Hello sweeties! Today, I’ll be sharing my review for The Wish and The Peacock by Wendy Swore. This was such a fun, adorable, charming, heartfelt, and beautiful children’s story about loss, family, friendship, hope, and realizing that home is wherever you go as long as you’re with the people you love.
Published: February 4, 2020
Publisher: Shadow Mountain Publishing
ISBN: 9781629726083
Retail Price: $16.99 Page Count: Hardcover, 304
Genre(s): Middle Grade, Juvenile Fiction, Social Themes
Book Design: © Shadow Mountain
Cover Illustration: Brandon Dorman
Art Direction: Richard Erickson Design: Sheryl Dickert Smith
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Paige’s favorite family tradition on the farm is the annual bonfire where everyone tosses in a stone and makes a wish. This time, Paige’s specific wish is one she’s not sure can come true: Don’t let Mom and Grandpa sell the farm.
When Paige’s younger brother finds a wounded peacock in the barn, Paige is sure it’s a sign that if she can keep the bird safe, she’ll keep the farm safe too. Peacocks, after all, are known to be fierce protectors of territory and family.
With determination and hard work, Paige tries to prove she can save the farm on her own, but when a real estate agent stakes a “For Sale” sign at the end of the driveway and threatens everything Paige loves, she calls on her younger brother and her best friends, Mateo and Kimana, to help battle this new menace. They may not have street smarts, but they have plenty of farm smarts, and some city lady who’s scared of spiders should be easy enough to drive away.
But even as the peacock gets healthier, the strain of holding all the pieces of Paige’s world together gets harder. Faced with a choice between home and family, she risks everything to make her wish come true, including the one thing that scares her the most: letting the farm go.
Charming, Delightful and Heartwarming Tale About Loss, Hope and Family
The Wish and the Peacock by Wendy Swore is a fun and wonderful children’s story filled with farm animals, adventure, endearing friendships, and heartwarming moments. Swore masterfully creates a believable and relatable narrative that’s not only entertaining, but also beautifully touching in many ways.
Paige is dealing with her grief over losing her father. As she goes about taking care of her family farm like her dad used to do, Paige finds out that her mother and grandfather has agreed to sell their farm. She wants nothing more than to stay in the home where she grew up and keep the one connection she has with her father. When her younger brother, Scotty, finds a wounded peacock in the barn, Paige is determined not only to protect the bird, but also their family farm, which she obviously loves with all her heart. With Scotty and her best friends, Mateo and Kimana, by her side, Paige does everything she can to scare the real estate agent and every potential buyers and save her family farm.
This was such a charming and heartfelt story. I absolutely loved the farm setting and all the animals. It reminded me of all the good memories I have with my dad when I was a little girl visiting our province in the Philippines. I definitely felt a little sad since my dad has been gone for a few years, but just thinking about every moment we shared during those times also made me smile and warmed my heart. I love when books do that and surprisingly, this did that and so much more. For a children’s book, I wasn’t expecting to feel so much, but I did and it was just so lovely. I also really enjoyed the lighter side of the story. The scheming and playful pranks were fun to read about. There’s definitely plenty of humorous parts, light and sweet moments, a few heartbreaking scenes, and so many touching ones. I also love that I actually learned some interesting facts about animals and farming.
Paige is such a loveable and fascinating heroine. I adore her so much and the little tomboyish girl inside me definitely related with her. I loved her spunk, determination, and heart. I really enjoyed her character arc and watching her realize that moving on and changes does not mean forgetting or letting go… that home isn’t a place, but rather being with the people you love.
The side characters are amazing and likeable. I love Scotty with all my heart and just wanted to snuggle with him. His love for books and reading is so adorable. I also love Paige’s grandfather and her best friend, Mateo and Kimana, are awesome and very supportive. Overall, the cast is great and they all added intrigue and made the story interesting and engaging.
Wendy Swore managed to make me smile, laugh, and touch my heart in ways I didn’t expect. The Wish and the Peacock is definitely a beautiful feel good children’s story, but more than that, the themes and lessons learned is compelling, important and relatable. This lovely book is truly a delightful and precious read and I honestly can’t recommend it enough. I’m sure readers of all ages would find something to love about this and enjoy it just as much as I did.
I received an advance reader copy of this book from the publisher, Shadow Mountain Publishing, in exchange for a fair and honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
Wendy S. Swore and her family are farmers. She writes part-time, particularly in winter when her farming chores give her time to plant seeds in her imagination. She is a member of SCBWI. She was named the Idaho Farm Bureau District 1 Woman of the Year in 2018.
Visit the author at WendySwore.com
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Thanks for visiting and stopping by lovelies. Hope you have a wonderful day!
Catherine Linka is the author of the young adult novel WHAT I WANT YOU TO SEE as well as the dystopian series A GIRL CALLED FEARLESS and A GIRL UNDONE. A GIRL CALLED FEARLESS was an ABA Indie Next Pick and won the Young Adult Novel Award 2014 from the Southern California Independent Booksellers Association. A frequent speaker at writing and teen conferences, Catherine received her MFA from Vermont College of Fine Arts and worked as a young adult book buyer for an independent bookstore for seven years. Prior to pursuing a career in publishing, she studied international politics at Georgetown University followed by a master’s degree in business at the University of North Carolina. Catherine is married and lives with her husband in the San Gabriel foothills. Visit her at 
Sincerely Karen Jo 