Greenwillow

by B.J. Chute

A lyrical and poetic fable, "Greenwlllow" tells of the romance between young Gideon Briggs, who walks in the shadow of a family curse and vows never to marry, and Dorrie, the orphan girl he loves. "Greenwillow" was brought to the Broadway stage in 1960, starring Anthony Perkins, and with words and music by Frank Loesser.

Genres: Fiction, Historical Fiction, Romance, Fantasy, Humor, Novels, Historical Romance

232 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1956

About the author

B.J. Chute was born in Minneapolis, Minnesota, and lived there until she came to New York in 1940. A professional writer since 1931, Miss Chute has written hundreds of stories, which have appeared in Boys' Life, the Boy Scout magazine, and numerous anthologies of outstanding sports stories for young people. Her adult stories have appeared in nearly every major magazine, including The Saturday Evening Post, Good Housekeeping, McCall's, and Redbook. She has written four adult novels—The Fields Are White, The End of Loving, Greenswillow, Moon and the Thorn—and a collection of short stories, The Blue Cup.
- taken from the dust jacket of Blocking Back

aka Beatrice Joy Chute

Reviews

[Lora · Rating 5 out of 5]

A kind, gentle book. The kind of book you read when the world has left you a little bruised. A favorite of mine for over thirty years.

[Margie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Greenwillow is a small masterpiece of beautiful writing and a delight to the soul. I will always connect it with my mother who gave it to me when I was a teenager. My mother and I used to roam used bookstores in Denver in the sixties and I still have that very worn paperback from one of those stores which I have read again and again over the years. I finally looked it up on Amazon and was delighted to find that it had been reprinted in 2002 and was still available. I bought several copies to give to friends and also bought a used hardback from the fifties. I have a hard time calling any book my favorite, but Greenwillow has enchanted me again and again with the magic and beauty of its lyrical prose. How can one resist a book that starts:

"Long ago, centuries perhaps, the village of Greenwillow had been stood in a corner and forgotten.

A river ran through it, a river that came down fresh and fast from the tall hills, and, once away from the village grew very important . . . Beyond Greenwillow this river was called by another name which no one in the village troubled to remember, but here it was the Meander, having let itself grow tame in a swamp that was all goldcups in the spring and bordered with dark-berried catbrier at the autumn turn of leaves and sun."

Yes, it is my favorite book - there I have said it! And my three copies will attest to that. Thank you, mom. I miss you.

[Olivia · Rating 5 out of 5]

{October 2023 Reread}

Micah said slowly, “It’d not have helped then, even if I’d found the Devil? He’s very great.”

“There’s those who are greater,” said the reverend shortly.

Gosh, I love these characters so much. I’d die for Micah, especially, but all of the Briggses are wondrous, and Dorrie, and Misses Maidy and Emma, and Reverend Lapp, and Mrs. Clegg, and Reverend Birdsong (I particularly love his characterization – jolly and humorous by disposition but firm and serious when necessary *chef’s kiss*) . . .

This time around, I was pleased to discover that the narrative takes several more jabs at Amos than I recollected it did – because seriously, sir? Be so freaking for real. What a worthless excuse for a man.

“Amos brought the box one time, Dorrie,” said Martha, coming over to join them and touching the box lid. “Used always to bring us things when he came back but somehow that’s past. He sells them off or barters them out, and nothing comes back in his pockets but a little dust. Well, we’ve got clutter enough. I think he means to bring us things,” she added.
-
“Sheby’d be real pleased with a sister, but Amos said he’d planted a boy and we was to call it Jeremiah.” (“planted” – I literally hate him??)
-
He looked at them both for a long moment. “Pa ought to be here,” he said angrily. “He ought never have taken a wife,” and then he turned and went out the door. . . . His voice had told [Dorrie] all the things that could not be said against his father, the wandering man who had left a child not borned behind him.

Every time I reread Greenwillow, I’m torn between my love for Gideon and my impatience with his fatalism about “the call.” “The call” is a load of hogwash that could be resisted by anybody with a shred of self-discipline, and we all know that, so Gideon’s credulity about it annoys me. However, on the other hand, I sometimes try to read his character as someone who’s just realistic about human frailty, who understands that he may not be heroic enough to withstand a temptation that’s claimed so many of the men in his family line and therefore wants to do everything in his power to mitigate its negative impact on the people he loves. I can respect that, even if I can’t respect the attitude of giving up the fight before it’s even begun.

Also, as an aside, I love the names in this book. Especially those of the Briggs brood. So many fun biblical names that don't get much circulation but are somehow very fitting for fictional characters.

{April 2021 Reread}

In spite of all, the Devil had never found a dwelling place in the house Amos Briggs had left behind him.

{May 2020 Reread}

I was getting a little discouraged about how all the books I was reading were proving to be disappointments, and I was worried that I was headed towards a reading slump. And then I remembered that Greenwillow existed. And I reread it and, in the words of a Taylor Swift song, "everything feels better."

{2018 Reread}

ACK I'D FORGOTTEN HOW PERFECT THIS BOOK IS. <3 Seriously, the writing is, like, my ideal, favorite style to read. The humor is spot-on and the description is amazing. I like how the book mainly focuses on a small group of key characters and doesn't feel the need to flesh out every single citizen of the town. That's helpful. *nods* And the Briggses! I LOVE how they're written . . . and the two reverends . . . and Dorrie . . . and her guardians . . . AND GAH JUST EVERYTHING. (Especially the little Briggs children and Gramma, though. ;-P)

Oh, but Gideon? You're a dear lamb and I do love you, and I Ship Your Ship very hard, BUT I gotta say that your continual fatalism about the whole "call" situation really does get on my nerves a bit. You're lucky in how it was all resolved, but even had it turned out differently, you could at least have planned to fight it. Remember the wise words of Mr. Knightley: "There is one thing a man may always do if he chooses, and that is his duty."

(But otherwise you and everyone else in this novel are presh and I love you. <3)

[Katherine · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love browsing through used bookstores, it always feels a bit like a treasure hunt because you never know what you might find.

In 2008, at one of my favorite bookshop haunts, this title caught my eye. It was a 1956 hardback edition covered in worn green cloth with a pretty little imprint of a village on the front, and each chapter was charmingly headed with a lovely illustration. This particular book had also had a previous life as a library book in a local high school and was definitely showing its age. I'd never heard of the book, or the author either, but in a moment of pure serendipity I bought it and Greenwillow has since become one of my favorite books!

The story is homey and quaint, but quite timeless. B.J. Chute has an extraordinary gift for using words in an usual way that lends character to her descriptions and gives her writing an entirely unique voice. Her language is lyrical and utterly delightful.

The book begins:
"Long ago, centuries perhaps, the village of Greenwillow had been stood in a corner and forgotten.

"A river ran through it, a river that came down fresh and fast from the tall hills, and, once away from the village, grew very important and tossed up debris along its banks . . . Beyond Greenwillow, this river was called by another name which no one in the village troubled to remember, but here it was the Meander, having let itself grow tame in a swamp that was all goldcups in the spring and bordered with dark-berried catbrier at the autumn turn of leaves and sun."

There are moments of breath-stealing beauty:
"All the violets he had picked spilled through his fingers, and their bits of sky and their heart-leaves fell and lay at Dorrie's feet. He looked at her with the west wind lifting her unbound hair from her shoulders and April all around her and the earth jublilating, everything new and winter past and no more than a step between where she sat and he stood."

Greenwillow is a perfect gem of a book, one that never fails to move and delight me.

[Mela · Rating 5 out of 5]

Pure gem. Sweet comfort reading.

I felt like I had sat in a favourite armchair, wrapped in a fluffy blanket, in favourite socks, with warm tea and a beloved teddy bear on my knees. Like nearby had been a burning fireplace and my dear grannie had told me a story (although, sadly, neither of my grandmothers told me any story). A story, not about dragons and princesses, but about a small village and an ordinary wonderful family.

I don't know what I loved the most, the love between Micah and Sheby (brother and sister), or between Micah and Gideon (two brothers), or Dorrie's hearth for everyone, or Gideon's goodness. Time with them was a balm for heart's wounds. Its warmth and gentleness will last for a while yet.

And the ending was brilliant, perfect! Part of me felt, like Birdsong, that when I turn my back on the village (close the book), it will be gone. The other part though is sure, like Lapp was, that it stays...

Do yourself a favour, and make a visit to Greenwillow.

[Sylvester (Taking a break in 2023) · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm making up a category for this type of book - "Snug". This is for books of exceptionally warm characters and lively depictions of rural life. H.E. Bates is another snug author - "Uncle Silas", or "The Darling Buds of May" both gave me the same feeling that "Greenwillow" did. "Cranford" (Elizabeth Gaskell) has snug elements too.

I love the way "Greenwillow" follows the rhythm of the seasons. The story starts in September and continues through to midsummer, and each season is integral to the story. There wouldn't be a story, without the change of the seasons, and that feeling of the natural rhythm of life. It's slow, and not much happens - but everything is in the details. I love the illustrations by Erik Blegvad, and the description - especially of the winter/snow/frosty fields. Not a book for someone wanting gritty realism. This is for the times when you need to see the world as a beautiful, friendly place.

"That old misery Clegg," said Gramma, giving a frivolous cackle. "Like to break his heart, he did, when I wed y'r grampa, threatened to drown hisself in the Meander. Not much water in it that summer there wasn't, but enough to drown a skinny man like Thomas." She sighed heavily. "I was real good to look at, back then. The men were like bees around a honeysuckle. Had trouble keepin' my virtue, I did." She looked around for her grand-daughter and said sharply, "Sheby, mind that, time comes for you. I got me a good man, I did, all because I kept my virtue. At least, I think I kept it," said Gramma. "It's a long ways back."

[Chris - Quarter Press Editor · Rating 4 out of 5]

I can't figure out why I liked this book so much. On so many levels, I should not have liked this thing, that I should've put it aside as a whimsical romance that shouldn't be read by twenty-seven-year-old males; however, I truly enjoyed this book. Every page.

There was something about it that simply sucked me in and never really let me go. The narrative voice is simply wonderful; I learned a ton about omnipotent POV; the writing is, at times, nothing short of gorgeous; and the personification of EVERYTHING is so engaging.

I don't know who to recommend a book like this too, but I sure hope it's one that finds a new audience 50+ years after its initial release.

[Dominika · Rating 5 out of 5]

Such a gentle, sunshiny book.

It's a tale of a family where the eldest son in each generation is cursed to become a wanderer. Gideon Briggs is determined not to make the same mistakes as his forefathers. He will not fall in love, will not get married, will not wander while leaving a family to survive on their own, and will not have a son to carry on the curse. But then there's good and lovely Dorrie whose presence in Greenwillow complicates Gideon's resolution.

There's whimsy, humor, flashes of magical realism, and though it's unapologetically sentimental, I didn't find it to be cloyingly so. And perhaps because the story doesn't take itself too seriously, real questions on the nature of gifts, sacrifice, and love are able to dance suggestively and believably just beneath the surface.

Extra credit for lovely food and nature writing.

Some favorite passages:

"The winter Sunday on which the Reverend Lapp had risen very tall in the pulpit, and announced the immediacy of hell for the benefit of his congregation was a famous one...The congregation had gone home feeling like lily pads, their faces offered to the sun and their roots in most infernal places."

"[Dorrie] whisked the gooseberry tarts into the oven, from which there came shortly a smell of hot summer as the gooseberries burst their jackets and little sugar circles trickled down onto the goldening pastries."

"In the village, the Reverend Lapp woke in his narrow bed and saw the great soft flakes pressing against the windowpanes. A sense of duty warring with the downy warmth of sleep caused him to clamber out in his nightshirt and go to the window where his Sunday sermon lay spread before him--the sinning earth beneath the purity of the snow. He would work out the moral later. the sound of his mother stirring about in the kitchen below caused him to reflect moodily on recent lumps in his porridge."

[Rachel · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a quiet, gentle story of people living in an idyllic patch of England's countryside a hundred years ago or so. The bulk of the book wafts gently but steadily on, like a spring breeze that has places to go, but is enjoying stopping to touch every flower and leaf and grass blade while it goes. This is a book that brought joy and sunshine to me while I read it, and if I didn't need to read the next Anne book to keep up with my challenge, I would very likely just begin this all over again right now. It's charming and refreshing and satisfying, and I cannot recommend it enough.

[Jon · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of the most good-hearted and charming books I've read in a long time, without being soppy and sentimental. The first sentence: "Long ago, centuries perhaps, the village of Greenwillow had been stood in the corner and forgotten." So the time is pretty much anywhen and the setting practically anywhere in the English speaking world that has snow in the winter. Or maybe (as a hint on the last page suggests) it's like Brigadoon, existing in a time of its own. The author (B.J. stands for Beatrice Joy, 1913-1987) was from Minneapolis, moved to New York in her late 20's, and never left. I wonder if Garrison Keillor read this when it first came out (1956) and it started hints of Lake Wobegon in his young brain. There are even two ministers operating out of one church--a tall, thin, judgmental one full of fire and brimstone, and a short, fat, benevolent one reminiscent of Father Brown. What happens to them is just one of the many pleasures to be found here. In any case, the writing is beautiful, the authorial voice is ironic but kind, the descriptions of nature are evocative, and the characters are solid. It's carefully plotted, and all the problems arising among those characters are deftly handled in the last few pages in an ending that is both plausible and unexpected.

[Mardee Sherman · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of the best books I have ever read -- BJ Chute has woven a tale of loyalty, love and humor into a timeless classic. The whimsical town of Greenwillow will draw you in and keep you hooked until the very last page. Chute's characters are eccentric and irresistible -- you'll read of sweet Dorie who bakes bilberry tarts and dreams of a happy ending; the cow that kneels down at Christmas; two Reverends battling over good and evil -- and Gideon, who loves the land with a passion we can only envy. I've read this book at least 15 times, and have never gotten tired of it -- in fact, its appeal grows with each passing year.

[Scottie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ohmygosh I am totally loving this book! Only about 1/4 into it but every page has melodies and poetry and joy throughout. Take this, page 38: "........and whisked the gooseberry tarts into the oven, from which there came shortly a smell of hot summer as the gooseberries burst their jackets and little sugar circles trickled down onto the goldening pastry."

Or page 50: "A hen cackled, talking up fussily about an egg she had been making."

It is a joy and I already dread finishing it!
****************************

I was sorry to finish this lovely book - it never disappointed and was simply pure joy!

[Natalie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sweet, lovely, quiet, and quaint. Dorie was adorable (I pictured her as Matty from "Friendly Persuasion"). Gideon was strong and sensible, and all the other characters were equally delightful. Especially Micah. I love Micah. :) Definitely will re-read this in the future!

Re-read, May 11th, 2017:
Um. How could I have only rated this four stars the first time around? I LOVED this. It was beautiful and mirthfully humorous. And the writing! So, so beautiful. *hugs book* Definitely recommend.

[Kim · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book starts off a little slow and then blossoms into this funny, charming story with clever descriptions. I gave this book 5 stars because the characters are fantastic...they're simple, but with depth. Wonderful book!

[Kendalyn · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love finding books that are formed from the very fibers of heaven, the ones that are plucked from the fruit trees in paradise. Greenwillow is one of these beautiful books and it will forever occupy a piece of my heart from this day on.

[Garnette · Rating 5 out of 5]

Greenwillow
review © 2/23/2016
by Garnette Arledge

One gloomy Saturday in January my local library held their Book Sale. I ‘greatly admire’ local libraries sometimes even holding onto a book until it’s overdue just to give the fine. Of course I’m a member and contributor also. For there are treasures to found in village libraries, well-worn books written in, perhaps, a kinder age to readers’ psyches.

Like it was waiting for me, spring be praised, there was Greenwillow by B.J. Chute, published in 1956 by E.P. Dutton and Company before it was just Dutton. With line drawings of 19th Century English village life. Turns out it was a famous book on its own becoming a Broadway play with Anthony Hopkins. So it is in the genre of Friendly Persuasion by Jessamyn West. Perhaps even a bit of a Jane Austen-like.

Village life, rival clergy who have separate entrances, belief systems and service times into the one Anglican church. Pub. Old Ladies. Young Love, seemingly thwarted by tradition. Descriptive language so the reader can see the seasons, the flowers, the food, the hopes and dreams thanks to the author who was once president of Penwomen. Even a whimsy -- a mysterious call of the East that afflicts one family’s eldest son, a bit like Beau Geste by P.C. Wren. I could smell the tea cakes, root for the animals, love the folk. Reminds me of how Downton Abbey will be missed.

Greenwillow is a nostalgic reading treasure. It’s on Amazon, hold on, one copy for more than a thousand dollars. Yet also in Kindle. I’m thankful for bookstores but my heart belongs to the village library.

[Printable Tire · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a pleasant, lyrical, lighthearted novel. At some points it reminded me of Lil 'Abner (particularly Gideon and Granny) and sometimes even the Simpsons (golden age, of course), particularly Micah and Reverend Lapp and his domineering mother. If I had read this when I was younger I might even call it a favorite, but can adults have favorite books, after you've read so many?

Actually laughed out loud at this passage:

"Get Gramma's turnip, it's loose again." She patted her hair and smoothed her skirt and smiled at her baby, and he gave up his idea of tears since the dog Rip had got hold of the turnip and was killing it in a dark corner. This was pleasant because Gramma knew her own teeth chaw marks, and she was going to be in a simmer when she found out who had her turnip now.

Bought my copy at the Mercer County library near Princeton when I went to the inaugural Laffcon there years ago; it disintegrated, page by page, as I read it.

Fun fact, from Wikepdia: This was made into a musical starring Anthony Perkins and the musical was being rehearsed in New York while Anthony Perkins was simultaneously filming Psycho.

[Shelley Fearn · Rating 5 out of 5]

Chute's classic, a finalist for the National Book Award in 1957, is sadly out of print. But, it is the perfect novel to read at Christmas time. In the village of the title, young Gideon Briggs, in love with a village girl, vows never to marry lest he leave his family alone as have all of the men in his family for generations. Gideon's valiant efforts to act responsibly, while sacrificing his own happiness, sets up this very gentle romance.
Those who love classic Christmas movies like "Come to the Stable" might pass the time reading this holiday season.

This book was the first adult book that I read. It was recommended by an Army Staff Sergeant during our weekly trips to the Fort Meyer Library.

[Melanie · Rating 4 out of 5]

In this day and age, it's hard to slow down and appreciate a gentle, quiet story without a ton of action and drama. I like a page-turner. I also tend to gobble my food. But Greenwillow is well worth savoring, a sweet, humorous tale of a little town that time forgot. Wonderful, flawed characters and prose that will make you weep, if you allow it. It is beautifully written, and is fun to read aloud because of the magic of the language. Certainly not everyone's cup of tea, but I have a hunch that if you're a tea drinker as I am, it might be yours.

[Nancy · Rating 5 out of 5]

This fairy tale has been a book I loved for over 30 years. I reread it whenever I need reassurance. It was named one of the 10 best novels from the 1950's which gives you a real look at where the 1950's were coming from. Well I guess I am a product of that era too so I can't knock it.
Review? Oh yeah. Well, It is about whether generosity or narrow mindedness should be in control of life. Guess who wins? It is the 50's after all. And I really really like it.

[GeckoEcho · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this book when I was much, much younger and for some reason, a phrase from the book (about the devil) randomly popped into my mind. I picked up the book from my folks' book shelf curious to see if it was still readable, and this book still is a joy.

Lyrical, gentle, heartwarming, eye opening gentle beautiful words on every page.

[Paul Of · Rating 5 out of 5]

First read this back in the 60s (1960s). Loved it then. Love it now. A soft, easy, sweet read. Check out the low number of ratings and an even lower number of reviews BUT look at the 5 stars in the rating details! Read some reviews. Then you'll want to sit back, relax and let the book take you away...to Greenwillow. Warning! You may not want to come back.

[Meredith · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a book that my mother loved and introduced to me. I love it too. Sometimes every once in a while I need to escape to Greenwillow. The characters are so enchanting and who doesn't want to be stealing little cakes from Dorrie's kitchen. Heck I wish I was Dorrie!

Love this book!

[Virginia B · Rating 5 out of 5]

A sweet, fey story, It could have taken place in any little town, at almost any time in history, sort of like Brigadoon. I read it a long time ago and found it again in a secondhand bookstore. This edition has pictures by Erik Blegvad, and a message signed by the author.

[Caitlin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Such a tender, cosy story!

[Rosemary · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of my all-time favorites, I have a late 1950s hardcover edition with Eric Blegved's perfect little black-and-white chapter headings. Since I'm spending the year on a deep dive into cozy fantasy both past and present, I had to re-read Greenwillow. Aestselling sensation when it first came out, the novel even inspired a Broadway musical (something contemporary fantasy authors can aspire to!).

When I was younger, I largely read it for the romance, which is sweet and ends happily (or why they made it into a Broadway musical). These days I'm more fascinated by the older characters and the distinct rivalry between two preachers, one who is an resident of Greenwillow and one who simply appears. The character of Birdsong continues to charm and raise the question of exactly who or what he is. While Birdsong does not believe the Devil walks in Greenwillow, you may wonder if they are being visited by an angel. If you like cozy fantasy or Christian fiction (it does belong in both genres), be sure to visit this idyllic American town that never existed. Like the darling Reverend Birdsong, you will be comforted to learn that it will continue to be there long after you have left its paths and fields for other places.

[Chrisanne · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm a hoarder of booklists and recently found this on a 2004 list from my public library under "gentle reads." Emboldened by the delighted reviews on GR and its availability as a hard copy (still!) I expected a bit of decent escapism and was pleasantly surprised.

I don't think I've ever read anything like this. It's cozy with some unexpected depth and humor woven between the meandering dullness and excitement of everyday, ordinary, small town life. Nothing too brilliant or extraordinary, but that's what makes it unique in our oceans of literature about not-special-special people who save the world.

Really, it's probably a 4, but the last 4 pages unfold in such an emotionally satisfying way that I'm still feeling it in my core.

[Katie · Rating 5 out of 5]

When life is messy and complicated and confusing, this is the book I escape into. The sweet and simple story is populated with endearing characters and full of charm. Some other reviewer described it as "snug" and that is the perfect word for it. I've read it dozens of times and cried at the end- not because it's sad, but because it's so good - good in that warm comfortable way that makes you feel happy and safe.

[Leah · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was sheer delight from beginning to end. i don't read many novels more than once but i think this one may just be one that i will crack open some cold January day when everything is grey. This soulful little story lilted along like a simple folk song, and was filled with surprises throughout. This is not the kind of story i am normally drawn to, so that was a surprise as well. There was nothing about this story that did not satisfy. loved it!!!

[Allison · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is such a sweet little book, I love reading it in the summer time with my toes in the grass