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A review by serenityofbooks
The Seven Skins of Esther Wilding by Holly Ringland
5.0
Wow! Holly Ringland has blown me away again with a completely unique story that has made me look at the world and our place within it a little differently after reading. I’ll be thinking about Esther Wilding for a long time to come just like I have continued to think of Alice Hart.
The Seven Skins of Esther Wilding is a profoundly beautiful and moving novel about grief, joy and transformation. Esther and Aura Wilding are sisters who share a deep bond but when Aura goes missing by the sea, there are so many unanswered questions for her family left behind as they struggle with grief in their own ways. When Aura’s journal is found, Esther takes off on a life changing journey to the other side of the world to walk in the steps of her older sister trying to uncover the truth that led to her disappearance.
There are so many amazing moving parts in this book that I’m overwhelmed as to where to start! The scenery is breathtakingly vivid as we travel with Esther from Lutruwita, Tasmania to Denmark and Faroe Islands. As someone who has always been interested in travelling to this part of the world, the atmospheric descriptions have really given me itchy feet!
I adored how storytelling is weaved throughout creating a magical element; the Nordic fairytales Aura adored and the stories and ancient cultural practices of the Pakana (Tasmanian Aboriginal) people. And on a more individual level, the way tattoos are a way of understanding and sharing your own story.
I’ve probably gushed enough but I highly recommend this stunning, thought-provoking book to all the women in my life and will take a part of Esther with me in my own life.
The Seven Skins of Esther Wilding is a profoundly beautiful and moving novel about grief, joy and transformation. Esther and Aura Wilding are sisters who share a deep bond but when Aura goes missing by the sea, there are so many unanswered questions for her family left behind as they struggle with grief in their own ways. When Aura’s journal is found, Esther takes off on a life changing journey to the other side of the world to walk in the steps of her older sister trying to uncover the truth that led to her disappearance.
There are so many amazing moving parts in this book that I’m overwhelmed as to where to start! The scenery is breathtakingly vivid as we travel with Esther from Lutruwita, Tasmania to Denmark and Faroe Islands. As someone who has always been interested in travelling to this part of the world, the atmospheric descriptions have really given me itchy feet!
I adored how storytelling is weaved throughout creating a magical element; the Nordic fairytales Aura adored and the stories and ancient cultural practices of the Pakana (Tasmanian Aboriginal) people. And on a more individual level, the way tattoos are a way of understanding and sharing your own story.
I’ve probably gushed enough but I highly recommend this stunning, thought-provoking book to all the women in my life and will take a part of Esther with me in my own life.