Whether tied to religious traditions or superstitious folklore, the practice of making wishes goes back as far as humanity’s origins, for people of any era, when desperate for a source of hope in the darkness, seek answers to their questions or reasons for their suffering. Barbara O’Connor thus employs the motif of wishing in the novel not just as a frivolous childish practice but as an important psychological function for the characters to express their hopes and desires. Though Charlie keeps her wishes a secret so as not to spoil the magic, it isn’t difficult to guess that her wish is to belong to a true family. Not only does she create a daily practice of wishing, but she also keeps a lengthy list of wishful scenarios, so that she is always ready to seize the opportunity to make a new wish for herself. Wishing thus becomes a way for Charlie to tap into something larger than herself in hopes of changing the future, and Charlie’s diligence and dedication to the practice symbolize her desire for stability and her hope that her family will someday be reunited.

It is Howard who first casts doubt on Charlie’s wishing ritual by wondering why she persists despite having no success. Howard’s attitude reveals that he lacks Charlie’s childlike belief in magic and superstition, but his realism stems from his experience as a person with a physical disability. Howard understands that there is no magic to change his body nor to change how his classmates treat him, and therefore, he initially sees no point in making wishes. However, his friendship with Charlie changes his outlook, and perhaps for the first time, Howard makes a single wish: for Charlie to be his friend and remain in Colby. By accepting Howard just as he is and remaining loyal even when others bully him, Charlie doesn’t magically repair Howard’s body, but she does offer him the gift of authentic friendship. Throughout the novel, O’Connor uses wishes not as a source of magic or as a fix-all for the characters’ problems, but as a source of strength and a symbol of anticipation and hope amidst hardship and grief.

Gus and Bertha’s home is cozy and modest, yet to Charlie, it feels strange, and she worries about its precarious placement on the side of a mountain. However, her aunt and uncle are proud of their garden and tend to it daily. Bertha engages in the age-old practice of canning vegetables during the peak of the harvest season to supplement their diet during the winter. However, when Charlie sees her room, she realizes it is also where Bertha stores her canning jars. At first, Charlie just observes the garden and notices the variety of plants and vegetables, but later it becomes a place where she enjoys walking and even a place that serves as a calming presence when her temper flares. Her admiration for the garden grows as she is nourished by its bounty and learns to help care for and harvest the vegetables. The garden symbolizes Gus and Bertha’s connection to the land and their past as they raise, harvest, and preserve food the same way their people have for generations. The garden also symbolizes a way for them to connect with Charlie.

As the narrative progresses, Charlie becomes more connected with a rural lifestyle and spends more time outside in nature with Gus and Howard. Being outdoors helps Charlie to develop a relationship with the landscape and its people and helps her heal from her trauma. She comes to accept sharing her room with the canning jars, and when she hears kind words from Mr. Odom, she even wishes that she could bottle them just as Bertha does with the vegetables. By the end of the novel, Charlie loves the garden as if it were her own and notices that its progression is a symbol of her own, for she says the following:

When I’d first gotten to Colby, most of that garden had been just rows of tiny green plants poking out of the ground. But now, plump red tomatoes grew fatter every day, yellow flowers turned into bright green zucchini, and pole beans hung in clusters from vines (193).

Just as the garden has flourished under their care, Gus and Bertha’s love and compassion have helped to mend Charlie’s heart and allow her to thrive.