Interview with Jamie Sumner, Author of Wish You Well
Welcome to Smack Dab, Jamie! Please tell us about Wish You Well . Wish You Well is one of those stories where you’ll remember the trio of friends for life. Violet, Wyatt, and Noor are the most unlikely friends who meet at the annual children’s hospital picnic. They all have different health issues and decide to pretend to be friends so they can pool their wishes from a wish-granting campaign and go on three epic adventures in one year! Wish You Well doesn’t rely on any kind of traditional “sick kid” narrative. Here, we have a heist story! What made you gravitate toward a con rather than a survival or coming-of-age arc? Books that feature kids with illnesses or disabilities often speak of “battling” and “overcoming” them. The story itself becomes all about the struggle instead of the actual child and their interests and personality. Most kids I’ve met through the hospital are tough. They are resilient. They have an excellent sense of humor. They don’t want to be pitied. They want to h...