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4.02 AVERAGE
4.02 AVERAGE
Two passionate women tell this multi-generational story that begins in 1929 Glasgow Scotland and moves through Australia, London, and home to Glasgow again. Wildflower Hill’s two heroines are at a low point when first met, and have a much to learn in every aspect of their lives. But this grand, old-fashioned family saga novel with its settings beautifully rendered gives Beattie and Emma time, space and experience to grow on the reader. By the last satisfying scene, you may find yourself reluctantly parting with old friends who will live on once the cover has closed.
A beautifully written book that captured my interest from the start. The story is about two family members and their life struggles, one in 1930 and the other in present day, and how life is not always easy, even when we have the best intentions. After suffering a career ending injury, Emma’s was given her Grandmas sheep farm, Wildflower Hill. Emma finds her Grandma, Beattie, had a secret life, and begins to uncover stories of who Beattie really was, and along the way, Emma finds her true self.
I really enjoyed this book! Great story about a woman in Australia in the 30's. There is a second story about her granddaughter in London who comes back to Australia after she passed away and learns family secrets.
I read this book partly because it was recommended to me by Amazon and also because I heard that the author has been compared to Kate Morton. I don't see a lot of similarities, except that they both write historical fiction. This book was interesting enough to keep me up until after midnight reading and saying, "Just one more chapter."
Emma, a famous ballerina has just injured her knee and with her ballet career over, is reevaluating her life. She returns home to Australia and learns that her grandmother left her a sheep ranch in Tasmania. Emma heads to Wildflower Hill to sell the estate.
You also get to the hear the story of Beattie, Emma's grandmother, who in 1929, finds herself pregnant and leaving Scotland to start a new life in Australia. She finds success in life after many years of struggle and heartbreak. Including a big secret that Emma is trying to figure out when she discovers some old documents at Wildflower Hill.
Emma, a famous ballerina has just injured her knee and with her ballet career over, is reevaluating her life. She returns home to Australia and learns that her grandmother left her a sheep ranch in Tasmania. Emma heads to Wildflower Hill to sell the estate.
You also get to the hear the story of Beattie, Emma's grandmother, who in 1929, finds herself pregnant and leaving Scotland to start a new life in Australia. She finds success in life after many years of struggle and heartbreak. Including a big secret that Emma is trying to figure out when she discovers some old documents at Wildflower Hill.
I enjoyed this very much, it was the first book that has come even close to matching Kate Morton's tone for me. It wasn't as intricately plotted, or quite as tragic, but it had the same lyrical feel and tone. The characters were strong and interesting, and I felt invested in both storylines equally. It definitely was sad, but it has more of a hopeful, sunny tone than I expected. I also liked learning more about Australia, a country which I'd love to visit but don't know a a ton about. I'm not sure if the author's other books are similar to this one, but if they are I'd love to read them. I couldn't put this down for the last 250 pages! I especially cherished the relationship Emma had with her grandmother Beattie. It seemed very sweet and reminded me of my own grandmother. I also enjoyed the pacing in which "answers" were doled out in the modern story, and found the inclusion of the dancing children storyline to be interesting. Overall, I highly recommend it!
emotional
reflective
fast-paced
Standard, fairly formulaic chick lit. Young(ish) girl discovers her true path after returning home and learns more about her ancestors in the process. There's nothing novel in the story line that you haven't read before elsewhere :)
I picked this one up, because Amazon was giving it away free (or for $1 or something) over New Year, and I wanted to some cheap books to while away the time on the beach. It served that purpose well.
Read it for what it is and you'll be fine, but don't expect anything more from it.
Reading time: 4 hours, 49 mins
I picked this one up, because Amazon was giving it away free (or for $1 or something) over New Year, and I wanted to some cheap books to while away the time on the beach. It served that purpose well.
Read it for what it is and you'll be fine, but don't expect anything more from it.
Reading time: 4 hours, 49 mins
Wow! I didn't expect to be sucked into Wildflower Hill the way that I was! The whole book could've focused on Beattie's storyline and I would have been happy (and rated this five stars!). I love that Freeman allowed the MC to get human, to face true hardships and make mistakes. That made the story for me. The history of Beattie's life - the cultural atmosphere, the character traits, the kind of "sins" one would encourage avoiding - felt realistic.
I wasn't a big fan of Emma's storyline. Beattie's has so much more life and passion written into it that I wish the book was only about her.
I wasn't a big fan of Emma's storyline. Beattie's has so much more life and passion written into it that I wish the book was only about her.
Wildflower Hill is at the top of my list for favourite books of the year and I would even say I consider it one of my favourite books of all time. It was absolutely wonderful. It's the kind of the book that leaves a lasting impression. I finished it a couple weeks ago and I am still thinking about it.
I think of one of the reasons why Wildflower Hill really touched me was the rich characters especially Beattie. I fell in love with her strength and kindness. I envied how she dealt so courageously with all the difficult situations life threw her in and she never once stopped to feel sorry for herself. This woman endured SO MUCH heartache that I was literally sobbing and even thinking back and imagining myself in the situation she was in, makes me misty eyed.
This book brought out so many emotions in me and to me, that's a sign of a good book. I love books that can make me feel for the characters and be in the moment with them rather than just reading and observing. I felt anger towards Beattie's parents for abandoning her, and was furious with Beattie's "husband" and his wife. I don't want to give the story away so I want to be careful what I say.
The story goes back and forth between the present day with Emma, the ballerina and back to the 1920s and 30s to her grandmother, Beattie's time. It's perfectly woven though so you don't feel like its jumping back and forth. I think Kimberley Freeman did an amazing job intertwining the two generations and developing the family history that becomes so important to Emma in the present day.
I also really enjoyed the scenes in the Tasmanian countryside. Wildflower Hill appears to be a breathtaking location and I was taken away with all the vivid description of the countryside.
This book is a "must-read". I'm going to read it again because I loved it that much.
I think of one of the reasons why Wildflower Hill really touched me was the rich characters especially Beattie. I fell in love with her strength and kindness. I envied how she dealt so courageously with all the difficult situations life threw her in and she never once stopped to feel sorry for herself. This woman endured SO MUCH heartache that I was literally sobbing and even thinking back and imagining myself in the situation she was in, makes me misty eyed.
This book brought out so many emotions in me and to me, that's a sign of a good book. I love books that can make me feel for the characters and be in the moment with them rather than just reading and observing. I felt anger towards Beattie's parents for abandoning her, and was furious with Beattie's "husband" and his wife. I don't want to give the story away so I want to be careful what I say.
The story goes back and forth between the present day with Emma, the ballerina and back to the 1920s and 30s to her grandmother, Beattie's time. It's perfectly woven though so you don't feel like its jumping back and forth. I think Kimberley Freeman did an amazing job intertwining the two generations and developing the family history that becomes so important to Emma in the present day.
I also really enjoyed the scenes in the Tasmanian countryside. Wildflower Hill appears to be a breathtaking location and I was taken away with all the vivid description of the countryside.
This book is a "must-read". I'm going to read it again because I loved it that much.
Wildflower Hill is one of those books that is so wonderfully written I didn't want it to end. I loved both the stories of Beattie and Emma and how they both had to overcome such difficulties in their lives. It had me in tears several times