counter on blogger

Pickle Me This

December 2, 2011

Our Best Book of the Library Haul: 9 Magic Wishes by Shirley Jackson

Harriet is amazing, and so too turn out to be the books she randomly plucks off the shelf at the library. And this week it was 9 Magic Wishes by Shirley Jackson, a book I didn’t even realize existed. This new edition is illustrated by Miles Hyman, Jackson’s grandson, who so perfectly managed to capture the essence of Shirley Jackson: the Gothic architecture of the house, the cat’s constant presence, the weirdness. But there is nothing sinister here, and the book is absolutely charming. The prose displaying Jackson’s skill with cadence and euphony. It’s the story of a strange day during which all the trees were flying balloons, and a magician came down the street granting 9 magic wishes, but what if you only want 8? (My favourite wish was “a little box, and inside was another little box and inside is another little box and inside is another little box and inside is an elephant.”)

3 thoughts on “Our Best Book of the Library Haul: 9 Magic Wishes by Shirley Jackson”

  1. Sara says:

    How lovely! Clever Harriet!

  2. Sara says:

    Doesn’t Clever Harriet sound like an excellent book title? Hmm, will have to give that some thought.

    1. Kerry says:

      Clever Harriet just fell off the couch and smacked her head on the chair. The narrative is not so straightforward.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.


Manuscript Consultations: Let’s Work Together

Spots are now open (and filling up!) for Manuscript Evaluations from November 2024 to November 2025! More information and link to register at https://picklemethis.com/manuscript-consultations-lets-work-together/.


New Novel, OUT NOW!

ATTENTION BOOK CLUBS:

Download the super cool ASKING FOR A FRIEND Book Club Kit right here!


Sign up for Pickle Me This: The Digest

Sign up to my Substack! Best of the blog delivered to your inbox each month. The Digest also includes news and updates about my creative projects and opportunities for you to work with me.


My Books

The Doors
Pinterest Good Reads RSS Post