The Wish

Content Warning: This section of the guide includes discussion of illness and death.

Through the use of a dual timeline structure, Sparks highlights love as the catalyst for Maggie’s personal growth and change. The romantic connection and independence she builds in her relationship with Bryce transforms her view of herself and her future, allowing her to grow into a new, mature person over the course of the novel. Introducing Maggie at the end of her life allows Sparks to contextualize Bryce and Maggie’s love story as the defining moment of her life. The romantic bond she develops with Bryce provides the love and support she needs to navigate her pregnancy successfully, rededicate herself to her schoolwork, and discover her passion for art and photography, which gives her a clear direction for her future—as evidenced by Maggie’s career in the present day of the novel. 

While Maggie and Bryce eventually develop a romantic and physical relationship, it doesn’t happen until Maggie is in Ocracoke for several months, suggesting that the emotional relationship and the friendship that they develop is equally—if not more—important. As Maggie struggles in school, Bryce shows up each day to help tutor her. Maggie notes that he does so without judgment, quickly assuaging her fears of embarrassment.