Five Wishes
Locals may know local author and illustrator Karin M. Gertsch for her charming children’s books (Flora Has an Adventure), but she has just released a debut novel about a family living in a small New England town.
Gertsch’s novel, Five Wishes, published by Atmosphere Press, will be available June 13. The story begins with a couple. Delbert MacInnes was born and raised in Hamlet and is content to remain grounded, while his wife, Matilda, has been itching to make her Five Wishes come true. Over the years her wish list was amended several times—her patience is wearing thin.
Though Matilda’s garden is alive and flourishing with color and variety, she feels stuck. Her best hours are when her grown daughters Mel and Lyn have time to visit. Whenever Matilda mentions to Delbert about going somewhere, he replies: “All I have to do is look out another window if I want to see a different view.” When an unexpected event happens, Matilda learns that Delbert has kept a secret from her for decades. But, then, she’s never shared her precious secret with him.
About 10 years ago the germ for Five Wishes was embedded in Gertsch’s sub-conscience. It nagged at her to develop a story around an older woman frustrated by unfulfilled dreams. Gertsch wanted to show that even though someone is no longer young—dreams can still come true—all that is needed is a catalyst.
Five Wishes takes the reader on journeys from Hamlet to the bottom of the Grand Canyon, then overseas to an ancient castle in Scotland, before venturing back to the cozy Cape Cod-style home at Five Cedar Street, where a freshly brewed cup of Darjeeling tea is waiting at the breakfast table.
Gertsch grew up in Manchester and lives on a Christmas tree farm in Essex with her family, a rescue pup named Oliver, and a friendly flock of chickens. She is currently working on a second novel as well as a series of children’s stories.
