Review ~ Wild Wood by Posie Graeme-Evans

Simon & Schuster
March 2015

Australian, Jesse Marley comes to the UK in 1981 to discover more about her background. An unexpected accident results in Jesse coming into contact with a neurology doctor, Rory Brandon, who is intrigued by Jesse and her ability to draw pictures of his family home in Scotland.

In 1321, the Dieudonné family, custodians of Hundredfield, are a Scottish/Norman borderland family, who are intrigued by a strange young woman, who comes into their home and who makes them question everything they once knew to be true. What then follows is a dual time novel which blends very different times frames in a story which alludes to the struggle women have had, throughout the ages, to be heard and recognised.

I have to admit to being rather disappointed with this story. I so much wanted to like it and yet found myself increasingly irritated by Jesse, to the point where I didn’t really care enough about what happened to her. The historical time flip, was for me the strongest part of the story, and, I’m afraid that even this failed to live up to my expectations. I thought the story was disappointing , and whilst I have long been a fan of this author’s work and have read everything she has written to date, I do feel that this story lets her down and isn’t as strong as her previous work.

The hint of a suggestion that this book compares favourably to Diana Gabaldon’s excellent Outlander is misleading. There is no link to be made, apart from the Scottish setting, as neither the strength of the story, nor the time frame bears any such comparison.

I hate being disappointed by a favourite author but as always make up your own mind , you may well find something in the story that I didn't , and that to me, is what makes reading such a fascinating adventure.

My thanks to NetGalley and Simon & Schuster for my copy of this book.

About the author

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