The Sisterhood Grows

They had searched and wondered, looking for a sign. And all along they'd had their trees. You couldn't wear them. You couldn't pass them around. They offered no fashion advantage. But they had roots. They lived.

I recently read 3 Willows: The Sisterhood Grows by Ann Brashares, the same author of Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants. I watched the movie but didn't read the books, so didn't really know what the author's writing style was or is. Whatever. Anyway the story is cutesy and is exactly the thing I loved to read as a teenager (and maybe still do as an adult although I would never actually admit to that Ahem). I'm a big fan of cover art and that is what drew me to this book. Love the artistic interpretation of a willow. It's all upward reaching and optimistic with limbs forming hearts when in reality willows are more sad and creepy and eerily beautiful.

The bark of the willow contains salicylic acid, the source of aspirin, and has relieved fever and suffering for thousands of years. It also gets rid of warts.

The characters go to the same school as the Traveling Pants Sisterhood and first tried passing around a scarf but ended up via school project with baby willow trees. They elected to plant them down a hill and then proceeded to visit and feed, water, and play violin for their saplings. Life goes on and the girls each have their own experiences the summer before freshman year of high school ultimately coming back together as friends and revisiting their now grown willow trees. I admit to crying near the end.

It is said that the sound of wind through willow trees is the whispering of fairies into the poet's ear. It is also said that the willow can uproot itself, stalk travelers, and mutter at them.

When I was very young, I think my sister was just barely a year old if that, I ran into our parents room because the weeping willow tree outside my bedroom window was uprooted and walking towards our home. It was clearly angry and intent on harming me. I remember this vividly and still to this day don't care for any tree that weeps. I was no doubt high as a kite or tripping on something. My parents claim all they gave me was beer, as always, to get me to sleep, but we inhaled pot smoke all the time. Like they wouldn't admit to dropping some acid in my beer bottle or sippy cup as it may be.

It is believed that a willow branch in your house will protect you from evil and sorcery.

My luck is that the branch would haunt me in the middle of the night because it was pissed off that I cut it's arm.

No matter how far back you cut a willow tree, it will never really die.

Kindle DX: Amazon's 9.7" Wireless Reading Device (Latest Generation)