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The Puma
'Daniel Wiles connects us viscerally to the past we have buried the history we choose to ignore' Hilary Mantel
If his wife hadn't changed, then maybe Bernardo wouldn't have left, with his son in tow, to try and tame the wilderness of his childhood.
If the land hadn't changed, turning grey and collapsing in their hands each time they grasped for survival, then maybe Bernardo and the boy could have built a life here.
If the Puma hadn't changed everything, then maybe Bernardo wouldn't have to stalk the beast, searching for some measure of revenge, wishing he'd pulled the trigger when he had the chance.
The Puma is a novel that asks what a father would do to ensure his family's survival – and what he might become when that is no longer an option.
If his wife hadn't changed, then maybe Bernardo wouldn't have left, with his son in tow, to try and tame the wilderness of his childhood.
If the land hadn't changed, turning grey and collapsing in their hands each time they grasped for survival, then maybe Bernardo and the boy could have built a life here.
If the Puma hadn't changed everything, then maybe Bernardo wouldn't have to stalk the beast, searching for some measure of revenge, wishing he'd pulled the trigger when he had the chance.
The Puma is a novel that asks what a father would do to ensure his family's survival – and what he might become when that is no longer an option.
157 pages, Kindle Edition
Published February 12, 2026
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110 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
October 7, 2025
4.5
Another incredible novel from Daniel Wiles, author of the brilliant Mercia's Take.
Far from the Black Country setting of his debut, Daniel transports us to the forests of Patagonia in The Puma. We follow a father and son, trying to survive and make a life for themselves as they return to the father's childhood home in the remote and unforgiving wilderness. But not everything is as it was - the trees are dying all around them and food is scarce. Then as the father is forced to question what he was thinking and what this way of life is doing to his boy, they decide to leave. But then comes the puma, and nothing will ever be the same again.
The scenes of their lives in Patagonia are interspersed with memories of his own childhood and difficult relationship with his father, leading to his escape to Liverpool. It's there that he fought in a war for a country he knew so little of, and found a woman who brought him some solace, that is until the arrival of their unplanned son.
Once again Daniel's writing is superb, even without the Black Country dialect of Mercia's Take. The prose is short, sharp and often brutal. The protagonist's relationship with his son echoes of McCarthy's The Road (with some clear references to McCarthy in the prose too) - the need to be a good provider, to teach him things, to be patient and level headed, none of which is easy when living in such a remote part of the world. And also the protagonist's need to prove himself to his own father, to honour the place that his father built, and to do it 'right' this time with his own son. The relationship between the father and the puma is all-consuming, and incredibly powerful. I won't say any more for fear of spoilers.
That second novel is always hard to pull off, and although this perhaps just falls short of being as groundbreaking as his debut, Daniel has delivered yet another gut-punch of a novel that brought tears to my eyes.
Another incredible novel from Daniel Wiles, author of the brilliant Mercia's Take.
Far from the Black Country setting of his debut, Daniel transports us to the forests of Patagonia in The Puma. We follow a father and son, trying to survive and make a life for themselves as they return to the father's childhood home in the remote and unforgiving wilderness. But not everything is as it was - the trees are dying all around them and food is scarce. Then as the father is forced to question what he was thinking and what this way of life is doing to his boy, they decide to leave. But then comes the puma, and nothing will ever be the same again.
The scenes of their lives in Patagonia are interspersed with memories of his own childhood and difficult relationship with his father, leading to his escape to Liverpool. It's there that he fought in a war for a country he knew so little of, and found a woman who brought him some solace, that is until the arrival of their unplanned son.
Once again Daniel's writing is superb, even without the Black Country dialect of Mercia's Take. The prose is short, sharp and often brutal. The protagonist's relationship with his son echoes of McCarthy's The Road (with some clear references to McCarthy in the prose too) - the need to be a good provider, to teach him things, to be patient and level headed, none of which is easy when living in such a remote part of the world. And also the protagonist's need to prove himself to his own father, to honour the place that his father built, and to do it 'right' this time with his own son. The relationship between the father and the puma is all-consuming, and incredibly powerful. I won't say any more for fear of spoilers.
That second novel is always hard to pull off, and although this perhaps just falls short of being as groundbreaking as his debut, Daniel has delivered yet another gut-punch of a novel that brought tears to my eyes.
March 3, 2026
A man and his five year old son return to the place where the man was born, a farm in the vast Patagonian wilderness. Life is far from easy, winter is approaching and food scarce. Gradually, the man’s past is partially revealed, his relationship with his father, and as to why he is alone with the boy. The period in which this is taking place is revealed, and the reason why the man travelled to Liverpool.
This is a perfectly readable story, even good in places. Wiles describes the Patagonian landscape well, and uses the short sentences and sparse prose that he did in his first novel. It’s only 150 pages long, but it feels there’s a lot in those pages.
But this isn’t anywhere near as good as Mercia's Take. It feels like it was an earlier novel. It’s hard to follow up on a great novel, as inevitably they will be compared. As interesting as the setting is, and I have spent a lot of time in Patagonia, it doesn’t really work, though perhaps because Wiles is associated with the tough lives of miners in the Black Country. Also, in using only one character of any significance, it seems lacking in depth.
This is a perfectly readable story, even good in places. Wiles describes the Patagonian landscape well, and uses the short sentences and sparse prose that he did in his first novel. It’s only 150 pages long, but it feels there’s a lot in those pages.
But this isn’t anywhere near as good as Mercia's Take. It feels like it was an earlier novel. It’s hard to follow up on a great novel, as inevitably they will be compared. As interesting as the setting is, and I have spent a lot of time in Patagonia, it doesn’t really work, though perhaps because Wiles is associated with the tough lives of miners in the Black Country. Also, in using only one character of any significance, it seems lacking in depth.
February 8, 2026
The Puma was a very intriguing read, I’m still not too sure what to make of it. It’s one I find quite hard to rate.
A father brings his young son to the Patagonian wilderness to live, fleeing (maybe?) a life in England and returning to his home country. They live secluded in a cabin in the woods and try to survive by hunting and gathering. A puma plays a role here, obviously. It’s split in two parts for reasons I don’t want to give away now. But the second part we learn a lot more about the father’s past.
The book feels quite abstract at times and goes between gentle lull and what feels like frenzied activity. I was oddly captivated by it but not sure if that was more with a repulsed fascination at what was going on. It definitely made me think, and feel. It’s well written and intriguing for sure. I would read more by this author!
I don’t know what to say about it really, but I’d love to hear someone’s thoughts about it to talk it through! I think it’s a book that would spark discussion as the depth lies within the unexplained.
3.5 stars
A father brings his young son to the Patagonian wilderness to live, fleeing (maybe?) a life in England and returning to his home country. They live secluded in a cabin in the woods and try to survive by hunting and gathering. A puma plays a role here, obviously. It’s split in two parts for reasons I don’t want to give away now. But the second part we learn a lot more about the father’s past.
The book feels quite abstract at times and goes between gentle lull and what feels like frenzied activity. I was oddly captivated by it but not sure if that was more with a repulsed fascination at what was going on. It definitely made me think, and feel. It’s well written and intriguing for sure. I would read more by this author!
I don’t know what to say about it really, but I’d love to hear someone’s thoughts about it to talk it through! I think it’s a book that would spark discussion as the depth lies within the unexplained.
3.5 stars
April 4, 2026
Daniel Wiles does it again! Another beautifully written book with so many elements in such a tight, compelling narrative. I had no idea where this book was going and would love to know how the author came up with the idea. I found I couldn't put this book down once I had started. The father / son relationships explored are heartbreaking and the visceral description of life and hardship in the South American wilderness is hard hitting.
I really hope you enjoy reading this. As I said in my review of Daniel's first book...I can't wait to see what is next. Fantastic Daniel, thank you again!
I really hope you enjoy reading this. As I said in my review of Daniel's first book...I can't wait to see what is next. Fantastic Daniel, thank you again!
April 12, 2026
4/5
A meditation of fatherhood, cyclical trauma, heritage and obsession. The style of writing reminded me of a less brutal Cormac McCarthy, particularly in the foregoing of quotation marks. I will admit I wasn’t hooked from the start, but it grew on me very much!
A meditation of fatherhood, cyclical trauma, heritage and obsession. The style of writing reminded me of a less brutal Cormac McCarthy, particularly in the foregoing of quotation marks. I will admit I wasn’t hooked from the start, but it grew on me very much!
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews