Wishbones

Wishbones
Virginia Macgregor

Feather Tucker has two wishes:1)To get her mum healthy again2) To win the Junior UK swimming championshipsWhen Feather comes home on New Year’s Eve to find her mother – one of Britain’s most obese women- in a diabetic coma, she realises something has to be done to save her mum’s life. But when her Mum refuses to co-operate Feather realises that the problems run deeper than just her mum’s unhealthy appetite.Over time, Feather’s mission to help her Mum becomes an investigation. With the help of friends old and new, and the hindrance of runaway pet goat Houdini, Feather’s starting to uncover when her mum’s life began to spiral out of control and why. But can Feather fix it in time for her mum to watch her swim to victory? And can she save her family for good?

Praise for Virginia Macgregor (#ulink_8605b6f0-75a2-581a-8096-709d745ba9a8)

‘Undobutedly a future classic’ (Clare Mackintosh, author of Sunday Times Top Ten bestselling I Let You Go)

‘A life-affirming read… Warm, wise and insightful’ (Good Housekeeping)

‘Sharp, funny and hugely moving, this is a must read’ (Fabulous)

‘It is impossible not to fall in love with nine-year-old Milo in this touching novel’ (Stylist)

‘The characterisation and dialogue make it easy to feel empathy for the family and readers will cheer Milo on to achieve his goal’ (Sun)

‘[An] understated and likeable tale that just might restore your faith in human nature’ (Bella)

VIRGINIA MACGREGOR is the author of What Milo Saw, The Return of Norah Wells, Before I Was Yours and, most recently, the young adult novel Wishbones. Her work has been translated into over a dozen languages. After graduating from Oxford University, she worked as a teacher of English and Housemistress in three major British boarding schools. She holds an MA in Creative Writing, and was, for several years, Head of Creative Writing at Wellington College. She is married to Hugh and they live with their daughter, Tennessee Skye, in Concord, New Hampshire.

For my darling Hugh and my dearest little Tennessee Skye: thank you for teaching me, each day, what it means to be truly beautiful – and truly lucky.

Hope is the thing with feathers That perches in the soul

And sings the tune without words And never stops at all.

Emily Dickinson

Contents

Cover (#u21d95a87-b691-5dff-98a2-3967b0c432e9)

Praise (#ulink_26bc99d4-dd6b-5378-9341-24a61987b2be)

About the Author (#u9b9be73f-c33e-506d-9be6-85312d8f1e80)

Title Page (#u7c162021-c995-5db8-a1af-042c1f003bfc)

Dedication (#uf167caa2-56a7-5763-b29a-5dc0903049f4)

Epigraph (#u886194fd-2321-5241-95a2-a4dffd9ac50c)

New Year’s Eve (#ulink_16fd5c4a-3662-501a-9861-6b49acb61d26)

Chapter 1 (#ulink_12dd0022-ae0b-51f0-8760-5a434a320b32)

January (#ulink_7f081134-782c-5d67-b239-e2fe65732c70)

Chapter 2 (#ulink_abe35447-a935-5151-9cd0-f8276fc5788b)

Chapter 3 (#ulink_331b8348-ad3c-5c00-bf7a-66edc032e371)

Chapter 4 (#ulink_fa333c42-e88c-5503-8c75-3bacc724d830)

Chapter 5 (#ulink_0708ec22-27fb-5adb-be5e-7e16286eb2dd)

Chapter 6 (#ulink_6aba4380-0627-59f6-a998-a610b5d5ac52)

Chapter 7 (#ulink_bb464251-d7c8-50a8-af77-1208d9983c7b)

Chapter 8 (#ulink_221e8984-45b4-50a7-badc-f88f352994ed)

Chapter 9 (#ulink_1f7da563-b11b-57f4-9fa4-c1b02b88754d)

Chapter 10 (#ulink_71e1937a-4bb3-51b8-bc9c-e1930c50ab43)

Chapter 11 (#litres_trial_promo)

Chapter 12 (#litres_trial_promo)

Chapter 13 (#litres_trial_promo)

Chapter 14 (#litres_trial_promo)

Chapter 15 (#litres_trial_promo)

Chapter 16 (#litres_trial_promo)

Chapter 17 (#litres_trial_promo)

Chapter 18 (#litres_trial_promo)

February (#litres_trial_promo)

Chapter 19 (#litres_trial_promo)

Chapter 20 (#litres_trial_promo)

March (#litres_trial_promo)

Chapter 21 (#litres_trial_promo)

Chapter 22 (#litres_trial_promo)

Chapter 23 (#litres_trial_promo)

April (#litres_trial_promo)

Chapter 24 (#litres_trial_promo)