The Wish Giver by Bill Brittain
**Overview of "The Wish Giver" by Bill Brittain**
"The Wish Giver: Three Tales of Coven Tree" is a children's novel by Bill Brittain that intertwines elements of fantasy, horror, and comedy. Set in the fictional village of Coven Tree, which evokes themes of witchcraft with its name, the story follows three young characters—Polly Kemp, Rowena Jervis, and Adam Fiske—who each make a wish from a mysterious figure named Thaddeus Blinn. Each wish is granted with unforeseen consequences, leading to comedic yet cautionary outcomes that highlight the complexities of desire and the importance of considering the implications of one's wishes.
As the story unfolds, Polly’s wish for friendship results in a humorous affliction, while Rowena’s romantic fantasy takes a dark turn, literally transforming her love interest into a tree. Adam's desperate plea for water for his drought-stricken farm leads to a flood that disrupts his family's life. Through these interconnected tales, readers are invited to reflect on the moral lessons that emerge from the characters’ experiences. Brittain's engaging storytelling, enriched by dark illustrations and a blend of real-world elements from his childhood, contributes to the novel's acclaim, including recognition as a Newbery Honor Book. Overall, "The Wish Giver" serves as both an entertaining narrative and a thought-provoking exploration of wishes and their consequences.
Subject Terms
The Wish Giver by Bill Brittain
First published: 1983; illustrated
Subjects: Emotions and the supernatural
Type of work: Novel
Type of plot: Fantasy and moral tale
Time of work: Probably the early twentieth century
Recommended Ages: 10-15
Locale: The village of Coven Tree in New England
Principal Characters:
Stew Meat , the owner of the Coven Tree General Store, the narrator and a receiver of a wishThaddeus Blinn , the wish giverPolly Kemp , an eleven-year-old receiver of a wishRowena Jervis , a fifteen-year-old receiver of a wishAdam Fiske , a sixteen-year-old receiver of a wish
Form and Content
The Wish Giver: Three Tales of Coven Tree begins with a discussion of the presence of witches and witchcraft in the New England states since Colonial times. This evil presence pervades the story as, one by one, three young people fall under its spell. The name of the village—Coven Tree—conjures up witches. Even the dark sketches by Andrew Glass scattered throughout the book add to the feeling of evil.
When Thaddeus Blinn sets up a tent at the Coven Tree Church Social, his advertisement states, “I can give you whatever you ask for only 50 C.” Despite his enticing claim, only four people enter his tent. They include Stew Meat, the owner of the Coven Tree General Store and the narrator of the story; Polly Kemp, an eleven-year-old girl who always speaks her mind, even when her words hurt others; Rowena Jervis, a fifteen-year-old girl who believes that she is in love with a traveling salesman who has enthralled her with his stories of travel all over the world; and Adam Fiske, a sixteen-year-old boy whose family’s farm suffers from drought and who must haul tubs of water from the creek to their home. Before Blinn lets them leave his tent, he warns them that each wish that he gives them “will be granted exactly as you ask for it.” As soon as they leave, Blinn packs up his tent and leaves the area.
Polly only has two friends who will play with her because of her habit of speaking without thinking. She desperately wants to be friends with two girls in town and not to be shunned by others when she meets them on the street. Her wish is that people will like her and that Agatha will invite her for tea. Following her wish, every time that she starts to say something hateful, she croaks like a bullfrog. This phenomenon lasts for about thirty minutes.
Rowena’s traveling salesman returns to Coven Tree for his twice yearly visit. Even though her mother warns her of his flirtatious manner, Rowena refuses to believe that he is not in love with her. Her wish, that “Henry Piper would put down roots in Coven Tree and never leave again,” comes true. That night as Henry leaves her home, he slowly becomes a tree in a grove near her home.
Adam’s farm continues to suffer from drought. As he takes the wagonload of tubs back and forth to the creek for water, the townspeople heckle him. Adam’s father hires a dowser to locate water on the farm. Despite all of his efforts, the dowser cannot find a drop of water on the entire farm. That night, Adam wishes for water all over the farm. When his wish comes true, underground streams arise. Each time that a hole is punched in the ground, a spout of water develops. The farm floods, and the family must float their possessions and themselves to the hill overlooking their home.
The story progresses as, after each person’s wish is granted, he or she thinks of the person who sat in the tent. Disaster follows disaster as all three young people use their wishes for their own gain. Their only hope rests with Stew Meat, if he has not used his wish.
Critical Context
Bill Brittain’s Coven Tree books blend comedy and horror as readers learn moral lessons. He loosely based the village and its inhabitants on his acquaintances in his childhood home of Spenceport, New York. The first book in this series, Devil’s Donkey (1981), received mention as an American Library Association’s Notable Children’s Book and was inspired by one of his eighth-grade students. According to Brittain, the plotting for the second book in the series, The Wish Giver, proved to be the most difficult that he had done. The problem centered on all three sections in the book taking part over four days in a small village in which the characters’ paths would cross occasionally. His perseverance paid off, as The Wish Giver received praise as a Newbery Honor Book. After this book, he returned to the village of Coven Tree for Dr. Dredd’s Wagon of Wonders (1987) and Professor Popkin’s Prodigious Polish: A Tale of Coven Tree (1991). Brittain desires not to teach enduring lessons but to offer his readers a good story. He accomplishes this goal with a blend of fantasy, horror, and humor.