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3.73 AVERAGE
3.73 AVERAGE
emotional
hopeful
reflective
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
I love alternating timelines and the way Eve Chase weaves the stories of the four sisters in 1959 with Jessie and her family in present day kept me pulled along until the very last page. Chase does a brilliant job of writing the inner turmoil that Margot feels as she and her sisters become women and grapple with the guilt of growing up while her cousin Audrey is stuck in time on the day she disappeared.
In present day Jessie struggles with the ghost of a totally different woman. The late wife of her husband seems to be fighting with her for the attention of her step daughter and she fears her husband. The inner difficulties that Jessie has about uprooting her life, trying to be a good mother to both of her daughters and the perfect wife are beautifully articulated.
Between these two timelines Chase hits so many of the feelings that women go through over their maturation that at times it was like looking into a mirror. At others it was an adventure beyond anything I've experienced (thankfully) but kept my imagination on fire for how everything would turn out.
Being set in the English countryside was another aspect that intrigued me and Chase did not disappoint. The lavishly described manor home kept me enthralled both while it was fully operational as well as when Jessie and her husband decide to fix it up and turn it into their new home. The home charmed me from the first pages and continued to do so even when things felt a bit malicious.
I would highly recommend this book, especially to historical fiction enthusiasts or anyone in for a good mystery!
In present day Jessie struggles with the ghost of a totally different woman. The late wife of her husband seems to be fighting with her for the attention of her step daughter and she fears her husband. The inner difficulties that Jessie has about uprooting her life, trying to be a good mother to both of her daughters and the perfect wife are beautifully articulated.
Between these two timelines Chase hits so many of the feelings that women go through over their maturation that at times it was like looking into a mirror. At others it was an adventure beyond anything I've experienced (thankfully) but kept my imagination on fire for how everything would turn out.
Being set in the English countryside was another aspect that intrigued me and Chase did not disappoint. The lavishly described manor home kept me enthralled both while it was fully operational as well as when Jessie and her husband decide to fix it up and turn it into their new home. The home charmed me from the first pages and continued to do so even when things felt a bit malicious.
I would highly recommend this book, especially to historical fiction enthusiasts or anyone in for a good mystery!
Spännande men storyn kändes aningen platt emellanåt.
It started off really slow, but once it got going, I really enjoyed how all of the characters came together across the years.
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Thanks to Penguin UK - Michael Joseph and NetGalley for giving me the chance to read this book
This is my second book by Eve Chase (the first one was Black Rabbit Hall, which I loved) and I'm glad to say that I enjoyed this a lot. I found that the split present/past narrative disrupted the pace a lot in the first half of the book, but in the second half things picked up and I finished it in one go. I loved the exploration of female relationships here - mother/daughter, stepmother/stepdaughter, sisters, cousins/friends... all of them different and all of them rich and deep. My biggest "but" here is that the ending was too perfect for my liking, after a whole book of complex relationships and seemingly unsolvable obstacles everything was tied up too nicely to be believable. Still a very recommendable book - fans of Kate Morton, Eve Chase is one author to keep your eye on!
This is my second book by Eve Chase (the first one was Black Rabbit Hall, which I loved) and I'm glad to say that I enjoyed this a lot. I found that the split present/past narrative disrupted the pace a lot in the first half of the book, but in the second half things picked up and I finished it in one go. I loved the exploration of female relationships here - mother/daughter, stepmother/stepdaughter, sisters, cousins/friends... all of them different and all of them rich and deep. My biggest "but" here is that the ending was too perfect for my liking, after a whole book of complex relationships and seemingly unsolvable obstacles everything was tied up too nicely to be believable. Still a very recommendable book - fans of Kate Morton, Eve Chase is one author to keep your eye on!
"The Wildling Sisters" is two stories, set about 50 years apart.
In 1959, the four Wilde sisters at Applecote Manor to spend the summer with their aunt and uncle, who are suffering from the disappearance of their daughter, Audrey, five years before. Always close, this summer divides them and creates tensions they have never before experienced.
Fifty years later, a new family arrives at Applecote Manor. Jesse, her husband, their daughter, and fifteen-year-old stepdaughter, who is filled with angst.
I wasn't inthralled with this book. The book attempts to bring the two stories together but it never quite gets there. And there was way too much drama and emotions between the women. I thought about putting it down several times but pushed through. Not the best I've read. The characters, even with all the emotions, were almost bland. I did not yearn to know what was going to happen next.
In 1959, the four Wilde sisters at Applecote Manor to spend the summer with their aunt and uncle, who are suffering from the disappearance of their daughter, Audrey, five years before. Always close, this summer divides them and creates tensions they have never before experienced.
Fifty years later, a new family arrives at Applecote Manor. Jesse, her husband, their daughter, and fifteen-year-old stepdaughter, who is filled with angst.
I wasn't inthralled with this book. The book attempts to bring the two stories together but it never quite gets there. And there was way too much drama and emotions between the women. I thought about putting it down several times but pushed through. Not the best I've read. The characters, even with all the emotions, were almost bland. I did not yearn to know what was going to happen next.
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
4.5 Stars, since I save the 5 stars for books that I either super love or were very helpful. Loved the gothic novel element to this.