Aunt Dimity and the Wishing Well
Everyone turns out for a funeral in the Cotswold community of Finch, where American expat Lori Shepherd has settled with her family, even if it’s a cold, rainy day in May, and even if it’s the village recluse being buried. But the good folk of Finch are not expecting Jack MacBride, the young, handsome nephew of the deceased, to arrive at the last moment, straight from Heathrow and still wearing clothes more appropriate to the Australian outback. Jack intends to settle his uncle’s affairs, including getting the house, with its long-neglected garden, in order. When Lori and the others help Jack discover a wishing well in the underbrush, and Lori jokingly makes a wish that the rain would stop, the next day dawns sunny. Others sneak in to make wishes, which also come true. As fans of the Aunt Dimity stories know, there are regular magical occurrences in Finch. Aunt Dimity, though deceased, regularly speaks to Lori through a magic journal, and she does so again, helping Lori understand the true nature of the legacy Jack has received, along with the true purpose of the fulfilled wishes. --Karen Muller