Wishin' and Hopin'

Wishin' and Hopin': A Christmas Story by Wally Lamb

On the library stacks: Adult fiction

My rating: 3 of 5 stars

My husband gets me a Christmas book every year. I flew to California the day after Christmas and this book fit the bill for a long flight perfectly.

Felix Funicello is a 5th grader, growing up during the 1960s attending Catholic school. His dad owns a diner where they employ a bawdy cook named Chino and they have lots of posters of their famous 3rd cousin Annette on the walls. Felix's mother is going to be on TV for the Pillsbury Bake Off and Felix himself has a TV appearance coming up on Ranger Andy.

Added to all of that, Felix's teacher Sister Dymphna has a breakdown when Felix awakes an unsuspecting bat in their classroom. And everyone gets a surprise when their replacement is a lay teacher named Madame Marguerite who speaks French and wears a beret, heels, and tight sweaters. She organizes a tableau vivant for the school Christmas program which has long-reaching consequences for Felix, his family, and the whole school.

There is lots of gross humor in this book dealing with Felix learning about the facts of life. Generally, I would say this book might be enjoyed more by men, but I did find it to be satisfying and amusing nonetheless. It reminded me of something Bill Bryson might write about his growing up years, but this fictional account has some fantastical charm to it.

Also reviewed by: Silly Little Mischief ~ Novels Now ~ Thoughts of Joy... ~ Peeking Between the Pages ~ Hey Lady! Whatcha Readin'? ~ Alaine - Queen of Happy Endings ~ A Bookworm's World ~ A Book a Day ~ Bermudaonion's Weblog ~ Booking Mama ~ Your link here?

Source: Gift