THE WISDOM OF THE WILLOW
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.
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.
- She Writes Press
- Paperback
- May 2024
- 304 Pages
- 9781647426538
Buy the Book
$17.95
About Nancy Chadwick
Nancy Chadwick grew up in a northern suburb of Chicago. She got her first job at Leo Burnett advertising agency in Chicago. After a decade there, and later, another decade in corporate banking, she quit and began to write full time, finding inspiration from her years living in Chicago and in San Francisco.
The author of Under the Birch Tree: A Memoir of Discovering Connections and Finding Home, Nancy has also written essays that have appeared in The Magic of Memoir: Inspiration for the Writing Journey, Adelaide Literary Magazine, Turning Points – The Art of Friction, blogs by Off Campus Writers’ Workshop, the Chicago Writers Association Write City, and Brevity. She and her husband reside in a northern suburb of Chicago.
Praise
Included in the Chicago Review of Books “Most Anticipated Chicago Books of 2024”
“An engrossing story that reminds us of the flexibility, strength, and essential connections that surround us every day, in nature and in ourselves.” —Sally Cole-Misch, author of The Best Part of Us
“The understandings and grievances of sisterhood, its rivalries and love, bind the women together. . . a richly layered, beautifully written, and deeply satisfying novel.” —Lynn Sloan, author of Midstream
“A satisfying, redemptive tale, well told.” —Susan Tweit, author of Bless the Birds
“The Wisdom of the Willow explores what keeps us together—individually, and as a family. . . . l enjoyed this gentle, compassionate story about the importance of knowing how to find our way home when we inevitably find that we’ve lost our way.” —Meredith Walters, author of This Animal Body