The Wishing Hill(2013) by Holly Robinson

 1001 Novels: A Library of America

The Wishing Hill (2013)

by Holly Robinson

Newbury, Massachusetts

Massachussets: 26/30

   Coming to the end of the New England chapter of the 1001 Novels: A Library of America is a reminder of how geographically specific and universally understood the idea of "New England" is by the average American.  There's an argument about the proximity of southern Connecticut to New York, but other than that everyone knows that New England is Maine, Vermont, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, Connecticut and Massachussets.   Over the next 13 chapters, there will be less consistency-  by necessity places like the "Midwest" "South" and "West" will be split between multiple chapters.  It's also worth noting, coming to the end of Chapter 1 of 14, that all the books take place entirely inside the United States- I don't think any of the characters have left the country for any significant amount of time in any book.

    UNTIL TODAY- because The Wishing Hill by Holly Robinson takes place partially in Mexico where the main character shows up recently divorced and pregnant by her local gardener in chapter one, only to be called home to Newbury Mass, where her dramatic (literally an actress) mother is in the hospital after a fall.  Mom lives next door to her semi-estranged sister and... well...the plot is a variation on what I have begun to term Hallmark Movie lit- involving a woman who returns to her "home town" from some place more sophisticated and struggles with whether to stay or return to where she started.

    I found the idea of a single American wanting to give birth and raise a baby in Mexico, Puerto Vallarta, to be risible.  At least you would want to give birth inside the United States to forestall any questions of citizenship for the child.   The struggle between daughter and mother had its moments- the family secrets unraveled by the plot weren't stupid or boring, but the main character was pretty lame, even by the standards of domestic fiction.  So much incessant worrying on every page.  I really couldn't stand this book.