The Wisdom of the Willow : A Novel

Included in the "Most Anticipated Books of 2024" by the Chicago Review of BooksIn 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 daugh