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In Wally Lamb’s pitch perfect new novel, it is 1964. LBJ and Lady Bird are in the White House, Meet the Beatles 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.
About the Author

The author of the number one New York Times bestsellers She's Come Undone and I Know This Much Is True, Wally Lamb still contributes time as a volunteer facilitator at the York Correctional Institution. He lives in Connecticut with his wife, Christine. His third novel is The Hour I First Believed.
Praise for Wishin' and Hopin'…

“Lamb is a very good writer, and Wishin’ and Hopin’ is a charming read with a genuinely funny ending.”
-Houston Chronicle

“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”
-St. Petersburg Times

“Lamb’s rich panoply of details...render this novel first-rate escapism just begging for a comforter and a cup of tea.”
-Minneapolis Star Tribune

“Warmly, sweetly retro”
-Kansas City Star

We might as well call Wally Lamb the man with the golden pen...[Wishin’ and Hopin’] will leave you laughing and thinking nostalgically about your own school days and holidays past”
-BookPage

“Lamb’s vividly detailed portrait of the 1960’s and the inner workings of a Catholic schoolboy’s mind puts his first Christmas book on par with his previous three novels.”
-Miami Herald

“Lamb...proves he can be short, sweet and funny”
-USA Today

“Wishin’ and Hopin’ from Wally Lamb reminds us of what innocence was like.”
-Body and Soul

“In the hands of Wally Lamb, what emerges isn’t an apology but a celebration of life...Felix makes a hilarious guide through a story that whirs right along.”
-Washington Post

“Both heartwarming and laugh-out-loud funny…a cast of characters that are both uproarious and unforgettable…a poignant reminder that family and friends are the greatest gift of all.”
-Hartford Books Examiner

“Charming…. Full of pop-culture references of the day…this will have broad appeal.”
-Library Journal

“Humorous and heartwarming…clever and well-written…A fun trip down memory lane from a skilled writer. The stocking stuffer might just become a cherished possession.”
-Columbus Dispatch