The Wishing Tree (Jessie Newton) Books in Order

Jessie Newton's corner of The Wishing Tree world is smaller and more self-contained than her beach series, but it hits many of the same notes. Gone Wishing moves away from the Connecticut coast and into Linden Falls, Vermont, where a well-known tree in the town square holds written wishes in its branches. That is the shared-world hook. The part Newton cares about most is what those wishes reveal about the people tying them on.

Hope is the local habit.

Loretta Thompson is the kind of woman who makes other people talk. She is warm, curious, and good at taking people in, which matters because Gone Wishing brings together three women who all need something different. Sally Redwood is recovering from surgery and does not have family nearby to lean on. Lois Bryant has just lost her husband and badly needs a change of scene. Loretta is the one with the truck, the camper, and the instinct to gather people up and keep them moving.

Once they reach Linden Falls, the wishing tree gives the story its shape. Everyone arrives with a hope, a fear, or a private ache they are not quite ready to say out loud. Loretta is also the skeptic in the group, because a previous wish of hers did not end the way she wanted. That tension keeps the book grounded. This is not fantasy in the strong sense. The tree is less about spells than about permission. It lets characters admit what they want, and once that happens, family strain, old grief, and messy relationships start pushing back.

That is especially true when wishes begin pulling in other people. Estranged relatives, buried disappointments, and the question of whether a fresh start is really possible give the story its stakes. The Vermont setting helps too. Instead of ferries and salt air, you get a small town square, slower rhythms, and the feeling that healing might happen if people sit still long enough to hear themselves think. The travel element and the temporary living arrangements also give the book a found-family warmth that Jessie Newton readers will recognize right away.

The magic, if any, comes from people showing up for each other.

So this page is best used as a guide to Jessie Newton's contribution to the larger Wishing Tree concept. Expect heartfelt women's fiction, a few bruised but likable people, and a story more interested in grief, hope, and repaired relationships than in grand twists. If you like her friendship-driven books but want a new town and a slightly different mood, Gone Wishing is an easy place to wander next.