Genre: Chick Lit
Published: April 21, 2015
Pages: 377
Ages: 14+
Synopsis
Jennifer Sharpe is a divorced mother of two with a problem just about any working parent can relate to: her boss expects her to work as though she doesn’t have children, and her children want her to care for them as though she doesn’t have a boss. But when, through a fateful coincidence, a brilliant physicist comes into possession of Jennifer’s phone and decides to play fairy godmother, installing a miraculous time-travel app called Wishful Thinking, Jennifer suddenly finds herself in possession of what seems like the answer to the impossible dream of having it all: an app that lets her be in more than one place at the same time.
With the app, Jennifer goes quickly from zero to hero in every part of her life: she is super-worker, the last to leave her office every night; she is super-mom, the first to arrive at pickup every afternoon; and she even becomes super-girlfriend, dating a musician who thinks she has unlimited childcare and a flexible job. But Jennifer soon finds herself facing questions that adding more hours to her day can’t answer. Why does she feel busier and more harried than ever? Is she aging faster than everyone around her? How can she be a good worker, mother, and partner when she can’t be honest with anybody in her life? And most important, when choosing to be with your children, at work, or with your partner doesn’t involve sacrifice, do those choices lose their meaning? Wishful Thinking is a modern-day fairy tale in which one woman learns to overcome the challenges—and appreciate the joys—of living life in real time.
With the app, Jennifer goes quickly from zero to hero in every part of her life: she is super-worker, the last to leave her office every night; she is super-mom, the first to arrive at pickup every afternoon; and she even becomes super-girlfriend, dating a musician who thinks she has unlimited childcare and a flexible job. But Jennifer soon finds herself facing questions that adding more hours to her day can’t answer. Why does she feel busier and more harried than ever? Is she aging faster than everyone around her? How can she be a good worker, mother, and partner when she can’t be honest with anybody in her life? And most important, when choosing to be with your children, at work, or with your partner doesn’t involve sacrifice, do those choices lose their meaning? Wishful Thinking is a modern-day fairy tale in which one woman learns to overcome the challenges—and appreciate the joys—of living life in real time.
Review
Have you ever wanted, no needed, to be in two places at once. I'm guessing you have at least once in your life. I know I have. In Wishful Thinking, Jennifer is able to do just that with an app on her phone that works a little bit like Hermione Granger's time turner in Harry Potter. After her neighbor, Dr. Diane Sexton, a kooky physicist, installs the app that Sexton had designed on her phone, she finds herself living the working mom's dream, being supermom to her two children and the most dedicated employee in her office all at the same time. But it comes at a price that Jennifer might not be willing to pay.
I was immediately intrigued by this story, feeling like I could really relate to Jennifer having two young children of my own and being a divorce away from finding myself planted squarely in her shoes in real life. I'm currently a stay at home mom and already feel like I need two of me at times, I can't imagine being a working mother trying to juggle work and kids activities, except I kind of can after reading this book, although Jennifer makes it seem almost effortless with her wishful thinking app.
I did find myself feeling ashamed of Jennifer as she started to take on more and more responsibilities through the apps special powers, but couldn't really blame her as I would possibly do the same thing, although I think I'd most likely just schedule myself some extra nap times during the week. But with the pressure women today feel to be perfect in everything we do to impress our 600 friends on Facebook and Pinterest, it's easy to understand why Jennifer would feel the need to join planning committees and schedule perfect playdates for her sons. It seems like almost everyone's life is perfect if you check their Facebook.
The wishful thinking app did allow Jennifer to develop new friendly relationships outside of work though, through those playdates, which would be an absolutely wonderful thing if they weren't stretching her so thin. Jennifer eventually comes to realize that a person's body can only take so much pressure before it starts to have deleterious affects on them.
Overall I give this book 4 out of 5 stars because it was entertaining and made me think about my own life and what I would do if I had an app like that. I also think this would make a great book club selection, because I can think of a half dozen discussion questions off the top of my head. I would definitely recommend this book to anyone looking for a lighthearted, but through-provoking read. - Katie
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About the Author
Kamy Wicoff is the founder, with author Deborah Siegel, of SheWrites.com, the world's largest online community for women who write. She is also the founder, with publisher Brooke Warner, of She Writes Press. Wicoff’s first book, the best-selling I Do But I Don't: Why The Way We Marry Matters, was published by Da Capo Press in 2006. Her work has appeared in Salon.com, and has been anthologized in Why I’m Still Married: Women Write Their Hearts Out On Love, Loss, and Who Does The Dishes (Hudson Press, 2006), and About Face: Women Write About What They See When They Look in the Mirror (Seal Press, 2008). She serves on the board of Girls Write Now, a mentoring organization in New York City, and also formerly served on the Advisory Council for Stanford University’s Clayman Institute for Gender Research. Wicoff lives in Brooklyn with her sons, Max and Jed.
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