The Wishing Tree (25 page)

MARYBETH WHALEN
is the wife of Curt and mom of six children. She is the director of She Reads, an online book club focused on spotlighting the best in women’s fiction. Marybeth is the author of
The Mailbox
and
The Guest Book
. She spends most of her time in the grocery store but occasionally escapes long enough to scribble some words. She’s always at work on her next novel. Marybeth and her family live in North Carolina. You can find her online at www.marybethwhalen.com.

As I started reading
The Wishing Tree
, I was instantly drawn into a story filled with complex family relationships and characters I cared about. I felt Ivy Marshall’s pain as she faced past issues and cheered her on during her happier moments. Marybeth Whalen has earned a place on my must-read list.

—D
EBBY
M
AYNE, AUTHOR OF
P
RETTY
I
S AS
P
RETTY
D
OES
,
B
LESS
H
ER
H
EART
,
AND
T
ICKLED
P
INK

A betrayal, a bakery, and a beach: all three combine to woo you through Ivy Marshall’s conundrum. Will she forgive? Is that enough? Or is it time to move on with her love life? Strong characters, a terrific setting, and stunning baked goods make this a terrific beach read.

—M
ARY
D
EMUTH, AUTHOR OF
T
HE
M
UIR
H
OUSE

Sink your toes in the sand, let the salty breeze tease your hair, and be swept away to Sunset Beach. Marybeth Whalen writes with an authentic voice, full of deep introspection and insight into relationships and the questions we all have about whether or not we’ve made the right choices. And there are cupcakes!
The Wishing Tree
delighted me from start to finish. Highly recommended!

—C
ARLA
S
TEWART, AWARD-WINNING
AUTHOR OF
C
HASING
L
ILACS
AND
S
TARDUST

Marybeth Whalen writes with a light hand, skillfully blending issues of faith and the realities of modern life into a compelling and believable read.

—M
ARIE
B
OSTWICK
, N
EW
Y
ORK
T
IMES BEST-SELLING
AUTHOR OF
B
ETWEEN
H
EAVEN AND
T
EXAS

An engaging story of true love and the power of forgiveness. Thoroughly enjoyable!

—A
NN
T
ATLOCK
, C
HRISTY AWARD-WINNING
AUTHOR OF
P
ROMISES TO
K
EEP
AND
S
WEET
M
ERCY

Like a beach at ebb tide, Marybeth Whalen’s latest novel reveals itself in layers. From challenge comes strength, from struggle, self-discovery, from the sweeping away of old things, new beginnings. Readers will cheer Ivy’s season of growth in all the things that matter most.

—L
ISA
W
INGATE, NATIONAL BEST-SELLING
AND AWARD-WINNING AUTHOR OF
B
LUE
M
OON
B
AY
AND
F
IREFLY
I
SLAND

A tradition of wedding wishes takes on new meaning for Ivy Marshall as she searches for truth and faith. Marybeth Whalen delivers a classic story of healing, redemption, and forgiveness, reminding us the best days are ahead. Not in the past.

—R
ACHEL
H
AUCK, AWARD-WINNING,
BEST-SELLING AUTHOR OF
T
HE
W
EDDING
D
RESS
AND
O
NCE
U
PON A
P
RINCE

A lovely journey of discovery and forgiveness. Here’s to wishes!

—S
HEILA
R
OBERTS, BEST-SELLING
AUTHOR OF
W
HAT
S
HE
W
ANTS

Marybeth Whalen explores a question in the hearts of many married women at one time or another, but one rarely on their lips: “What if I had chosen differently?” Ivy Marshall, in her journey toward that answer, comes to redefine herself and learns what it really means to wish, to forgive, and to love.
The Wishing Tree
is a novel not to be missed.

—C
HRISTA
A
LLAN, AUTHOR OF
W
ALKING ON
B
ROKEN
G
LASS
AND
T
HE
E
DGE OF
G
RACE

She Makes It Look Easy
The Mailbox
The Guest Book

ZONDERVAN

The Wishing Tree

Copyright © 2013 by Marybeth Whalen

All rights reserved under International and Pan-American Copyright Conventions. By payment of the required fees, you have been granted the non-exclusive, non-transferable right to access and read the text of this e-book on-screen. No part of this text may be reproduced, transmitted, down-loaded, decompiled, reverse engineered, or stored in or introduced into any information storage and retrieval system, in any form or by any means, whether electronic or mechanical, now known or hereinafter invented, without the express written permission of Zondervan e-books.

EPub Edition © APRIL 2013 ISBN: 978-0-310-33489-7

Requests for information should be addressed to:

Zondervan,
Grand Rapids, Michigan 49530

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Whalen, Marybeth.

The wishing tree / by Marybeth Whalen.

      pages cm.

ISBN 978-0-310-33488-0 (trade paper)

I. Title.

PS3623.H355W57 2013

813’.6–dc23

                                  2013002819

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New International Version®, NIV®
. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.™ Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.

NEW REVISED STANDARD VERSION of the Bible. © 1989 by the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the U.S.A. All rights reserved.

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