The Mijo Tree

by Janet Frame

"But the mijo seed had other ideas for herself. She wanted so much immediately to live a life of ease and power."

The Mijo Tree is a never-before-published novella from New Zealand literary great, Janet Frame. It was written between 1956 and 1957 during Frame's time in Ibiza and has remained in the Hocken Library archive since 1970.

The Mijo Tree is a darkly beautiful fable from a writer of vast imaginative power.

Genres: Fiction, Short Stories

Hardcover

First published January 1, 2013

About the author

The fate befalling the young woman who wanted "to be a poet" has been well documented. Desperately unhappy because of family tragedies and finding herself trapped in the wrong vocation (as a schoolteacher) her only escape appeared to be in submission to society's judgement of her as abnormal. She spent four and a half years out of eight years, incarcerated in mental hospitals. The story of her almost miraculous survival of the horrors and brutalising treatment in unenlightened institutions has become well known. She continued to write throughout her troubled years, and her first book (The Lagoon and Other Stories) won a prestigious literary prize, thus convincing her doctors not to carry out a planned lobotomy.

She returned to society, but not the one which had labelled her a misfit. She sought the support and company of fellow writers and set out single-mindedly and courageously to achieve her goal of being a writer. She wrote her first novel (Owls Do Cry) while staying with her mentor Frank Sargeson, and then left New Zealand, not to return for seven years.

Reviews

[Kim · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love Janet Frame's writing and this little adult fairy tale is no exception.
Published posthumously with lovely b&w illustrations by Deidre Copeland. In the back of the book there is a yearly chronology of significant moments in Janet Frame's life with a short interesting Afterword.
I think like much of Frame's writing something more is to be found in the re-reading but back to the library with this one for now.

[Jennifer Rolfe · Rating 4 out of 5]

A quirky understated book.

[DonutKnow · Rating 4 out of 5]

A melancholy tale of an ambitious little seed. This is just the thing with short stories, you want to know more and although there was the death of the protagonist I am still left in painful curiosity of what happened between the two goats, particularly the nanny goat whose engagement had not been followed through by the antagonist. Nevertheless, from my experience I believe that the story is that of false ambition and naivete. The seed wanted more, regardless of what her mother told her and the contented way of life they lived. She just wanted to be the Queen on the hilltop- even when she would be queen of the valley anyway. I sad story indeed but I intend to read some other time when I'm older to see if my interpretation has changed.

[Simon Sweetman · Rating 4 out of 5]

A sweet wee fable/ish novella, actually it's the afterword that makes it; contextualises it - a good re-entry to the world of Frame for me. I need to get back into reading her stuff and this was an easy way to get back on board. Charming enough too.

[Emma McCleary · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was very pleased to get this for Christmas from my brother in law. I'm a great fan of Janet Frame's work and this was new to me.

A novella in a well-turned out book, both are small, poetic and perfectly formed. You'll probably get the most out of this if you read it in one sitting.

The illustrations are beautiful and the text magical in the way your favourite stories from childhood were.

[Selena Hanet-Hutchins · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really liked this - the story and the illustrations and packaging. I loved the layers of allegory and will probably give it more stars when I look further into those layers.

[Belinda · Rating 3 out of 5]

I feel this was written less as a fairytale than a grim moral story about a seed that was not content with her lot in life where she lived in a forest near her mother and siblings. Instead, she wanted to grow on the top of a hill. Her ambition means she finds her way to the hilltop with the view of the valleys and green forests. But young Mijo seed was supposed to grow in filtered sunlight, in sheltered lowlands, away from where the wind, sea salts, and exposure to sun will only serve to distort her upright growth habit and big leaves. She gets her wish only to spend every single day struggling to survive.

Then she meets a selfish goat who she befriends. She manages to convince him to take a blossom she manages to produce before she dies down to the lowlands so it can grow to be healthy and beautiful. He does so, but then climbs to the top of the hill and eats Mijo's remaining leaves, essentially killing her.

While this is well written, how could Frame do otherwise? it is a miserable tale of "stay in your lane".
I can't say I enjoyed it at all.

[Ruthita · Rating 4 out of 5]

A gorgeous wee fable! You will read it in ten mins! So glad I picked it up, starring the mijo seed and it’s desire to get out of valley and live up on the hill, befriending goats and winds. Seems like a kids story at the beginning .. but it isn’t really by the end. I studied Janet frame at school for English. Nice to unexpectedly read another of hers.

[Fiona Jay · Rating 3 out of 5]

A gorgeously rendered wee story that reminds me of Tolkien's little books of moral tales (Roverandom, Farmer Giles of Ham). Each page is framed in illustration. Will the haughty young seed achieve greatness without heeding the warnings of others?

[Rat · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very sweet and well thought out. That goat is a dick though.

[Kat · Rating 4 out of 5]

A thoughtful, beautiful, and dark little fable with absolutely gorgeous illustrations.

[Sihle Ntuli · Rating 3 out of 5]

A good short read, one that can be read in a single sitting. I'm intrigued to read more of this authors work especially being a visitor to New Zealand