I would like to share a new novel with you called The Wisdom of the Willow by Nancy Chadwick (Author). I received a copy of the book in exchange for this review. Inside the post are my affiliate links. If you click on the links and make a purchase I will make a small percentage off the items you purchase.
The Wisdom of the Willow is a story told by the four Dowling sisters and their mother over the course of a year based in Chicagoland. The story takes place in the house there parents first moved into and the yard they planted a Willow Tree in, I wish I could have seen the Willow Tree in person.
When the story begins the four daughters are young and the Willow Tree is just beginning to grow. Through the story we see the events of that year through their eyes and the mother’s eyes in alternating first-person narratives. Each sister has their struggles, but the seek wisdom and comfort in their childhood home, where the Willow Tree still grows.
The Wisdom of the Willow explores what keeps us together–individually, and as a family. I enjoyed being able to get to know the Dowling family, and I believe we could have been friends. Throughout The Wisdom of the Willow religion is shared with us, I don’t have a problem with but if your not religious this may not be the book for you.
This is the first book I’ve read from Nancy Chadwick but it will not be the last book and I will be purchasing copies of this story for my girl friends and I believe this would make a wonderful book club selection. I will be asking my library to add it to there must read section for women and I hope you take the time to check out this novel as soon as possible.
About the book:
Included in the “Most Anticipated Books of 2024” by the Chicago Review of Books
In the backyard of Margaret and Joe Dowling’s new house in the north suburbs of Chicago, Joe plants a young willow tree as a symbol of home, belonging, and growth. As the years pass, the willow becomes a place for Margaret to share life’s wisdom with their four young daughters.
Years after leaving the nest, now in their early forties, the Dowling women find themselves faced with changes that will define their lives. Debra, the oldest, is shattered when she is asked for a divorce. Rose, who has long hidden her true self, finally begins to evaluate her pattern of being in uncommitted relationships. Linney fears losing Magnolia, the magical shop where she works. Charlotte, the youngest, is the only one who knows their mother is terminally ill, and has been charged by her with keeping it a secret. And Margaret, now faced with the greatest of challenges and struggling with whether she has done enough to help her daughters find their way in life, calls them all to the family home to reunite under the willow one last time.
A metaphorically rich and reflective tale of sisterhood and strength, The Wisdom of the Willow is a story of hope and healing, of the choices that shape our lives, and the challenges we all face as we seek to find our places in the world.
About the author: Nancy Chadwick
Nancy Chadwick grew up in a northern suburb of Chicago where Deerfield was marked by four corners, and making connections to it and to home would later become subjects in her writing. Nancy got her first job at Leo Burnett advertising agency in Chicago and after working a decade in the advertising agency business, she moved to international corporate banking. Nancy’s writing inspiration comes from her years living in Chicago, and in San Francisco, and meandering through the woods of any forest. Her essays have appeared in The Magic of Memoir: Inspiration for the Writing Journey, Adelaide Literary Magazine, and blogs by the Chicago Writers Association Write City, About Write, and Brevity. Under the Birch Tree (2018) and The Wisdom Of The Willow (2024) are by She Writes Press.
Thank you,
Glenda, Charlie and David Cates
