âThis book is a bonbon for any baby boomer. . . . Lamb gets Felixâs voice just right, and he does a spot-on job of evoking the special joys and trials of parochial school in the â60âsâŚPut a bow on this book and warm somebodyâs heart.â â St. Petersburg Times
Wally Lamb, the beloved #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Hour I First Believed, I Know This Much Is True, and Sheâs Come Undone, delivers a holiday treat with Wishinâ and Hopinââan unforgettable novella that captures the warmth and joy of the holiday season.
It's 1964. LBJ and Lady Bird are in the White House, Meet the Beatles is on everyoneâs turntable, and ten-year-old Felix Funicello (distant cousin of the iconic Annette!) is doing his best to navigate fifth gradeâeasier 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 heâs never going to forget.
Poignant and hilarious, in a vein similar to Jean Shepherdâs A Christmas Story and David Sedarisâs The Santaland Diaries, Lambâs Christmas tale focuses on a feisty parochial school fifth grader named Felix Funicelloâa distant cousin of the iconic Annette!