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Beneath the willow tree in their backyard has always been the place where Margaret Dowling has gathered her four daughters to share her life's wisdom. Now terminally ill, she brings them back together under the tree to disclose her news-and make a final attempt to instill them with the tools they need to find their places in life.
About the author
Nancy Chadwick is an essayist, memoirist, and fiction writer. After a decade in advertising another decade in corporate banking, she quit and began to write full time. She is the author of
Under the Birch Tree: A Memoir of Discovering Connections and Finding Home and
The Wisdom of the Willow, and her essays have appeared in
The Magic of Memoir: Inspiration for the Writing Journey,
Adelaide Literary Magazine,
Meaningful Conflicts – The Art of Friction,
Writer’s Digest, and other outlets. Nancy and her husband reside in Glenview, Illinois.
Summary
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.
Foreword
Author will have publicity campaign through PR By the Book
