unresponsive, staring into space and unable to speak or move. The children and mother move in with the children's paternal grandmother, an independent woman who lives far from the civilized bustle of New York the kids are used to. Much of the book is about how the kids adjust to country life. Despite how Lou initially looks down upon the people who live there, she slowly comes to...well, she strikes up friendships with some of them. Then the farm their grandmother owns is threatened... Throughout this, the kids have to deal with their mother, who is always there, but never really THERE. This is the kind of book that makes you feel all warm and fuzzy inside. It is conventional and predictable. It is also very descriptive and has some interesting characters. Good, but not so good you'll stay up all night reading it.
Rating:
Summary: Heartwarming Story, but too descriptive
Review: Wish you Well has a beautiful story line about a family that straddles death and despair among despondent and stark living conditions. Historically, D.Baldacci has captivated readers with suspenseful mystery novels. Ostensibly, this is a new genre for his writings and at many points; Mr. Baldacci seemed too engaged in the descriptive etymology rather than the plot. The scenery is descriptive, but in my opinion, too descriptive. As I mentioned, the story could be just as powerful with 100 pages slashed from the book. I must admit, that I almost put this book down after the first 75 pages, because of the verbose writing; however, I am glad that I continued to read since the plot and character development blossomed. A reader can easily identify with the characters and hardships of the Cardinal family. The last 50 pages are very touching, although somewhat predictable. I particularly liked the main character, Lou Cardinal, who is a precocious 12-year old. This is a 3 1/2 star novel. I suggest you remain patient for the first quarter of the book and continue to read forward.
Rating:
Summary: A Heart Warming Tale
Review: At first I believed that this book would not be that enjoyable because it was a change from Baldacci's usual thriller novels. But I was plesantly surprised after I finished reading it. Lou, a little 12-year old girl, is funny and is very mature for her age. This book really shows how one must never give up because good things happen to those who wait. Lou and her little brother, Oz, move in with their great grandmother after certain things happen that leave them with no other options. I also enjoyed the work because it shows how life in rural America was during World War II.
Rating: 
Summary: Disappointed
Review: I was quite disappointed with this book. I enjoy Baldacci's thrillers and was extremely let down when I read this book. I kept waiting for something exciting to happen. This book reminded me of the Oprah book club pick Gap Creek, which I read but did not really care for. Usually a Baldacci book takes me 2-3 days to read and I can't put it down. This book took me 2-3 weeks to read and I finished it only to say that I had finished it and I have never left a book unfinished.
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