Disappointingly this didn’t hit me as strongly as I’d hoped, looking at *gestures at all the 5 star reviews from respected reviewers*. So something is different in my case and I think the main factor would be that I’m not so interested in nature writing in my fiction, with few exceptions - [b:Rock Crystal|2871400|Rock Crystal|Adalbert Stifter|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1637632487l/2871400._SY75_.jpg|2270591] is one, and ironically [b:The Overstory|40180098|The Overstory|Richard Powers|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1562786502l/40180098._SY75_.jpg|57662223] is the other one that comes to mind; ironically because both that one and “What Willow Says” focus on trees, and Buckle credits the same research on trees that has inspired Powers in his writing.

Not being all that taken with the writing about trees, then, this got repetitive feeling for me, though it certainly had its touching moments even for me here and there. The love of the grandmother for the granddaughter (haha, another epoque press book with unnamed characters) shone brightly through, and the scene in the doctor’s office where she tries to explain to him the beauty of the granddaughter’s signing stands out.

Just not quite the right book for me. ( )

This widely praised novella was one of my most disappointing reads of 2023. Given the plot summary — the special bond between a grandmother and her orphaned, deaf granddaughter — and the flood of rave reviews, I expected to love Buckle’s book. And as a nature lover, I looked forward to exploring the characters’ ability to communicate through their love of trees. It wasn’t to be. I couldn’t get into the book’s journal-entry format or Buckle’s writing style. I give 5 stars for creative concept and 1 star for overall execution. ( )

At the heart of this novel is the relationship between a grandmother and her deaf granddaughter. The grandmother is the primary caregiver after the death of her daughter. It is told through a series of journal entries. The reader is aware of the grandmother’s health problem, which she hides from her granddaughter.

It is an examination of the various ways in which we communicate, not solely by language, hearing, seeing, or signing. The child and her grandmother share a love of nature, especially trees, frogs, and waters. They find that nature can assist in communication. The grandmother passes down Irish myths and legends. There is a beautiful artistry in this novella.

“We had tried explaining to the specialist her many ways of listening and talking. How arms become branches and dance to her emotions, and how trees copy these and all the ways we communicate, making-up our own signals and conversations. That what she has is beautiful.”

The storyline is slim, and we do not find out much about their backgrounds or what may happen in the future. It is an emotional read. Be prepared for lots of sadness. It will particularly appeal to those who enjoy richly descriptive and lyrical prose. The sentences contain an internal rhythm, creating both poetry and atmosphere. For instance, listen for the “s” sounds in this section:

“And so it is, on one of these mushroom-smelling evenings, at the time of Samhain and of All Hallows when the dead are remembered, that we join the rest of the village for our annual bonfire, to disguise the dark soundless night with a community of noises. Such gatherings are difficult for both of us, when background sounds of crowds distort everything heard and it is impossible to distinguish words. But now we are armed with sign language.”
( )

I don't usually totally spoiler block my reviews, but I found that I couldn't write about this book without discussing what is a key dramatic element which did dominate a lot of my feelings about it due to some of my own recent personal experiences. But I don't go into a lot of detail about it.

Treespotting & Listening
Review of the époque press paperback edition (May 2021)

Aunt trees will be planted. Two for every one that is new. Quick-growing silvery birches will shadow them, wash them in the sound of water and that's when you'll know the grandmother trees are helping. Their roots are still in the ground, reaching and touching saplings. - Excerpt from pg. 103 of What Willow Says

Lynn Buckle's novel What Willow Says is both a glorious paean to life and a lament to its impermanence. A 58 year-old Grandmother documents one annual cycle of her nature explorations with her deaf 8-year old Granddaughter. Neither are named in the book. The grandfather and the little girl's mother have passed on, but there are two of her aunts alive who appear late in the book for Christmas. I especially liked the above quote as it stood out as encapsulating the book in a few sentences, symbolically portraying the grandmother and aunts sheltering and supporting the granddaughter.

Buckle presents her tale in the form of 30 journal entries (29 numbered & 1 not) which each begin with stating the current conditions of Wind, Weather, Outlook. It soon becomes evident that these are not always about environmental conditions, but are foreshadowings about the grandmother's health. These go from good to warnings in place to tears may cause flooding in only the space of the first three entries.

Grandmother is a writer & artist who is completing her Visual Compendium of Native & Non-Native Trees of Ireland in a sketch book. Granddaughter is exploring the entire world of the Bog of Allen in central Ireland and has a particular fixation on listening to the trees when she is not playing detectorist with the metal detector that Grandmother gifted her. Grandmother does some wonderful stuff by seeking out metal frog sculptures that she buries for Granddaughter to find. Their communication is based on the Granddaughter's adept sign language and Grandmother's sometimes poor understanding and abilities with it. The little girl's text is presented in italics as the Grandmother understands it. Granddaughter also keeps a journal with columns or drawings and symbols documenting what she has found.

The bond of these two main characters and their adventures and explorations were a loving tribute to the communication of the wonders of life and nature between the generations and I had rather wished that life could have gone on for the Grandmother at the end, although the book does still end on a beautiful hopeful note:

The willows sign and sway and sing about love but you don't need ears to hear the trees, you only need to listen.

Some Mysteries
Not everything is answered and not all things are explained, but there is enough information for you to search further on your own if interested. There is an element of mythology in the regular references to Irish legends and supernatural beings, usually in their Irish-Gaelic names which may require some googling for the non-Irish. A few GPS coordinates are stated as well, although they didn't provide much further information for me, one was a dead end road and the other an off-road site. The Latin chant of St. Venantius Crux Fidelis (O Faithful Tree) is presented in a monophonic score excerpt.
There are some rather wonderful definitions that you'll discover when you look up words such as:
embrogenous = plants able to flourish in wet conditions.
stridulation = the sound of rubbing body parts together esp. those of insects.
psithurism = the rustling sounds of tree leaves.
susurration = whispering, murmuring or rustling.
You should also take the time to learn what a soft day means in Ireland.


I read What Willow Says as a follow-up to reading two previous excellent books from époque press which were Craig Jordan-Baker's The Nacullians and Ryan Dennis' The Beasts They Turned Away. This is definitely a publisher to watch, for its very unique list.

Other Reviews
Book Review: What Willow Says by Jackie Law at NeverImitate, May 26, 2021.
What Willow Says by Lynn Buckle by Stephanie Jane at Literary Flits, May 27, 2021.
Book Review: A deeply affecting love song to the bogs by Estelle Birdy at Independent.ie, March 28, 2021.
Shawn the Book Maniac reviews the Irish novella What Willow Says by Lynn Buckle by Shawn the Book Maniac on YouTube, May 27, 2021. ( )