From Booklist
A year after her death, Ian and his 10-year-old daughter, Mattie, are still reeling from the loss of wife and mother, Kate, who succumbed after a long, drawn-out battle with cancer. On Ianβs birthday, he opens the letter Kate gave him right before she died. The family had planned a trip to Asia to commemorate Ian and Kateβs fifteenth wedding anniversary, and Kateβs letter asks Ian to take their daughter on that trip. Ian takes Mattie on a winding journey through Japan, Nepal, India, and Thailand, showing her everything they meant to see with Kate at their side. As they struggle through their travel, Ian tells Mattie stories about her mother, Mattie sketches the landscapes, and the two tie paper wishes to trees as messages to Kate to help them come to terms with their grief. Shorsβ fourth novel is a moving, emotional story about coping and coming to terms with loss. Anyone who has lost a loved one will relate to this poignant novel. --Hilary Hatton
Review
"John Shors has made himself a reputation for recreating exotic landscapes that surround heartwarming stories with captivating details. The Wishing Trees is no exception, as he replaces what might be a standard tale of recovery from loss with an alluring travelogue, filled with colorful details of these chromatic countries." - BookPage
"The Wishing Trees is a poignant tale about the power of healing through exploring and embracing foreign lands, ultimately bringing the travelers back to the people they love... Touchingly personal, Shors' vivid descriptions throughout the novel are enough to transport you elsewhere." - Sierra Club Magazine
"The Wishing Trees is a truly poignant novel of ultimate love, loss and healing... The novel left me thankful, content, and at peace, feeling as if I had traveled the world with two wonderful people. It is truly unique." - BookPleasures.com
"Beautifully written, The Wishing Trees is a fascinating tale of a father and daughter on a spiritual and emotional journey-where they find love and forgiveness in the most unfamiliar but amazing places." - Mahbod Seraji, bestselling author of Rooftops of Tehran
"John Shors' The Wishing Trees is an affecting and sensitively rendered study of grief and loss, the healing power of artistic expression, and the life-altering rewards of travel to distant lands. I was deeply moved by this poignant and life-affirming novel." - Wally Lamb, bestselling author of She's Come Undone