Wish You Well by David Baldacci

Wish You Well, by David Baldacci. 2000. New York: Warner Books. 400 pp. ISBN: 0446527165

Author David Baldacci, best known for his suspense thrillers, has taken a different course in the writing of Wish You Well. Drawing on oral histories told to him by his grandmother and his mother, of his ancestral home in southwestern Virginia, Mr. Baldacci has written an emotional family drama set in the 1940's, where the struggle to survive in the Appalachian Mountains is a daily way of life.

At the opening of the story, the Cardinal family is living in New York City. The father, Jack Cardinal, has been offered a new career, in California, writing for the movies. His wife, Amanda, is unsure of the move and tries to persuade her husband to return to his roots in rural Virginia. The debate ends quickly with a terrible automobile crash that leaves the broken family no other choice but to go to Virginia. On the train heading to her great-grandmother's home on the mountain, 12 year old Lou tries to reassure her younger brother, seven year old Oz, that everything will be all right. The children slowly adjust to their new home and new "family", which includes not just their great-grandmother Louisa, but also a young black man named Eugene, who Louisa has raised from infancy, as well as, a young Yankee lawyer, Cotton Longfellow, who happens to be a descendant of Henry Wordsworth Longfellow. Together, they all work hard to take care of the farm and each other. Several conflicts arise with Louisa's neighbor George Davis, a hard man who lets his family starve, though his farm is one of the most profitable on the mountain. The largest conflict, however, is with the mighty Southern Valley Gas Company, who wants Louisa's land. With the loss of the timber industry and the closing of several of the area coalmines, Louisa's neighbors are anxious for her to sell out, so they can do the same. It is up to the inexperienced Yankee lawyer, Cotton, to fight for Louisa's right to keep her land.

On the surface, the story is about the destruction and eventual healing of a family, however, the underlining theme of the story is the battle between industry and nature, which is being fought everyday. There are those who take from the land and never give back, leaving waste and devastation in their wake. Then, there are those who understand the balance of give and take, respecting the land and not taking for granted the gifts of the earth. Also, there are those who think only of immediate gratification and profit without regard for the future, while others think of past and future generations wanting to preserve the heritage and freedom of mountain living. It is doubtful that the two points of view will ever come to see eye to eye. It is hard to convince a man, desperate for a job, that the beauty of the mountains should be preserved and not blown to bits in order to extract the mineral resources hidden deep inside. Likewise, it is equally hard to convince a freedom loving mountain farmer that the money from earned working for big industry is better than the unpredictability of nature's bounty.

The characters are endearing and the visual descriptions are vivid. The story moves along at a good pace with plenty of drama. The only downside to the story is that the ending is somewhat predictable. Overall a good entertaining read.