Back in the beloved fictional town of Three Rivers, Connecticut, Wally Lamb takes his readers straight into the halls of St. Aloysius Gonzaga Parochial School. But grammar and arithmetic move to the back burner this holiday season with the sudden arrivals of substitute teacher Madame Frechette and feisty Russian student Zhenya Kabakova. While Felix learns the meaning of French kissing, cultural misunderstanding, and tableaux vivants, Wishin’ and Hopin’ barrels toward one outrageous Christmas.

A vivid slice of 1960s life, Wishin’ and Hopin’ is a wise and witty holiday tale that celebrates where we’ve been-and how far we’ve come.