Book Description

The Wish is a fantasy adventure which takes place in New York City in the late 1970s. It is the story of a young boy, Jesse Free, aged twelve. Jesse is a bright athletic lad. His ambitious dream is to pitch for the New York Yankees. Jesse is normal in every way except for one thing. He canaEUR(tm)t talk. He can hear perfectly well, but he has never spoken a word in his life. On the Fourth of July, Jesse ventures on a journey through New York City, secretly and alone. He is in search of his wish. It is an important wish promised to him in a bizarre occurrence, shades of fantasy and reality. The Wish is the story of what happens to Jesse on that Independence Day. The people he encounters, the adventures he experiences, a mysterious Bowery bum with a secret message, a dragon in Chinatown, roller rockers dancing in Washington Square Park, a vicious street gang, a bag lady, a stickball game in Little Italy, the World Trade towers where Jesse is pursued by two low-down rogues. The magic of the Empire State Building guides Jesse on his journey. From there he is carried on a surreal midnight ride. The experience and lesson that Jesse learns during his adventures serve to form his character for the challenges in his adult life. Thirteen years later, the story moved to Yankee Stadium in the Bronx where Jesse is injured while pitching for the New York Yankees in the final game of the world series. While recovering and reflecting, Jesse travels to Ireland where he learns more about his mysterious childhood journey in the Netherworld and where he changes upon romance and a curious surprise.