The Wizard in the Tree is a long fairy tale, in spite of Mallory's assertion that "nothing ends as it does in fairy tales." The novel has a fairy-tale ending—through her goodness and efforts to help others, Mallory becomes the new owner of the Holdings. She has changed from an abused orphan working as a servant for people who beat her, a traditional fairy-tale figure, into a community leader who could, if she wished, lord it over those who once ruled her life. The Wizard in the Tree has typical fairy-tale elements: a magical figure, stark contrasts between good and evil, and amazing events that enable a weak figure to become a strong one. The Wizard in the Tree begins much as a typical fairy tale does: a young woman in the woods encounters a magical figure who will change her life. The central...