Wishbone

Wishbone tells the story of Vica Luft, an artist’s assistant and single mother living in Edinburgh and of Tor Sima, the director of The International Museum of Colour in Oaxaca, Mexico. Vica and Tor have never met but their lives mirror and influence each other in unexpected ways. They have shared a lover and have both experienced a traumatic loss in their youth. Travelling backwards chronologically, we embark on a journey following them across seven cities over a period of twenty years to uncover what ties them and what sets them apart.

In this novel, her first since the acclaimed Umami and her first book written in English, Laia Jufresa turns the premise of the missing girl on its head and constructs a truly original and deeply thrilling narrative. Wishbone is a lively,  moving and imaginative story about women, art, octopuses, colour coding, love and longing that deftly explores the ways our lives are shaped by our circumstances, choices and friendships.

Praise for Wishbone:

"Everything is alive in Laia Jufresa's breathtaking Wishbone. People, objects, landscapes are equally imbued with a force that ripples across timelines and connects us deeply to this enchanted and disenchanted world, full of unforgettable characters. A tour de force of a novel from one of the most charming and original voices of my generation" 

– Valeria Luiselli

"I admire the rare combination of literary experiment with great warmth for the world, characters, art, cities and landscapes. Wishbone is kaleidoscopic and friendly, elegantly brilliant on art and artists while deeply committed to love in all its messy, human forms. Laia Jufresa writes beautifully" 

– Sarah Moss

"Wishbone’s ambition and originality come not only from its structure and the way the story moves through time and space, but also from the nuanced, intelligent, and often humorous exploration of its characters, creating a poignant meditation on art and grief"

– Daniel Saldaña Paris

"Laia Jufresa does what writers are supposed to do: highlight the strangeness of a very old world. Wishbone is a beautiful book that grabs your eyes and holds on to them so that you can experience new ways of seeing the pleasures and misdeeds of our present"

– Yuri Herrera

"I never wanted to reach the last page of Wishbone. Enchanting and thought provoking, Laia Jufresa’s unforgettable novel presents vivid portrayals of complicated characters confronting artistic aspirations, emotional entanglements, and loss. The color-rich world that Jufresa presents spans decades and continents and is so exquisitely written and stylishly plotted that it absolutely seduced me. I cannot wait to read it again and to ponder its meanings with fellow readers. I doubt there could be a better novel published in English in 2026" 

– Lori Feathers

"This novel is a magnificent octopus. With tentacles of exacting, luminous words, it links continents, nationalities, and deep bonds. Wishbone invents new colors made of joy and luck, so that even in the midst of irreparable loss and forced disappearance, the reader will be swimming in an ocean of alchemic beauty.” 

– Agustina Bazterrica, author of The Unworthy and Tender is the Flesh