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4.02 AVERAGE
4.02 AVERAGE
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
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 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
I haven't read any women's fiction in ages, because it's not really my thing. However, I saw a review for Freeman's new book, [b:Lighthouse Bay|13260283|Lighthouse Bay|Kimberley Freeman|http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1344959061s/13260283.jpg|18461786], when I was looking for lighthouse books. It sounded good, so I looked into her other books, and voila... a book about a sheep station! Shades of McLeod's Daughters, my favorite show of all time. I had to try this book.
So, I was a bit disappointed that there wasn't too much in the way of station hand work and minimal Aboriginal culture despite a "blackfella" being a primary character, but otherwise, I was hooked. I just wanted more more more. I loved the parallel narrative so much that I started seeking out other books with that style. I liked Beattie and Emma for different reasons. I also liked that they were fundamentally good women yet they made bad choices -- and then had to deal with the consequences. They both learned about themselves through their experiences, and Emma learned about herself through her family history.
Oh, it's hard to describe. But the two women's stories were each good on their own, they were even better together, plus a family mystery, a touch of romance, and the Australian setting... I can't recommend it enough.
So, I was a bit disappointed that there wasn't too much in the way of station hand work and minimal Aboriginal culture despite a "blackfella" being a primary character, but otherwise, I was hooked. I just wanted more more more. I loved the parallel narrative so much that I started seeking out other books with that style. I liked Beattie and Emma for different reasons. I also liked that they were fundamentally good women yet they made bad choices -- and then had to deal with the consequences. They both learned about themselves through their experiences, and Emma learned about herself through her family history.
Oh, it's hard to describe. But the two women's stories were each good on their own, they were even better together, plus a family mystery, a touch of romance, and the Australian setting... I can't recommend it enough.
I really liked this book. I am still stewing over the ending (not sure where I sit on how it ended). But I loved the two stories being told. The flow of the characters, the relate ability to the women (even Beattie from 1936). There is enough background given for the reader to empathize with the "way things happened" without feeling overwhelmed with data and information. Great story.
Meh. This book was ok. The plot could be seen from a mile away, and I found the adjectives overused. But all in all, not a bad story, just a cheaper version of a Kate Morton book. Goodreads recommended this to me because I've rated Kate Morton books so highly. I'm not very used to reading straight romance novels. I think this book is lacking the back and forth that Kate Morton's novels have, where we are constantly skipping between past and present. Here, in Wildflower Hill, we get huge chunks of narrative in one character's voice. It dulls the mystery.
And though this is fiction, and I can't blame an author for writing in whatever style she chooses, I didn't feel like the historical writing was accurate. We're talking about illegitimate children, multi-race relationships and gambling in the 30s. Point blank, this book just wouldn't be published. And to have characters that are all okay with it, seems like a cheap romance novel. "Oooh, we're being bad."
But I can't completely rip on the novel. I did spend a few hours getting sucked into Beattie's narrative. Emma's I found completely shallow, would have been better if she hadn't been so flat of a character.
And though this is fiction, and I can't blame an author for writing in whatever style she chooses, I didn't feel like the historical writing was accurate. We're talking about illegitimate children, multi-race relationships and gambling in the 30s. Point blank, this book just wouldn't be published. And to have characters that are all okay with it, seems like a cheap romance novel. "Oooh, we're being bad."
But I can't completely rip on the novel. I did spend a few hours getting sucked into Beattie's narrative. Emma's I found completely shallow, would have been better if she hadn't been so flat of a character.
More like 4.5 stars, but I didn't want to bring the rating down. I really enjoyed this book. I loved the character Beattie. She was such a strong woman who didn't care what others thought of her. I didn't care for Emma; she was very selfish. This was a great story. It reminded me of The Forgotten Garden by Kate Morton. I look forward to reading more by Kimberley Freeman in the future.