Wishin' and Hopin'

<p><strong>This book is a bonbon for any baby boomer. . . . Lamb gets Felix's voice just right and he does a spot-on job of evoking the special joys and trials of parochial school in the '60's...Put a bow on this book and warm somebody's heart. -- <em>St. Petersburg Times</em></strong></p><p><strong>Wally Lamb the beloved #1 <em>New York Times</em> bestselling author of <em>The Hour I First Believed I Know This Much Is True</em> and <em>She's Come Undone</em> delivers a holiday treat with <em>Wishin' and Hopin'</em>--an unforgettable novella that captures the warmth and joy of the holiday season.</strong></p><p>It's 1964. LBJ and Lady Bird are in the White House <em>Meet the Beatles</em> is on everyone's turntable and ten-year-old Felix Funicello (distant cousin of the iconic Annette!) is doing his best to navigate fifth grade--easier said than done when scary movies still give you nightmares and you bear a striking resemblance to a certain adorable cartoon boy. But there are several things young Felix can depend on: the birds and bees are puzzling television is magical and this is one Christmas he's never going to forget.</p><p>Poignant and hilarious in a vein similar to Jean Shepherd's <em>A Christmas Story</em> and David Sedaris's <em>The Santaland Diaries</em> Lamb's Christmas tale focuses on a feisty parochial school fifth grader named Felix Funicello--a distant cousin of the iconic Annette!</p>