The Dallas Morning News – September 8, 2000
“With touches of magical realism, author Dashka Slater glides smoothly back and forth across the borders of the visible world. Ghosts abound; some are seen, others have left only prickly echoes or their appetites. Slater, a California poet and journalist, has crafted an imaginative book that is lovely, lively, funny and smart.”

Kirkus Reviews -- January 1, 2000
A touching yet not-too-earnest first novel about a single mother, her sister, and the father who loved but left them. Julia is a 30-ish, Oakland, California, single mom who works more or less miserably for an ``enlightenment'' publisher, peddling the kind of psychobabble that only wishes it could make its way to Oprah.
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Publishers Weekly -- January 17, 2000
Slater's enchanting debut puts magic-realist devices to good use as it uncovers a complex family history. The interwoven narratives start in 1989, in Oakland, where 29-year-old single mother Julia Harris lives with her two young children; her downbeat sister, Lisa; and their clairvoyant, half-Mexican aunt, Simone.
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THE WISHING BOX REVIEWS

Glamour – April 2000 – “At the start of this funny, magical debut novel, 29-year-old single mom Julia Harris has no ambition, no relationship and no clue about what she wants from life. But when clairvoyant Aunt Simone inspires Julia’s sister, Lisa, to wish for the return of their long-absent father, his appearance sets off a chain of events that forces Julia to earn her happy ending – aptly illustrating yet another warning your mother had right: Be careful what you wish for.”

San Jose Mercury News -- February 27, 2000
“Dashka Slater...has written a stunning, poetic first novel about appearances and disappearances, about family legacies, religious belief and cultural inheritances... Her language feels meant to be read aloud... Impressive.”

The Los Angeles Times – December 3, 2000
“One of the Best Books of 2000” and “An impish novel, hopeful and full of humor.”