The Wilderwomen
Ratings12
Average rating3.8
"Exquisitely drawn characters imbue Lang’s unconventional plot with verisimilitude and heart, inspiring readers to ponder whether the world is stranger and more beautiful than it appears. Effervescent, ethereal, and suffused with wonder." — Kirkus (starred review) "Lang’s melancholy, atmospheric writing sets the perfect tone as the Wilder sisters unravel the mystery. The result is a cozy supernatural outing perfect for an autumn night." —Publisher's Weekly Ohioana Book Award finalist Ruth Emmie Lang returns with a new cast of ordinary characters with extraordinary abilities in The Wilderwomen. Five years ago, Nora Wilder disappeared. The older of her two daughters, Zadie, should have seen it coming, because she can literally see things coming. But not even her psychic abilities were able to prevent their mother from vanishing one morning. Zadie’s estranged younger sister, Finn, can’t see into the future, but she has an uncannily good memory, so good that she remembers not only her own memories, but the echoes of memories other people have left behind. On the afternoon of her graduation party, Finn is seized by an “echo” more powerful than anything she’s experienced before: a woman singing a song she recognizes, a song about a bird... When Finn wakes up alone in an aviary with no idea of how she got there, she realizes who the memory belongs to: Nora. Now, it’s up to Finn to convince her sister that not only is their mom still out there, but that she wants to be found. Against Zadie’s better judgement, she and Finn hit the highway, using Finn’s echoes to retrace Nora’s footsteps and uncover the answer to the question that has been haunting them for years: Why did she leave? But the more time Finn spends in their mother’s past, the harder it is for her to return to the present, to return to herself. As Zadie feels her sister start to slip away, she will have to decide what lengths she is willing to go to find their mother, knowing that if she chooses wrong, she could lose them both for good.
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Moods: Adventurous, Emotional, Mysterious
How it made me feel: I loved the coming of age, sister road trip feel combined with the mystery of finding their mother. The sisters ended up in completely different places in life after their mother disappeared, with one sister being old enough to live on her own and the other being in a loving foster home with parents that wanted to adopt her. The emotional damage both of the girls endured was so done so well. The sisters coming back together was way more interesting than finding their mother (for me, anyway).
I was really hoping for more from the ending... It felt anticlimactic and I was left wanting more answers.
Would I recommend? Yes, tentatively :)
The Wilderwomen by Ruth Emmie lang
The story starts with 2 sisters, one who has just discovered she is pregnant and the other, graduating high school. The relationship strained after the youngest sister went into foster care.. she ends up there because their mother leaves their house one day and never returns.
They hope to rekindle their sisterhood with a road trip... problem is Zadie has no idea her little sister, who not only has the ability to read echoes of past memories, doesn't want to go on their trip. She wants to use her abilities to find their missing mother. She wants Zadie to use her psychic powers to help her in her journey and find the mother Finn believes didn't leave them behind.
This story was full of surprises. I loved every twist and turn and the supernatural element was so artfully done.
It didn't feel like it was the biggest focus of the story either. It was a really intelligent move to make the story more about the mystery of their missing mother and rebuilding their relationship and the sixth sense extraordinary abilities as a side bar.
My secret hope is there are more about sixes in more books to come from the author. I think they found a unique and original storyline that could really go places.
I adored reading about the authors' take on six senses and how they work. I was so excited reading this book! I don't normally get as giddy as a 5 year old with a piece of cake but I did.
If you love a heart warming read with a supernatural twist and a whole load of mystery then this book has to be on your list.
5 stars. Well deserved. Thank you Netgalley and St Martin's Press for my copy of this ARC in exchange for an honest review.
