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The Wife Tree
Dorothy Speak's long-awaited first novel tells the poignant, comic and redemptive story of Morgan Hazzard, caught late in life between a dying husband and the opinions of her rebellious children. Forty years of marriage to a hard, prairie-bred man have frozen Morgan into the semblance of a steadfast wife. But when a stroke silences William Hazzard, Morgan's feelings and memories begin to thaw. She has always known how to unwanted pregnancy; the deaths of two children; the anger of her husband; the harsh summers and winters of her farm childhood; the indifference of her own mother; decades of lust, lies and betrayals. What she learns in the sudden peace and quiet of her own house and in the somewhat rusty and surprising sound of her own voice is her surprising strength and capacity for joy and change, even on the eve of her seventy-fifth birthday.
More loveable than Margaret Laurence's prickly and obstinate Hagar Shipley, Morgan Hazzard is as fierce and indelible a character. And her journey, unlike Hagar's, takes her toward hope and liberation, not compromise and silence.
More loveable than Margaret Laurence's prickly and obstinate Hagar Shipley, Morgan Hazzard is as fierce and indelible a character. And her journey, unlike Hagar's, takes her toward hope and liberation, not compromise and silence.
320 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 2001
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Displaying 1 - 22 of 22 reviews
January 19, 2014
I just finished this, and I thoroughly enjoyed it. It is a strongly evocative tale of a woman who has been quiet and subservient for most of her life, who, upon her husband having a stroke, reawakens into the possibility of what life she has left - and how much she wishes to live it.
At times hurtful and painful to read, the book is ultimately a very positive read: an expression of living and life worth living, and just what you can say back to a life of silence.
At times hurtful and painful to read, the book is ultimately a very positive read: an expression of living and life worth living, and just what you can say back to a life of silence.
December 7, 2012
This is a profound portrait of a woman whose husband's illness in late life leads her to rebel against church, family, community and her past. A transformative, fierce tale of transformation and renewal.
August 5, 2022
This is an excellent book. The story of a wife discovering herself late in life after her husband could no longer abase her with words. The story is a narrative and letters written to her daughters. I don't usually like stories read through letters; but this one is compelling, a page-turner. I recommend it to all women.
February 2, 2024
Little did this copy know, when its previous owner gave it to a secondhand book shop in Canada that in its new life it would travel to New Zealand twice. Last visit i never had the time to read it, and really only took it (and, let's be honest, bought it in the first place) because I really like the cover. Anyway it has now been read and finished in New Zealand and will remain here, far away from the Ontario winter that adorns the cover and is described within its pages.
Enjoyable book with intriguing characters and stories and innovatively put together.
Enjoyable book with intriguing characters and stories and innovatively put together.
January 21, 2013
Morgan Hazzard is caught late in life between a cold husband and the self-righteous opinions of her grown children. Forty years of marriage to a hard, prairie-bred man have frozen her into the semblance of a meek and steadfast wife. But when a stroke silences William, Morgan's feelings begin to thaw. A quietly courageous woman emerges and starts to learn — on the eve of her seventy-fifth birthday — her own surprising strength and capacity for joy and change.
Morgan’s miserable marriage was not the beginning of her hardships. Life on the farm where she grew up was harsh. To her indifferent mother, she was just another mouth to feed. At sixteen, she was raped by an older brother who silenced her with threats; she was sent away to a convent to have and then give up the child. Two of her sons died very young. Her irascible husband, who himself was scarred by childhood horrors, derided her lack of interest in politics and wars, called her stupid, and crushed her confidence. Her six daughters, now living in other countries, criticize her for weakness, for her dislike of modernization and technology, without attempting to understand her. Morgan Hazzard is tired of being underestimated.
Morgan’s miserable marriage was not the beginning of her hardships. Life on the farm where she grew up was harsh. To her indifferent mother, she was just another mouth to feed. At sixteen, she was raped by an older brother who silenced her with threats; she was sent away to a convent to have and then give up the child. Two of her sons died very young. Her irascible husband, who himself was scarred by childhood horrors, derided her lack of interest in politics and wars, called her stupid, and crushed her confidence. Her six daughters, now living in other countries, criticize her for weakness, for her dislike of modernization and technology, without attempting to understand her. Morgan Hazzard is tired of being underestimated.
August 13, 2022
In her first novel published in 2001, Canadian writer Dorothy Speak explores themes of family, loss, betrayal and conflict. She tells the story of Morgan Hazzard, a seventy-four-year-old woman whose husband William has had a stroke and lies dying in hospital. After living through an oppressive, loveless marriage and raising six daughters and a son, she has barely enough strength or confidence to walk to the hospital to visit him. Hampered by her poor eyesight, the result of macular degeneration, her daily trips are slow and difficult.
Morgan’s daughters left home long ago and are now scattered all over the globe, living miles away in places such as Brazil, Nepal, Germany and Indonesia. Only her son Morris lives nearby with his wife Olive and their houseful of six badly behaved sons. As the only boy in the family, Morris was always the object of William’s violent abuse, enduring regular beatings for even the smallest offences. His mother never intervened to stop them and Morris has never forgiven her. Morris found relief in religion and became a bible thumping born again Christian. He now assumes an air of self-importance, carries his bible everywhere and has named each of his sons after a book in the Old Testament.
Morgan’s story is told through her first-person narrative, her recollections, dreams and the letters she writes to the girls about their father’s stroke, but never sends. Other parts of her story are revealed when she visits William and to keep him company and pass the time, she looks back on their past lives together.
As the days go by and fall begins to move into winter, Morgan’s daily walks to the hospital improve her mobility, stamina and confidence. She visits the public library, explores the town and becomes more observant of the world around her. She notices the fall colors and when the snow arrives the beauty of the falling flakes. Her eyesight is poor but she finds her other senses are becoming more and more sensitive to everything around her. Morgan enjoys her new found freedom, the ability to set her own path and her own pace. Now that Will is out of the house, there is finally space for her. She meets people on the streets, never feels lonely and slowly begins to feel part of the world.
As Morgan begins a journey of self-discovery and discovers her own voice, readers quickly learn this woman has the capacity to grow and change. Freed from William’s constant deriding comments, Morgan puts aside the needs of her children, makes peace with her past and does what she pleases, in the process, casting off the mean actions of her bridge partners with whom she has played forty years and challenging the efforts of her money grabbing son.
William, unable to speak, walk or talk, refuses to eat or cooperate in his rehabilitation, remaining locked inside his angry lonely world. But Morgan is a strong woman and this is just one more difficulty she is forced to navigate. She has endured a past filled with difficult times, including a harsh childhood on a farm, an indifferent mother and an unwanted pregnancy. She has since endured a marriage filled with her husband’s harsh comments and his deriding criticisms about her lack of interest in politics, the news of the day and the world at large. Such comments often ended with his pronouncement that she was stupid.
Her children, products of the cold non-nurturing environment in the Hazzard household, are impatient and scornful of her, as she tries to find her way through these difficult circumstances alone. Their self-righteous attitudes and their blatant and damning criticisms do not endear them to readers.
Speaks creates a character in Morgan Hazzard that quickly gains readers’ sympathy. She is tough minded and makes several decisions at this late stage in her life that challenge society’s taboos in her search for personal happiness for the life she has left. She is an honest person who bares her soul, never wallows in self-pity and does not apologize for her actions.
Speak includes several plot twists that help move the story forward, small acts of rebellion and well-kept secrets, so the narrative becomes more than the melancholy story of Morgan’s difficult marriage to a narcissistic bitter husband and her brood of unloving children. A few supportive kind characters appear who lift some of the heavy veil from what would otherwise be a very depressing story.
The main symbol in this story is the Wife Tree, an old apple tree in the backyard that grew very close to another tree the couple called the Man Tree. William purposefully nurtured the Man Tree and over pruned the Wife Tree, almost killing it in his efforts to allow the Man Tree to flourish. After years of having its branches clipped and twisted back, the Wife Tree could no longer bear fruit and William had planned to cut it down.
Like other readers, this book reminded me of another older woman enduring the difficulties of old age. Margaret Laurence’s character of Hagar Shipley in “The Stone Angel” quickly came to mind, although the characters are quite different and their journey toward the future takes different paths.
The prose flows freely in this story which is both easy to read and enjoyable.
Morgan’s daughters left home long ago and are now scattered all over the globe, living miles away in places such as Brazil, Nepal, Germany and Indonesia. Only her son Morris lives nearby with his wife Olive and their houseful of six badly behaved sons. As the only boy in the family, Morris was always the object of William’s violent abuse, enduring regular beatings for even the smallest offences. His mother never intervened to stop them and Morris has never forgiven her. Morris found relief in religion and became a bible thumping born again Christian. He now assumes an air of self-importance, carries his bible everywhere and has named each of his sons after a book in the Old Testament.
Morgan’s story is told through her first-person narrative, her recollections, dreams and the letters she writes to the girls about their father’s stroke, but never sends. Other parts of her story are revealed when she visits William and to keep him company and pass the time, she looks back on their past lives together.
As the days go by and fall begins to move into winter, Morgan’s daily walks to the hospital improve her mobility, stamina and confidence. She visits the public library, explores the town and becomes more observant of the world around her. She notices the fall colors and when the snow arrives the beauty of the falling flakes. Her eyesight is poor but she finds her other senses are becoming more and more sensitive to everything around her. Morgan enjoys her new found freedom, the ability to set her own path and her own pace. Now that Will is out of the house, there is finally space for her. She meets people on the streets, never feels lonely and slowly begins to feel part of the world.
As Morgan begins a journey of self-discovery and discovers her own voice, readers quickly learn this woman has the capacity to grow and change. Freed from William’s constant deriding comments, Morgan puts aside the needs of her children, makes peace with her past and does what she pleases, in the process, casting off the mean actions of her bridge partners with whom she has played forty years and challenging the efforts of her money grabbing son.
William, unable to speak, walk or talk, refuses to eat or cooperate in his rehabilitation, remaining locked inside his angry lonely world. But Morgan is a strong woman and this is just one more difficulty she is forced to navigate. She has endured a past filled with difficult times, including a harsh childhood on a farm, an indifferent mother and an unwanted pregnancy. She has since endured a marriage filled with her husband’s harsh comments and his deriding criticisms about her lack of interest in politics, the news of the day and the world at large. Such comments often ended with his pronouncement that she was stupid.
Her children, products of the cold non-nurturing environment in the Hazzard household, are impatient and scornful of her, as she tries to find her way through these difficult circumstances alone. Their self-righteous attitudes and their blatant and damning criticisms do not endear them to readers.
Speaks creates a character in Morgan Hazzard that quickly gains readers’ sympathy. She is tough minded and makes several decisions at this late stage in her life that challenge society’s taboos in her search for personal happiness for the life she has left. She is an honest person who bares her soul, never wallows in self-pity and does not apologize for her actions.
Speak includes several plot twists that help move the story forward, small acts of rebellion and well-kept secrets, so the narrative becomes more than the melancholy story of Morgan’s difficult marriage to a narcissistic bitter husband and her brood of unloving children. A few supportive kind characters appear who lift some of the heavy veil from what would otherwise be a very depressing story.
The main symbol in this story is the Wife Tree, an old apple tree in the backyard that grew very close to another tree the couple called the Man Tree. William purposefully nurtured the Man Tree and over pruned the Wife Tree, almost killing it in his efforts to allow the Man Tree to flourish. After years of having its branches clipped and twisted back, the Wife Tree could no longer bear fruit and William had planned to cut it down.
Like other readers, this book reminded me of another older woman enduring the difficulties of old age. Margaret Laurence’s character of Hagar Shipley in “The Stone Angel” quickly came to mind, although the characters are quite different and their journey toward the future takes different paths.
The prose flows freely in this story which is both easy to read and enjoyable.
September 14, 2024
In The Wife Tree, Dorothy Speak (an author I'd never heard of before) offers a surprisingly witty and ironic exploration of aging, gender roles, and self-discovery through the eyes of 75-year-old Morgan Hazzard. As Morgan copes with her husband's illness and her own physical limitations, she unexpectedly finds a new sense of freedom and identity. Speak's prose is rich with metaphor, particularly in the recurring image of the "Wife Tree," reflecting the protagonist's journey from constraint to growth.
While the novel tackles difficult themes - including ageism, sexuality in later life, and intergenerational conflict- it does so with sensitivity and insight. With wry irony, Speak sharply exposes the stereotypes we all easily succumb to, making for a thought-provoking read.
While the novel tackles difficult themes - including ageism, sexuality in later life, and intergenerational conflict- it does so with sensitivity and insight. With wry irony, Speak sharply exposes the stereotypes we all easily succumb to, making for a thought-provoking read.
July 18, 2019
4.5 stars. I come from a dysfunctional family so I could live this story, my mom finally left my father after 55 years of marriage and when he died she and my brother washed their hands of helping with the details. I don’t quite understand why the daughters are so distant but the way the son was treated reminded me of my own brother’s abuse. So it’s a tale of real life, things aren’t always rosy but there are silver linings and you can always enjoy the flowers.
July 28, 2025
Although the author is from my home town and the writing is solid, the book was quite depressing. First the notion that at 75 one is only a step from death, while accurate, is not modern. Morgan Hazard lived a tragic life, unloved and unloving. She was a victim and a prisoner of her Catholic faith and time. At least in the end, she discovered a strength within.
Universal truths are repeated throughout such as One is ultimately, always alone.
Universal truths are repeated throughout such as One is ultimately, always alone.
March 15, 2018
I read this several years ago but the story and emotions stick with me always.
April 6, 2018
3.5 stars, quick read, interesting story centered around the reflections of a 70something year old woman after her domineering husbands' stroke.
November 29, 2021
This book wasn't what I expected it was very slow going and I almost gave up but I kept reading and it did get better. It was just ok but happy I'm finally finished.
August 23, 2009
The life of Morgan Hazzard, told from her seventy-something perspective at the time of her husband's stroke, unravels through her unsent letters to her daughters who lead important lives abroad. In many ways it's a belated "coming of age" novel, a romance in which an unlikely hero is reborn to save not only herself but remnants of her lost family and friends as well as completel strangers in the quiet town of Simplicity (aka Woodstock) Ontario. Ms Speak does a journeyman job of turning a timid, frail, blind, abused (in every sense), abandoned elder into a resourceful, strong, wise, and confident younger version of herself. Is it too pat, too easy, too fast a transformation? Maybe so. But this reader found Morgan so endearing and poignant, so deserving and yes so pathetic, that I wanted her to succeed at any literary cost.
This was absorbing from the first chapter, sprinkled with thought-provoking one-liners and symbolism simple enough for my simple mind. It was an easy read, moving at times, entertaining always.
This was absorbing from the first chapter, sprinkled with thought-provoking one-liners and symbolism simple enough for my simple mind. It was an easy read, moving at times, entertaining always.
July 19, 2010
This book was horrible. This old lady kind of pissed me off. Not only did she try and trap innocent men, she cheated on the man who she forced to live with her. I don't feel in any way sorry that she was an old lady alone and her children had nothing to do with her. And as bad as it may sound, I hope the rest of her life was miserable to make up for the misery she caused others. GAH!
March 19, 2016
An elderly lady, having lived her whole life in the shadow of her contemptuous husband and 7 children, suddenly finds her self and a new life after her husband suffers a stroke. Although somewhat depressing , this novel has a positive ending. The woman finally creates her own story by reflecting on the past and emerging into the present.
Want to read
August 8, 2008Had to turn this back in to the Mt. Sac library before I had a chance to read it. I may try again later.
August 3, 2011
Amazing.
March 17, 2012
Beautiful book
October 17, 2012
A 75-year old woman discovers inner strength after her husband suffers a stroke. Good female character. Canadian. A surprisingly good read!
December 30, 2012
I cheered for this little old lady who finally comes into her own and gets up to mischief
June 8, 2009
A compelling story about aging and living a life of regret.
April 19, 2017
I really enjoyed this book - it is the kind of book that tells a good story - but also makes you pause and think - I highly recommend it - it is more of a woman's book -
Displaying 1 - 22 of 22 reviews