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Christina Soontornvaat’s A Wish in the Dark stands out as a novel that feels both timeless and urgently relevant. She published A Wish in the Dark in 2020. The book reimagines Victor Hugo’s Les Misérables in a Thai-inspired fantasy setting, inviting readers, both young and old, to embark on a thoughtful, beautifully written story about justice, freedom, and moral courage.
A Modern Classic For Young Adult Readers
The novel follows Pong, a boy born in Namwon Prison under the rule of a rigidly authoritarian society. In this world, light—literally—is controlled by one man, the Governor, who claims to distribute it fairly while hoarding power for himself. When Pong escapes the prison, he embarks on a dangerous journey of self-discovery. Along the way, he is pursued by Nok, a disciplined young girl raised in the Governor’s ideals. As their paths intertwine, both characters are forced to question everything they’ve been taught about right and wrong, law and justice.
Soontornvat’s storytelling is immersive and lyrical, but it’s her ethical imagination that makes A Wish in the Dark so powerful. She poses difficult questions without offering easy answers: Is it right to break the law if the law is unjust? What do we owe each other in a society built on inequality? And can one person’s courage truly change a system? These are themes that echo not just classic literature but also today’s social and political realities.
Rules vs Ethics
This book is especially important for young readers growing up in a world that can feel unfair or confusing. Pong’s journey offers a framework for considering personal agency, moral responsibility, and the significance of kindness in the face of power. It’s a middle-grade novel that doesn’t condescend; it invites reflection. And for adult readers, it offers a poignant reminder of the importance of listening to our conscience, even when it leads us away from what’s comfortable.
For Midwest Readers
For readers in places like Holland, Michigan, or anywhere in the Midwest where community, fairness, and justice are deeply valued, Christina Soontornvaat’s A Wish in the Dark resonates on a local level. It’s a story about how ordinary people, even children, can stand up to deeply embedded systems and offer a different kind of leadership—one rooted in empathy, not fear. Its Southeast Asian setting also opens a rich window into another cultural world, allowing Midwestern readers to see familiar moral questions refracted through a beautifully unfamiliar lens.
In a time when many people are feeling overwhelmed by news headlines, environmental concerns, and deep societal divisions, this novel offers something rare: a quiet yet insistent belief in the power of doing what’s right, even when no one else sees it. It’s not a flashy rebellion—it’s a luminous, slow-burning act of hope. In that sense, it feels very much like a story for right now.
Christina Soontornvat has given readers a book that is tender, wise, and deeply human. A Wish in the Dark reminds us that even in the darkest places, we have choices. We can listen, we can forgive, we can resist. And, most importantly, we can shine.
The post Why A Wish in the Dark Matters—A Story to Read Today appeared first on Big Read Lakeshore.
