Wildwood

by Nancy Peacock

Wildwood is a clear-eyed and honest memoir, beautifully constructed and written. It tells the story of a young woman growing into her destiny, to be a writer. It evokes a childhood spent in the expectations of a middle class family in the 1950s and '60s, the rebellion of teenaged years, then a chaotic young adulthood--as often denying the destiny as seeking it. Finally, Nancy Peacock becomes the fine writer and teacher she was always meant to be.

332 pages, Paperback

Published April 7, 2026

About the author

Nancy Peacock's first novel, Life Without Water, was chosen as a New York Times Notable Book. Her second book, Home Across the Road, was also published to favorable reviews. A Broom of One's Own: Words on Writing, Housecleaning and Life is her first work of nonfiction, part memoir and part writing manual. In addition to working as a housecleaner, she has also been a bartender, carpenter, baker, waitress, assistant drum maker, and newspaper deliverer. Now a writing teacher, she lives with her husband in Chatham County, North Carolina."

Reviews

[Susan Emshwiller · Rating 5 out of 5]

Nancy Peacock’s memoir WILDWOOD carries the reader on a powerful journey both heartbreaking and uplifting. We travel with her from a rigidly-controlled childhood to rebellious teen life to a stifling marriage. With vivid and honest writing we experience the struggles, roadblocks, and the desperate strategies of a young woman navigating the best she can. Ultimately, it is a tale of endurance and finding a voice with strength and wisdom. A moving, testament of how nature, time, and inner sparks can transform a person.

[Rebecca Hodge · Rating 5 out of 5]

In this unforgettable memoir, Nancy Peacock traces her journey from an inflexible childhood and a suffocating marriage to her development as a powerful writer. Intrinsic to this journey is Wildwood, the place that both anchored her and forced her to grow. Her story offers a heart-wrenching glimpse into both the strictures and freedoms of the 1960s and the struggle of a young girl caught between the two. Immerse yourself in this beautifully written story—you’ll enjoy every page.

[Jena · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was an exceptional memoir. I felt this constant tension while I was reading between wanting to know what was going to happen next and savoring the beautiful writing. It was so vulnerable and real. I can’t express how much I loved it. I will most assuredly read it again.

[Nora Gaskin Esthimer · Rating 5 out of 5]

Quite simply, this is the best book I have read in a long time. The writing is lovely, the story compelling. Five stars.

[P.C. Moffatt · Rating 5 out of 5]

This narrator is easy company on a journey worth taking

Wildwood is more than a coming-of-age memoir; it is a story of coming home to one’s true self. The narrator grabs and pulls in the reader to experience with her from the inside out, from the heart to the wider world, its peculiar people and rules as well as nature and the intangible bonds that bind us to place, and to this life, with its calamities and comforts.

I was struck by the narrator’s fortitude in overcoming hardships both emotional and physical. Under such circumstances others might become whiney or pretentious, but our narrator remains steady: honest and measured, vulnerable and observant. In so doing, she inspires resilience not only for our heroine, but for ourselves in difficult times.