52 pages • 1-hour read
The Wish
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Book Club Questions
General Impressions
Gather initial thoughts and broad opinions about the book.
1. Discuss Sparks’s plot twist that Mark is Maggie’s child. How does the reveal of the mother-child bond impact their relationship? In what ways does it deepen the emotional impact for the reader?
2. Read Sparks’s novel A Walk to Remember. Compare and contrast his exploration of illness, death, and grief in each story. How does Sparks give each novel a “happy ending” despite the death of the protagonist?
Personal Reflection and Connection
Encourage readers to connect the book’s themes and characters with their personal experiences.
1. How do you feel about the novel’s handling of teen pregnancy? Discuss how it connected to, challenged, and/or reinforced your personal thoughts and experiences.
2. Have you ever experienced the type of love that Maggie experiences with Bryce? How do your personal experiences impact your understanding of their relationship? Do you think Maggie regretted her decision to leave?
3. For Maggie, personal connection is a key component of her ability to cope—both in Ocracoke and with her illness. How is this similar or different to your own coping strategies during difficult times?
4. Photography is a vital part of Maggie’s life with Bryce and in her career. What forms of art are important in your life? How do they help you enjoy life, overcome difficult times, and/or connect with others?
Societal and Cultural Context
Examine the book’s relevance to societal issues, historical events, or cultural themes.
1. Consider the archetypical, white, nuclear, American family in the mid-1990s. How does the novel subvert this dynamic through Maggie’s interpersonal relationships? What characters serve to supplement and replace what Maggie lacks in her traditional family home?
2. Consider the real-world location of Ocracoke Island. What aspects of Ocracoke impact Maggie’s growth and development? How does the novel’s setting reflect Maggie’s emotional state throughout the novel’s past narrative?
Literary Analysis
Dive into the book’s structure, characters, themes, and symbolism.
1. Read Nicholas Sparks’s novel The Last Song. Compare and contrast Maggie’s experiences with Ronnie’s. Identify a shared theme that connects the two novels related to setting since both stories are set in rural North Carolina.
2. Identify an antagonist in the text and make an argument for your choice. Discuss the ways in which the antagonist impacts Maggie’s character arc across the narrative.
3. How does the novel’s dual timeline influence the reader’s understanding of who Maggie is as a character? Discuss specific moments where similar traits and attributes are seen in Maggie both in the past and the present.
4. One recurring motif in the novel is the idea that “love is always stronger than fear” (382). Discuss how this idea applies to Maggie, Bryce, and Mark in the novel. How does this motif connect to the novel’s central themes?
5. How does Sparks explore the theme of choice versus destiny in The Wish? Consider plot, character, and tone in your discussion.
Creative Engagement
Encourage imaginative and creative connections to the book.
1. Imagine a sequel that follows Mark’s life after he scatters his birth mother’s ashes in Ocracoke. Consider the way that Maggie’s story impacted him and the thoughts he expresses to Maggie about his future. How will meeting Maggie affect the rest of his life?
2. Imagine Maggie had decided to stay in Ocracoke with Bryce. How do you think their lives would have been different? Would they have been happy giving up their futures for each other? Be sure to discuss why or why not by citing specific moments in the text.
3. Photography plays a vital role in Maggie’s life throughout the novel. Create a collage of photographs that you feel represent key moments from the text. Discuss the emotions evoked by the photograph as they relate to each scene, citing Sparks’s tone, diction, and/or the mood he creates.
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