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The Wildling Sisters
Four sisters. One summer. A lifetime of secrets.
When fifteen-year-old Margot and her three sisters arrive at Applecote Manor in June 1959, they expect a quiet English country summer. Instead, they find their aunt and uncle still reeling from the disappearance of their daughter, Audrey, five years before. As the sisters become divided by new tensions when two handsome neighbors drop by, Margot finds herself drawn into the life Audrey left behind. When the summer takes a deadly turn, the girls must unite behind an unthinkable choice or find themselves torn apart forever.
Fifty years later, Jesse is desperate to move her family out of their London home, where signs of her widower husband’s previous wife are around every corner. Gorgeous Applecote Manor, nestled in the English countryside, seems the perfect solution. But Jesse finds herself increasingly isolated in their new sprawling home, at odds with her fifteen-year-old stepdaughter, and haunted by the strange rumors that surround the manor.
Rich with the heat and angst of love both young and old, The Wildling Sisters is a gorgeous and breathtaking journey into the bonds that unite a family and the darkest secrets of the human heart.
When fifteen-year-old Margot and her three sisters arrive at Applecote Manor in June 1959, they expect a quiet English country summer. Instead, they find their aunt and uncle still reeling from the disappearance of their daughter, Audrey, five years before. As the sisters become divided by new tensions when two handsome neighbors drop by, Margot finds herself drawn into the life Audrey left behind. When the summer takes a deadly turn, the girls must unite behind an unthinkable choice or find themselves torn apart forever.
Fifty years later, Jesse is desperate to move her family out of their London home, where signs of her widower husband’s previous wife are around every corner. Gorgeous Applecote Manor, nestled in the English countryside, seems the perfect solution. But Jesse finds herself increasingly isolated in their new sprawling home, at odds with her fifteen-year-old stepdaughter, and haunted by the strange rumors that surround the manor.
Rich with the heat and angst of love both young and old, The Wildling Sisters is a gorgeous and breathtaking journey into the bonds that unite a family and the darkest secrets of the human heart.
327 pages, ebook
First published July 13, 2017
About the author
Eve Chase
9 books1,459 followersEve Chase is an internationally bestselling British novelist who writes rich, layered and suspenseful novels. Including R&J pick, no.1 kindle bestseller The Midnight Hour, The Birdcage, The Glass House (The Daughters of Foxcote Manor, US) Sunday Times top ten and Richard and Judy Book Club pick, The Vanishing of Audrey Wilde (The Wildling Sisters, US) longlisted for the HWA Gold Crown Award, and Black Rabbit Hall, winner of Paris' Saint-Maur en Poche prize for Best Foreign Fiction.
Say hello @evepollychase on Instagram, X, and Facebook
Say hello @evepollychase on Instagram, X, and Facebook
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 1,255 reviews
October 21, 2017
5+ stars!!! I adored this novel!
This story was such an enjoyable and delicious treat! I lapped up every word and savoured every sentence. The writing was superb! I am still hugging this book to my chest hours after finishing it. It was so atmospheric and compelling that upon finishing, I immediately started to ‘miss’ these characters and setting.
The story is told in two timelines, one the summer of 1959 and the other over fifty years later. The plot revolves around Applecote Manor, a grand mansion surrounded by fields, river and forest in the sprawling English countryside. This manor house property is where a young girl went missing in 1954, never to be found. The mystery behind her disappearance floats throughout every page and chapter of this captivating story.
The 1959 storyline follows the four enchanting Wilde sisters throughout their summer stay at their aunts’ manor house. I was completely captivated by these girls on the verge of adulthood. Their beauty and innocence radiated off the pages. Their fierce love, protection and loyalty to one another was mesmerizing. The second storyline, in present day, was equally intriguing, addictive and gripping following a new family leaving city life behind to nestle into a more relaxed and nature-driven lifestyle in the country.
I was highly addicted to this enthralling novel and didn’t want to put it down however, I also didn’t want to rush through it. I took the time to appreciate every word and truly experience the unforgettable characters and tale that was unfolding.
I read the author, Eve Chase’s, debut novel “Black Rabbit Hall" last year and loved it. I had been looking forward to Chase’s next book ever since and this story surpassed anything I could have expected! I highly, highly recommend this wonderfully captivating book! This is one of my favourites of 2017!
This story was such an enjoyable and delicious treat! I lapped up every word and savoured every sentence. The writing was superb! I am still hugging this book to my chest hours after finishing it. It was so atmospheric and compelling that upon finishing, I immediately started to ‘miss’ these characters and setting.
The story is told in two timelines, one the summer of 1959 and the other over fifty years later. The plot revolves around Applecote Manor, a grand mansion surrounded by fields, river and forest in the sprawling English countryside. This manor house property is where a young girl went missing in 1954, never to be found. The mystery behind her disappearance floats throughout every page and chapter of this captivating story.
The 1959 storyline follows the four enchanting Wilde sisters throughout their summer stay at their aunts’ manor house. I was completely captivated by these girls on the verge of adulthood. Their beauty and innocence radiated off the pages. Their fierce love, protection and loyalty to one another was mesmerizing. The second storyline, in present day, was equally intriguing, addictive and gripping following a new family leaving city life behind to nestle into a more relaxed and nature-driven lifestyle in the country.
I was highly addicted to this enthralling novel and didn’t want to put it down however, I also didn’t want to rush through it. I took the time to appreciate every word and truly experience the unforgettable characters and tale that was unfolding.
I read the author, Eve Chase’s, debut novel “Black Rabbit Hall" last year and loved it. I had been looking forward to Chase’s next book ever since and this story surpassed anything I could have expected! I highly, highly recommend this wonderfully captivating book! This is one of my favourites of 2017!
June 22, 2017
This is a beautfully written and haunting story that revolves around Applecote Manor in the Cotswolds, brimming with gothic overtones. It has two timelines, set in the 1950s and the present. It begins with an attention grabbing scenario where a body is being dragged, and you are left wondering and eager to know who it is, what has taken place, and what are the circumstances and motivations behind it. In 1959, four close sisters, Flora, Pam, Margot and Dot Wilde arrive at Applecote Manor for a turbulent summer. Affectionately known as the Wildings, they are staying with their Aunt Sybil and Uncle Perry, who are devastated about the disappearance of their daughter, Audrey, five years previously. In the present, Jessie and Will move into Applecote Manor hoping that it proves to be a balm to the spirits for their emotionally troubled family. This is a story of nostalgia, yearnings, family, secrets and lies.
The Wildings mother is off working in Morocco, and the girls get caught up in the mystery of the missing Audrey for their stay. We see things through the perspective of fifteen year old Margot, the sister that fades into the background. Two attractive neighbours stoke up feelings and desires between the sisters leading to friction. Everything falls apart and decisions are made that cement a bond between the sisters that is stronger than familial ties. In the present, an insecure Jess worries over her fraught relationship with her stepdaughter, Bella, who is hostile and still deeply connected with her dead mother. Applecote Manor seems to offer an ideal and idyllic location to ease their family problems. Bella hears the rumours associated with the Manor and cannot resist looking into the secrets of the house.
Eve Chase writes vivid and vibrant prose that reflects the slow pace of life in a rural setting and the long summer days. She evokes the 1950s period well with the sisters coming of age and the excitement of exploring the mystery of Audrey. She connects the impact of past events on the present with the new family with flair. It is a well plotted and character driven book which I found compelling reading. The most gripping part for me was the 1950s aspect of the novel. I recommend this to those who enjoy a slow paced haunting period mystery set around a house with secrets. A great read. Thanks to Penguin Michael Joseph for an ARC.
The Wildings mother is off working in Morocco, and the girls get caught up in the mystery of the missing Audrey for their stay. We see things through the perspective of fifteen year old Margot, the sister that fades into the background. Two attractive neighbours stoke up feelings and desires between the sisters leading to friction. Everything falls apart and decisions are made that cement a bond between the sisters that is stronger than familial ties. In the present, an insecure Jess worries over her fraught relationship with her stepdaughter, Bella, who is hostile and still deeply connected with her dead mother. Applecote Manor seems to offer an ideal and idyllic location to ease their family problems. Bella hears the rumours associated with the Manor and cannot resist looking into the secrets of the house.
Eve Chase writes vivid and vibrant prose that reflects the slow pace of life in a rural setting and the long summer days. She evokes the 1950s period well with the sisters coming of age and the excitement of exploring the mystery of Audrey. She connects the impact of past events on the present with the new family with flair. It is a well plotted and character driven book which I found compelling reading. The most gripping part for me was the 1950s aspect of the novel. I recommend this to those who enjoy a slow paced haunting period mystery set around a house with secrets. A great read. Thanks to Penguin Michael Joseph for an ARC.
October 21, 2018
The Wildling Sisters by Eve Chase is a 2017 G.P. Putnam’s Sons publication.
The Wilde Sisters arrive at the Applecote manor in 1959 to spend the summer with their aunt. The girls, Dot, Flora, Pam, and Margot are close and protective of each other. But, their visit to the lovely country estate is dampened by their aunt’s struggle to overcome her daughter, Audrey’s disappearance, five years earlier. The mystery consumes the girls, but the closer they get to the truth, the closer they come to possible danger, and tensions begin to arise between them over two handsome boys.
Fifty years later, with the memory of her widower husband’s wife constantly surrounding her, Jesse is ready to escape the city. Not only that, her stepdaughter was involved in an ugly incident, which figured into her desire to move. Applecote Manor felt like the perfect place in the perfect setting at the perfect time.
However, trouble starts almost immediately. Her stepdaughter becomes increasingly difficult to handle, her husband is always away at work, and disturbing rumors about the house finally reach her ears. As her stepdaughter becomes nearly obsessed with the strange disappearance of a former resident, Jesse feels her life is slowly unraveling.
This is one of those books I was dying to read, but it just kept slipping down the TBR pile until I gradually lost track of it. Thankfully, while searching for another book in my voluminous Kindle folder, I happened across it and made a point to get started on it. I do recall hearing a lot of buzz about his book when it was first released. I have read other books by Eve Chase and was very impressed with her work. But, what drew me to this one was the constant effusive gushing about the novel’s strong Gothic tones. As a huge fan of Gothic novels, I’m going to have to cry foul on that one, just a little. Yes, there are a few Gothic elements, but I didn’t feel they were as strong or pure as many others have. I was slightly let down on that front, however, the story was very compelling, with dual timelines, and a very atmospheric and absorbing mystery to uncover.
As is usually the case for me, I was drawn more towards the historical elements of the story, but the present -day scenario, while not really adding a lot to the mystery, suggests a possible air of pending doom, which was quite effective, and may have been a slightly underrated element in the story.
The author wound the story around until the two timelines merged in a poignant way, slowly releasing the pent -up tensions, and bringing closure to all in a satisfying way.
I am glad this one didn’t drop completely off my radar. The story has a lot of familial touches, bringing the characters to life in a vivid and emotional way, drawing the reader into their world with lush writing, dialogue, and descriptions. Eve Chase once again impresses.
4 stars
The Wilde Sisters arrive at the Applecote manor in 1959 to spend the summer with their aunt. The girls, Dot, Flora, Pam, and Margot are close and protective of each other. But, their visit to the lovely country estate is dampened by their aunt’s struggle to overcome her daughter, Audrey’s disappearance, five years earlier. The mystery consumes the girls, but the closer they get to the truth, the closer they come to possible danger, and tensions begin to arise between them over two handsome boys.
Fifty years later, with the memory of her widower husband’s wife constantly surrounding her, Jesse is ready to escape the city. Not only that, her stepdaughter was involved in an ugly incident, which figured into her desire to move. Applecote Manor felt like the perfect place in the perfect setting at the perfect time.
However, trouble starts almost immediately. Her stepdaughter becomes increasingly difficult to handle, her husband is always away at work, and disturbing rumors about the house finally reach her ears. As her stepdaughter becomes nearly obsessed with the strange disappearance of a former resident, Jesse feels her life is slowly unraveling.
This is one of those books I was dying to read, but it just kept slipping down the TBR pile until I gradually lost track of it. Thankfully, while searching for another book in my voluminous Kindle folder, I happened across it and made a point to get started on it. I do recall hearing a lot of buzz about his book when it was first released. I have read other books by Eve Chase and was very impressed with her work. But, what drew me to this one was the constant effusive gushing about the novel’s strong Gothic tones. As a huge fan of Gothic novels, I’m going to have to cry foul on that one, just a little. Yes, there are a few Gothic elements, but I didn’t feel they were as strong or pure as many others have. I was slightly let down on that front, however, the story was very compelling, with dual timelines, and a very atmospheric and absorbing mystery to uncover.
As is usually the case for me, I was drawn more towards the historical elements of the story, but the present -day scenario, while not really adding a lot to the mystery, suggests a possible air of pending doom, which was quite effective, and may have been a slightly underrated element in the story.
The author wound the story around until the two timelines merged in a poignant way, slowly releasing the pent -up tensions, and bringing closure to all in a satisfying way.
I am glad this one didn’t drop completely off my radar. The story has a lot of familial touches, bringing the characters to life in a vivid and emotional way, drawing the reader into their world with lush writing, dialogue, and descriptions. Eve Chase once again impresses.
4 stars
August 6, 2017
3.5 Sometimes it's all n the atmosphere , and this gothic tale has atmosphere in spades. Dual story lines, separated by fifty years, connected by a missing you girls named Audrey, and of course an old house called Applecote Manor. The story's opening packs a big punch but then slows down considerably, doesn't pick back up again until almost halfway.
Sisters and secrets, four sisters who will spend the summer at the Manor, after their cousin goes missing, will have a summer that goes terribly awry. The story in the future will be impacted by the past in a different albeit strange way. As with many of these dual plotlines, there was one I liked better than the other. We get a limited understanding of these characters, and while I didn't actively dislike any of them, I didn't really feel connected to any one of them either.
So a good story to spend a little time with, always attracted to these gothic, atmospheric reads. Old houses and secrets, another huge attraction. Enjoyed this, but I sometimes feel in these dual story lines that too much is attempted, and both stories don't quite feel fully fleshed. Could just be me though.
ARC from publisher.
Sisters and secrets, four sisters who will spend the summer at the Manor, after their cousin goes missing, will have a summer that goes terribly awry. The story in the future will be impacted by the past in a different albeit strange way. As with many of these dual plotlines, there was one I liked better than the other. We get a limited understanding of these characters, and while I didn't actively dislike any of them, I didn't really feel connected to any one of them either.
So a good story to spend a little time with, always attracted to these gothic, atmospheric reads. Old houses and secrets, another huge attraction. Enjoyed this, but I sometimes feel in these dual story lines that too much is attempted, and both stories don't quite feel fully fleshed. Could just be me though.
ARC from publisher.
September 12, 2018
”We’d all be destroyed if we could remember everything…”
this is, for my tastes, a perfect vacation book.
i know the whole idea of a “beach read” is that it’s a book so unchallenging that it’s barely there; something to doze over on the plane, a prop to hide behindif when you get caught checking out someone’s…swimsuit, a cheap waterlogged paperback that can be left behind in a hotel room because both the book and the reading experience itself are meant to be 100% disposable.
well, i hate the beach.
and my escapist books tend to be in the vein of “look at this dog sitting on this thing!!”
by the way, look at this cat sitting on this thing!
naughty vacation cats!
i remember my vacations by what i was reading at the time, so for me, a vacation read needs to at the very least leave an impression on me, and preferably be as interesting as the vacation itself.
this was the perfect balance between “keeping my interest” and “not being so unputdownable that i miss mealtimes.”
i wasn’t sure about it before i began. after all, aren’t there already one million historical novels about english country homes and family secrets and ways in which past events haunt the present?
yes.
but this is one of the good ones.
the story is split between events of 1959 and events “over fifty years later.” the earlier timeline is a slow unrolling of a summer four teenage sisters spend with their aunt and uncle while their effervescent mother is abroad. their cousin audrey vanished five years earlier, and applecote manor is heavy with memories; their aunt still deep in her grief. the summer is a compressed coming-of-age experience for the girls - left largely to their own devices, they come together and grow apart, they test their sexual currency, they reassess their choices, and fifteen-year-old margot becomes consumed by the mystery of audrey’s disappearance.
plus, the novel opens on the girls dragging a dead man's body across the grounds, so there's that.
in the “now,” a family moves into applecote manor, a bit of a fixer-upper after all this time, but then, so is the family (oooh, you see what is being done here??) the point is driven home in another architecture-based analogy, concerning the property’s orangery:
theirs is an imperfectly blended family - jessie married will, a widower whose 16-year-old daughter bella is still not happy about jessie’s presence in their lives, even though they’ve been married long enough to have a three-year-old daughter together. she still misses her “perfect” mother, and has been misbehaving back in london, precipitating their move. will is commuting between applecote manor and london, often leaving his womenfolk rattling around for long stretches of time in the big house, whose past seems determined to pop up alongside the tensions of the present-day.
the earlier storyline was more interesting to me - i enjoyed seeing the separate personalities of the sisters develop and clash while still retaining their deep sisterly bond, and the pacing was absolutely perfect for a slow summer simmer. as for the “now,” i’m a little who-caresy about sullen teenage girls and anxious, hand-wringing stepparenting in general, but the distribution of the two stories never felt uneven, and i was never resentful when it returned to present day - which is a stronger statement if you knew how frequently i groan when split-narrative books return to their less-interesting thread.
i am looking forward to reading more from this author, whether or not i am on vacation at the time.
#vacationreading
2/7
come to my blog!
this is, for my tastes, a perfect vacation book.
i know the whole idea of a “beach read” is that it’s a book so unchallenging that it’s barely there; something to doze over on the plane, a prop to hide behind
well, i hate the beach.
and my escapist books tend to be in the vein of “look at this dog sitting on this thing!!”
by the way, look at this cat sitting on this thing!
naughty vacation cats!
i remember my vacations by what i was reading at the time, so for me, a vacation read needs to at the very least leave an impression on me, and preferably be as interesting as the vacation itself.
this was the perfect balance between “keeping my interest” and “not being so unputdownable that i miss mealtimes.”
i wasn’t sure about it before i began. after all, aren’t there already one million historical novels about english country homes and family secrets and ways in which past events haunt the present?
yes.
but this is one of the good ones.
the story is split between events of 1959 and events “over fifty years later.” the earlier timeline is a slow unrolling of a summer four teenage sisters spend with their aunt and uncle while their effervescent mother is abroad. their cousin audrey vanished five years earlier, and applecote manor is heavy with memories; their aunt still deep in her grief. the summer is a compressed coming-of-age experience for the girls - left largely to their own devices, they come together and grow apart, they test their sexual currency, they reassess their choices, and fifteen-year-old margot becomes consumed by the mystery of audrey’s disappearance.
plus, the novel opens on the girls dragging a dead man's body across the grounds, so there's that.
in the “now,” a family moves into applecote manor, a bit of a fixer-upper after all this time, but then, so is the family (oooh, you see what is being done here??) the point is driven home in another architecture-based analogy, concerning the property’s orangery:
…Jessie tracks the paned glass as it climbs to its geometric peak, a feat of Victorian engineering that promises tangy Mediterranean fruit in the English climate among the woolly pippins. Something about that optimism - control through enclosure, a sort of forced nurturing - whispers in her ear: isn’t she trying to do something similar, only with a family?
theirs is an imperfectly blended family - jessie married will, a widower whose 16-year-old daughter bella is still not happy about jessie’s presence in their lives, even though they’ve been married long enough to have a three-year-old daughter together. she still misses her “perfect” mother, and has been misbehaving back in london, precipitating their move. will is commuting between applecote manor and london, often leaving his womenfolk rattling around for long stretches of time in the big house, whose past seems determined to pop up alongside the tensions of the present-day.
the earlier storyline was more interesting to me - i enjoyed seeing the separate personalities of the sisters develop and clash while still retaining their deep sisterly bond, and the pacing was absolutely perfect for a slow summer simmer. as for the “now,” i’m a little who-caresy about sullen teenage girls and anxious, hand-wringing stepparenting in general, but the distribution of the two stories never felt uneven, and i was never resentful when it returned to present day - which is a stronger statement if you knew how frequently i groan when split-narrative books return to their less-interesting thread.
i am looking forward to reading more from this author, whether or not i am on vacation at the time.
#vacationreading
2/7
come to my blog!
July 11, 2017
4.5 Stars
A compelling and atmospheric page turner, a rich gothic tale for lovers of books like the The Thirteenth Tale Set in large period Manor deep in the English countryside a once imposing home but now slightly dilapidated overgrown estate. A house with a sense of intrigue about it and an unsettling history where strange rumours surround the Estate and the family that lived there in the past.
Present Day
Applecote Manor captivates Jessie with it promise of hazy summers in the Cotswolds a perfect escape for her troubled family, far away from London and its madness and a new beginning in a home that she can at last make her own. But the house has a hidden history and strange rumours surround the estate, rumours which the locals are not about to divulge too easily.
The Fifties
When the four wilde sisters come to stay with their Aunt and Uncle at Applecote Manor, they find that the vanishing of their young cousin Audrey 5 years earlier still remains a mystery and the hot summer of 1959 becomes one they will remember for some time.
Beautifull descriptive writing by Eve Chase and a terrific air of suspense with a tightly woven and mysterious plot, I was captivated from beginning to end, for me this is the sort of novel that only comes around once in awhile and not only has the author a remarkable literate style she has a terrific imagination and I have no hesitation in recommending this novel for loves of gothic intrigue and haunting tales where family secrets and period houses come to life.
My thanks to NetGalley for an opportunity to read this one in return for an honest review.
A compelling and atmospheric page turner, a rich gothic tale for lovers of books like the The Thirteenth Tale Set in large period Manor deep in the English countryside a once imposing home but now slightly dilapidated overgrown estate. A house with a sense of intrigue about it and an unsettling history where strange rumours surround the Estate and the family that lived there in the past.
Present Day
Applecote Manor captivates Jessie with it promise of hazy summers in the Cotswolds a perfect escape for her troubled family, far away from London and its madness and a new beginning in a home that she can at last make her own. But the house has a hidden history and strange rumours surround the estate, rumours which the locals are not about to divulge too easily.
The Fifties
When the four wilde sisters come to stay with their Aunt and Uncle at Applecote Manor, they find that the vanishing of their young cousin Audrey 5 years earlier still remains a mystery and the hot summer of 1959 becomes one they will remember for some time.
Beautifull descriptive writing by Eve Chase and a terrific air of suspense with a tightly woven and mysterious plot, I was captivated from beginning to end, for me this is the sort of novel that only comes around once in awhile and not only has the author a remarkable literate style she has a terrific imagination and I have no hesitation in recommending this novel for loves of gothic intrigue and haunting tales where family secrets and period houses come to life.
My thanks to NetGalley for an opportunity to read this one in return for an honest review.
August 23, 2017
The Vanishing of Audrey Wilde is an exquisitely written mystery/ historical fiction. The writing is rich and descriptive, immersing you in the scenery and the lives of the characters. I felt like I could envisage the rambling house and walk through the gardens with its tantalising smells of flora and delightful views.
The dual line flips between the present day and 1959 with the full picture slowly emerging as the book progresses. The perspective is told from two perspective; 15 year old Margot in 1959 and Jessie in the present day. The storytelling was effortless, with the two times effortless leading from one to another.
I adored this book. It was deliciously descriptive and simply beautifully written. The past story of the narrative, which concentrates on the Wilde siblings and the mystery of what happened to Audrey, is beautifully evocative of times gone by. I was utterly lost in the hazy never ending summer and the story and mystery of the characters. It focused on the relationships and dynamics between the sisters, and how this started to change as the girls began growing up over the summer. Of course the mystery of what happened to Audrey is also delved into.
The present day is more driven by the relationship between step families and attempting to start afresh. I do think the Wilde sisters story could have been a stand alone story, but the present day brought it all together and led the book towards its fantastic conclusion. What brought the two time periods together is the theme of loss, and obviously the mystery of what happened to Audrey at Applecote that long ago summer.
If you love historical fiction and/ or mysteries that really make you feel part of the story with rich and beautifully haunting writing, then The Vanishing of Audrey Wilde is a must read. This is one of my favourite reads so far this year, I really am beginning to adore historical fiction such as this. Writing that can really set the scene and weave a compelling and suspenseful story, that also manages to touch your soul.
If you don't like story's that move along at a deliciously slow pace, immersing you fully into the world of the characters, this may not be fast paced enough. I'm finding books such as this utterly absorbing, with the rich and lavish descriptions really involving the reader more thoroughly in the story. Eve Chase is a new author to me, but I really need to read more of her works. If this is a taste of her writing, she will be straight onto my instant purchase list. Simply beautiful.
With many thanks to NetGalley, Penguin U.K - Michael Joseph and Eve Chase for the opportunity to read this ARC in return for an honest and unbiased review.
The dual line flips between the present day and 1959 with the full picture slowly emerging as the book progresses. The perspective is told from two perspective; 15 year old Margot in 1959 and Jessie in the present day. The storytelling was effortless, with the two times effortless leading from one to another.
I adored this book. It was deliciously descriptive and simply beautifully written. The past story of the narrative, which concentrates on the Wilde siblings and the mystery of what happened to Audrey, is beautifully evocative of times gone by. I was utterly lost in the hazy never ending summer and the story and mystery of the characters. It focused on the relationships and dynamics between the sisters, and how this started to change as the girls began growing up over the summer. Of course the mystery of what happened to Audrey is also delved into.
The present day is more driven by the relationship between step families and attempting to start afresh. I do think the Wilde sisters story could have been a stand alone story, but the present day brought it all together and led the book towards its fantastic conclusion. What brought the two time periods together is the theme of loss, and obviously the mystery of what happened to Audrey at Applecote that long ago summer.
If you love historical fiction and/ or mysteries that really make you feel part of the story with rich and beautifully haunting writing, then The Vanishing of Audrey Wilde is a must read. This is one of my favourite reads so far this year, I really am beginning to adore historical fiction such as this. Writing that can really set the scene and weave a compelling and suspenseful story, that also manages to touch your soul.
If you don't like story's that move along at a deliciously slow pace, immersing you fully into the world of the characters, this may not be fast paced enough. I'm finding books such as this utterly absorbing, with the rich and lavish descriptions really involving the reader more thoroughly in the story. Eve Chase is a new author to me, but I really need to read more of her works. If this is a taste of her writing, she will be straight onto my instant purchase list. Simply beautiful.
With many thanks to NetGalley, Penguin U.K - Michael Joseph and Eve Chase for the opportunity to read this ARC in return for an honest and unbiased review.
July 26, 2017
Applecote Manor in 1959 was home for Perry, Sylvia, and Audrey as well as the summer vacation place for the Wildling sisters Margot, Flora, Pam, and Dot until the summer Audrey disappeared.
When Audrey disappeared, the girls never went back until one summer when their mother decided she needed to get away from it all. She sent her daughters back to Applecote Manor to stay with their aunt and uncle.
This summer wasn't the best for anyone, though. The close knit sisters drew apart, and Margot was obsessed with finding out what really happened to Audrey. Along with everything else, Aunt Sylvia did a few odd things and kept things from the girls.
Meanwhile back to present day at Applecote Manor. Applecote Manor has just been bought by Jessie and Will against the wishes of their rebellious teenage daughter, Bella, who is mourning the loss of her mother. Bella gives her stepmother, Jessie, a rough time by continually making hurtful comments to Jessie about how she isn't her mother. Once Bella finds boxes of her mother's things, the comments get worse.
Bella also feels that Applecote Manor still houses the ghost of Audrey and her family. A few things happen that might make that true especially since Bella is living in the attic rooms where Audrey lived.
As we go back and forth, we find out the personalities of the characters are mostly carefree in 1959 until the disappearance of Audrey and quite tense in present day.
THE WILDLING SISTERS grabs you from the first sentence. Ms. Chase's writing is marvelous, enticing, and detailed.
I enjoyed both the present and past stories and loved the descriptions of Applecote Manor and its grounds when they were in pristine shape and in present day when both the house and grounds needed a lot of work.
If you like mysteries and family drama, the WILDLING SISTERS is for you. It has a hint of Gothic and an undertone of foreboding.
ENJOY!! 5/5
This book was given to me free of charge and without compensation by the publisher in return for an honest review.
August 30, 2017
I truly wanted to love this one more! An atmospheric, character driven, gothic novel set in an aging house in England's countryside. The story weaves past with present as it follows the mystery of Applecote Manor. It is beautifully written in a lyrical way.
What happened 50 years ago at Applecote Manor? What secrets does it hold?
Present day-The new owner Jessie loves their new home for its historic appeal. Her husband Will thinks its a money pit and needs too many repairs. Jessie's teen-age stepdaughter, Bella says "bad stuff has gone down in this house, I feel it".
1959- The four sisters move to Applecote Manor to live with their Aunt Sybil and Uncle Peregrine when their mother goes abroad. Aunt Sybil has imprisoned herself in the home since the disappearance of her daughter, Audrey, five years earlier. She went down to the river one day and was never seen again.
It is an engaging, but slow-building mystery from past to present. I preferred the Wildling sisters story from the past full of mystery and intrigue.
What happened 50 years ago at Applecote Manor? What secrets does it hold?
Present day-The new owner Jessie loves their new home for its historic appeal. Her husband Will thinks its a money pit and needs too many repairs. Jessie's teen-age stepdaughter, Bella says "bad stuff has gone down in this house, I feel it".
1959- The four sisters move to Applecote Manor to live with their Aunt Sybil and Uncle Peregrine when their mother goes abroad. Aunt Sybil has imprisoned herself in the home since the disappearance of her daughter, Audrey, five years earlier. She went down to the river one day and was never seen again.
It is an engaging, but slow-building mystery from past to present. I preferred the Wildling sisters story from the past full of mystery and intrigue.
December 30, 2017
3☆ Slower Paced Mystery
The Vanishing of Audrey Wilde is a story of Mystery, intrigue, Family Drama, Gothic & Atmospheric that mixes past and present.
Unfortunately I found that the blurb and start of this book had so much promise it packed a real impression.
Then as the story progressed I found myself getting slightly confused and it just didn't grab my attention.
I found the story seemed to lack the same intrigue and mystery the whole way through.
It was beautifully written and Eve created beautifully atmospheric pictures I just felt it was lacking something I just can't seem to put my finger on.
I did however really enjoy the Wilding Sisters past stories. I loved how they came together as sisters. I found their past storylines to be much more engaging. The search for their missing cousin was intriguing. I would of preferred the story to have been centred around them solely as the Characters alone would of been enough.
I just felt the Present story of Jesse and Applecote Manor a little misplaced.
I do however think The Vanishing of Audrey Wilde does have potential, and it would definitely appeal to readers who love slower paced character driven mystery, that has a real gothic feel. With lots of drama.
The Vanishing of Audrey Wilde is a story of Mystery, intrigue, Family Drama, Gothic & Atmospheric that mixes past and present.
Unfortunately I found that the blurb and start of this book had so much promise it packed a real impression.
Then as the story progressed I found myself getting slightly confused and it just didn't grab my attention.
I found the story seemed to lack the same intrigue and mystery the whole way through.
It was beautifully written and Eve created beautifully atmospheric pictures I just felt it was lacking something I just can't seem to put my finger on.
I did however really enjoy the Wilding Sisters past stories. I loved how they came together as sisters. I found their past storylines to be much more engaging. The search for their missing cousin was intriguing. I would of preferred the story to have been centred around them solely as the Characters alone would of been enough.
I just felt the Present story of Jesse and Applecote Manor a little misplaced.
I do however think The Vanishing of Audrey Wilde does have potential, and it would definitely appeal to readers who love slower paced character driven mystery, that has a real gothic feel. With lots of drama.
July 15, 2017
“Houses are never just houses; I’m quite sure of this now. We leave particles behind, dust and dreams, fingerprints on buried wallpapers, our tread in the wear of the stairs. And we take bits of the houses with us. In my case, a love of the smell of wax polish on sun-warmed oak, late summer sunlight filtering through stained glass. We grow up. We stay the same. We move away, but we live forever where we were most alive.”
Houses can be as significant in a story as any character. After all what would Rebecca be without Manderley? Or Gone with the Wind without Tara? In The Wildling Sisters, Eve Chase has fashioned another memorable structure, Applecote Manor, set deep within the rustic English countryside. The home of the Wilde family and witness to unimaginable tragedy.
Newlywed mother Jessie Tucker instantly falls in love with the crumbling Applecote Manor and lovingly envisions it as a fresh start for her fractious step-daughter Bella. She perceives an “unbroken thread, a pulse of energy, running through the lives of the historic owners, the Wilde family, and their own. It feels like they’re picking up something loved but broken, putting it back together again.” And she’s right. The Wildling Sisters utilizes Kate Morton’s now recognizable format of alternating between present and past. In that past, we see the four Wilde sisters delivered to Applecote Manor by their bohemian mother. There they expect to remain the entire summer with their aunt and uncle; the days stretching endlessly into a vast stream of nothingness. Except when they arrive at Applecote much has changed.
Years before their summer sojourn, the Wildes’ cousin Audrey abruptly disappeared. Since then, Aunt Sybil “imprisoned herself behind her own floral swagged curtains.” With the country police botching the investigation, Audrey’s vanishing remains a mystery. Her spectre forever haunting the halls. Sybil maintains that Audrey is sure to return and manifests this delusion by meticulously preserving Audrey’s room. Margot, our narrator and closest to Audrey, is unable to resist the draw. Searching for answers and encouraged by Sybil’s grief, Margot begins to inhabit Audrey’s life. To dreadful consequence.
Similarly Jessie’s coping with her own ghost. That of Will’s deceased wife, and Bella’s beloved mother, Mandy. Just as Sybil used Audrey’s untouched bedroom to sustain her delusion, Bella does the same. Bella, housed in Audrey’s former room, regularly dresses in Mandy’s glamorous clothing, clings to her parents love letters, and fashions her new dwelling as a shrine to her mother. Instead of Applecote being a new beginning, Mandy’s presence looms larger than ever. “Something powerful holds Jessie in that room of her own dark imagining, transfixed by the woman she was hoping to escape.” The parallels to Daphne DuMaurier’s Rebecca are unmistakable. With Sybil & Bella alternatively playing a version of the obsessively grief-stricken Mrs. Danvers and Margot & Jessie, the intimidated Mrs. DeWinter who are both attracted to their charismatic predecessors, yet struggling to escape their shadows.
The parallels between the past and present narratives continue throughout the story. Bella attends the same private school as the Wilde sisters, like Margot she fanatically seeks answers to Audrey’s disappearance, even the summer weather is in direct contrast. The past and present inevitably bleed together as secrets from the past are revealed in the present. And ultimately the timelines converge in the same location around a second disappeared girl.
Eve Chase is a skillful writer. Her prose is lush and languid, echoing the Wilde sisters’ deliciously scorching summer. Yet, a sense of unease is established early. Hints of violence on the horizon seem stark, purposely so, interrupting both the summer idyll and new home enchantment. It reminds the reader to not make themselves too comfortable. Don’t be hypnotized by Applecote’s pastoral abundance. Darkness awaits.
And while I did enjoy this story and Eve Chases’ writing, there are times she focuses on constructing beautiful, melodic prose at the expense of pacing. Not every passage needs flowery description. A balance has to be struck. Otherwise a narrative gets bogged down in purposeless detail and the central thread is lost.
Ultimately, The Wildling Sisters is a treatise on sisterhood. About the bond that you share, which cannot be broken, even in the direst of circumstance.
Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for a complimentary copy of the book for review.
Houses can be as significant in a story as any character. After all what would Rebecca be without Manderley? Or Gone with the Wind without Tara? In The Wildling Sisters, Eve Chase has fashioned another memorable structure, Applecote Manor, set deep within the rustic English countryside. The home of the Wilde family and witness to unimaginable tragedy.
Newlywed mother Jessie Tucker instantly falls in love with the crumbling Applecote Manor and lovingly envisions it as a fresh start for her fractious step-daughter Bella. She perceives an “unbroken thread, a pulse of energy, running through the lives of the historic owners, the Wilde family, and their own. It feels like they’re picking up something loved but broken, putting it back together again.” And she’s right. The Wildling Sisters utilizes Kate Morton’s now recognizable format of alternating between present and past. In that past, we see the four Wilde sisters delivered to Applecote Manor by their bohemian mother. There they expect to remain the entire summer with their aunt and uncle; the days stretching endlessly into a vast stream of nothingness. Except when they arrive at Applecote much has changed.
Years before their summer sojourn, the Wildes’ cousin Audrey abruptly disappeared. Since then, Aunt Sybil “imprisoned herself behind her own floral swagged curtains.” With the country police botching the investigation, Audrey’s vanishing remains a mystery. Her spectre forever haunting the halls. Sybil maintains that Audrey is sure to return and manifests this delusion by meticulously preserving Audrey’s room. Margot, our narrator and closest to Audrey, is unable to resist the draw. Searching for answers and encouraged by Sybil’s grief, Margot begins to inhabit Audrey’s life. To dreadful consequence.
Similarly Jessie’s coping with her own ghost. That of Will’s deceased wife, and Bella’s beloved mother, Mandy. Just as Sybil used Audrey’s untouched bedroom to sustain her delusion, Bella does the same. Bella, housed in Audrey’s former room, regularly dresses in Mandy’s glamorous clothing, clings to her parents love letters, and fashions her new dwelling as a shrine to her mother. Instead of Applecote being a new beginning, Mandy’s presence looms larger than ever. “Something powerful holds Jessie in that room of her own dark imagining, transfixed by the woman she was hoping to escape.” The parallels to Daphne DuMaurier’s Rebecca are unmistakable. With Sybil & Bella alternatively playing a version of the obsessively grief-stricken Mrs. Danvers and Margot & Jessie, the intimidated Mrs. DeWinter who are both attracted to their charismatic predecessors, yet struggling to escape their shadows.
The parallels between the past and present narratives continue throughout the story. Bella attends the same private school as the Wilde sisters, like Margot she fanatically seeks answers to Audrey’s disappearance, even the summer weather is in direct contrast. The past and present inevitably bleed together as secrets from the past are revealed in the present. And ultimately the timelines converge in the same location around a second disappeared girl.
Eve Chase is a skillful writer. Her prose is lush and languid, echoing the Wilde sisters’ deliciously scorching summer. Yet, a sense of unease is established early. Hints of violence on the horizon seem stark, purposely so, interrupting both the summer idyll and new home enchantment. It reminds the reader to not make themselves too comfortable. Don’t be hypnotized by Applecote’s pastoral abundance. Darkness awaits.
And while I did enjoy this story and Eve Chases’ writing, there are times she focuses on constructing beautiful, melodic prose at the expense of pacing. Not every passage needs flowery description. A balance has to be struck. Otherwise a narrative gets bogged down in purposeless detail and the central thread is lost.
Ultimately, The Wildling Sisters is a treatise on sisterhood. About the bond that you share, which cannot be broken, even in the direst of circumstance.
Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for a complimentary copy of the book for review.
January 27, 2019
Pretty much perfect, this lovely novel is Eve Chase's second book and I am flabbergasted by her enormous talent. Black Rabbit Hall, her debut, was a tribute to mothers and how their love shapes us, here she delves into sisterly love and how we look to our sisters for guidance, comfort, and support and the ache you feel when it's not there.
As in her first book there are two story lines, one now and one in the 1950s and the past story is the more riveting one, to me at least. Her books are spot on in their settings, crumbling estates, and the wide, open countryside and glories of nature, but more importantly she is a master of describing the inner lives of girls and women, their desires, some inarticulate, and below the surface. It is the story of 4 sisters on the cusp of adulthood and of their cousin who disappeared at age 12 and how the truth of her disappearance comes out eventually with the help of the modern day family.
As in her first book there are two story lines, one now and one in the 1950s and the past story is the more riveting one, to me at least. Her books are spot on in their settings, crumbling estates, and the wide, open countryside and glories of nature, but more importantly she is a master of describing the inner lives of girls and women, their desires, some inarticulate, and below the surface. It is the story of 4 sisters on the cusp of adulthood and of their cousin who disappeared at age 12 and how the truth of her disappearance comes out eventually with the help of the modern day family.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 5, 2017
I read Eve Chase debut book, Black Rabbit Hall last year and it was such a great book! So, when The Wildling Sisters showed up on NetGalley didn't I hesitate to request the book. Now, I have to admit that this book's cover isn't really a favorite of mine and if not the name of the author had been familiar had I perhaps not have been interested in the book. I just think that the three faces on the cover so oddly placed, like why are the third girls face under the other two's? It's puzzling!
However, the cover is the only thing that I have to complain about for the story is superb. Even better than Black Rabbit Hall and that book was really good. I was instantly pulled into the story and I loved both timelines. Eve Chase has an ability to write that makes it hard to stop reading the book, it feels like you just breeze through the pages, and loved both the story in 1959 about the sisters who are living with the aunt and uncle on the Applecote Manor during the summer after their mother has decided to work abroad. The time has practically stood still in the house since the day five years before when their cousin Audrey disappeared. What happened to her? In the present story has a Jessie and her family moved into the house. For Jessie is this a dream house and a chance to start over fresh after they have lived in a house where her husband lived with his first wife who tragically died. But, soon she wonders if they made a mistake when her stepdaughter tells her that 50 years before a young girl disappeared from the house and was never seen again...
I love books with two timelines, and The Wildling Sisters is a fabulous story. I liked both the story in the past and the present and I found the ending very emotional. It's such a beautifully written story, filled with both happiness and sadness.
I want to thank the publisher for providing me with a free copy through NetGalley for an honest review!
However, the cover is the only thing that I have to complain about for the story is superb. Even better than Black Rabbit Hall and that book was really good. I was instantly pulled into the story and I loved both timelines. Eve Chase has an ability to write that makes it hard to stop reading the book, it feels like you just breeze through the pages, and loved both the story in 1959 about the sisters who are living with the aunt and uncle on the Applecote Manor during the summer after their mother has decided to work abroad. The time has practically stood still in the house since the day five years before when their cousin Audrey disappeared. What happened to her? In the present story has a Jessie and her family moved into the house. For Jessie is this a dream house and a chance to start over fresh after they have lived in a house where her husband lived with his first wife who tragically died. But, soon she wonders if they made a mistake when her stepdaughter tells her that 50 years before a young girl disappeared from the house and was never seen again...
I love books with two timelines, and The Wildling Sisters is a fabulous story. I liked both the story in the past and the present and I found the ending very emotional. It's such a beautifully written story, filled with both happiness and sadness.
I want to thank the publisher for providing me with a free copy through NetGalley for an honest review!
December 30, 2017
3☆ Slower Paced Mystery
The Vanishing of Audrey Wilde is a story of Mystery, intrigue, Family Drama, Gothic & Atmospheric that mixes past and present.
Unfortunately I found that the blurb and start of this book had so much promise it packed a real impression.
Then as the story progressed I found myself getting slightly confused and it just didn't grab my attention.
I found the story seemed to lack the same intrigue and mystery the whole way through.
It was beautifully written and Eve created beautifully atmospheric pictures I just felt it was lacking something I just can't seem to put my finger on.
I did however really enjoy the Wilding Sisters past stories. I loved how they came together as sisters. I found their past storylines to be much more engaging. The search for their missing cousin was intriguing. I would of preferred the story to have been centred around them solely as the Characters alone would of been enough.
I just felt the Present story of Jesse and Applecote Manor a little misplaced.
I do however think The Vanishing of Audrey Wilde does have potential, and it would definitely appeal to readers who love slower paced character driven mystery, that has a real gothic feel. With lots of drama.
I would like to thank Netgalley for this book in which I honestly and voluntarily reviewed.
The Vanishing of Audrey Wilde is a story of Mystery, intrigue, Family Drama, Gothic & Atmospheric that mixes past and present.
Unfortunately I found that the blurb and start of this book had so much promise it packed a real impression.
Then as the story progressed I found myself getting slightly confused and it just didn't grab my attention.
I found the story seemed to lack the same intrigue and mystery the whole way through.
It was beautifully written and Eve created beautifully atmospheric pictures I just felt it was lacking something I just can't seem to put my finger on.
I did however really enjoy the Wilding Sisters past stories. I loved how they came together as sisters. I found their past storylines to be much more engaging. The search for their missing cousin was intriguing. I would of preferred the story to have been centred around them solely as the Characters alone would of been enough.
I just felt the Present story of Jesse and Applecote Manor a little misplaced.
I do however think The Vanishing of Audrey Wilde does have potential, and it would definitely appeal to readers who love slower paced character driven mystery, that has a real gothic feel. With lots of drama.
I would like to thank Netgalley for this book in which I honestly and voluntarily reviewed.
March 3, 2017
I very much enjoyed Eve Chase's previous novel, Black Rabbit Hall , so I was looking forward the author's next book. Unfortunately, I didn't enjoy this one nearly as much.
This story opens with a bang! And then slows down greatly. I had a very difficult time engaging in the story until about the halfway mark when things started to pick up.
I believe the dual time narration (one of my favorites!) didn't work for this book. The past story was much more engaging and relevant and interesting than the one told in the present. In fact, I feel that the present story wasn't needed at all!
I enjoyed the mystery which had a few twists and turns, however story this felt a bit more character driven. It discusses family dynamics and relationships, especially with step-families and siblings.
I would give this one 3.5 stars. Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
This story opens with a bang! And then slows down greatly. I had a very difficult time engaging in the story until about the halfway mark when things started to pick up.
I believe the dual time narration (one of my favorites!) didn't work for this book. The past story was much more engaging and relevant and interesting than the one told in the present. In fact, I feel that the present story wasn't needed at all!
I enjoyed the mystery which had a few twists and turns, however story this felt a bit more character driven. It discusses family dynamics and relationships, especially with step-families and siblings.
I would give this one 3.5 stars. Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
August 3, 2017
The Wildling Sisters is an atmospheric tale about the bonds of sisterhood and family set against the backdrop of a mysterious house with a dark secret. Told via dual narratives, the story’s timeline alternates between the summer months of 1959 and the “present” setting a little over 50 years later. Both narratives are linked together by what I feel is truly the main character in the entire story: the looming Applecote Manor in the English countryside town of the Cotswolds. In 1959, the teenage Wilde sisters Flora, Pam, Margot, and Dot are shipped off to Applecote Manor to spend the summer with their Aunt Sybil and Uncle Perry while their mother sought out a job opportunity in Morocco. Sybil and Perry lost their only daughter Audrey 5 years ago when the teenager disappeared one day without a trace – devastated, the couple cut off ties with the outside world and shutter themselves inside their house, clinging constantly to the hope that Audrey will some day return. In the present day narrative, Jessie and her husband Will want to move with their daughters -- teenager Bella and little two-year old Romy -- out of their home in London to a more idyllic, quieter place in the countryside in the hopes that it will give Bella – who is still trying to come to terms with the death of her mother several years ago -- a chance at a fresh start. Without knowing much about its history, Jessie and Will decide to move into Applecote Manor, the beautiful, sprawling country house recently put up for sale by the Wilde family. Soon, the past collides with the present when Jessie and her stepdaughter Bella start to dig into the house’s secrets and learn the story of the previous owners’ past, including that fateful summer of 1959.
I’ve been reading a lot of dual timeline books recently but this one definitely felt different. Despite the gap in timespan, the two narratives had a “continuity” about them that didn’t make me feel like I was being taken out of one time period and placed in another. Yes, part of this has to do with the common setting of Applecote Manor as well as some of the characters from the past narrative still having some involvement in the present narrative, but I think a large part was also due to the writing, which had an atmospheric, elegant feel to it that was consistent in both narratives. The author Eve Chase captured the essence of time and place well, especially with the narrative of the Wilde sisters and their coming of age during those summer months alongside the mystery of Audrey’s disappearance. Chase did a great job giving us vivid descriptions of the house and its surrounding area so as to make us as readers feel as though we were right there at Applecote Manor – in the past narrative, right alongside the Wilde sisters trying to fill up the long, idle days of summer with anything exciting and in the present narrative, right alongside Jessie and Bella as they try to mend their rocky relationship while also trying to make sense of their surroundings. What I appreciated most was that Chase was able to do all this without sacrificing characterization, as each of the characters in both narratives came alive for me and I found all of them quite endearing, despite their flaws. I also loved the way the author tackled the theme of sisterhood and family, showing the ups and downs of those relationships in a realistic way.
One thing to note is that this is more of a character-driven story (I’m including Applecote Manor as one of the “characters”) than a plot-driven one, so the pace is a bit slow, which is a little ironic given that the story starts off with an absolutely attention-grabbing scene involving the Wilde sisters and something that happened at the end of their summer at the manor. After that initial scene, the rest of the story is a slow buildup to that day, as events unfold one by one in both past and present, until we eventually find out what truly happened. I actually felt this was a clever way to tell the story, but the “slow burn” aspect might be an issue for those who prefer a more action-filled plot. Also, I’ve seen this book categorized as “gothic”, which I guess is true to some extent given the mysterious undertones and the haunting, gloomy feel to the setting, but this one wasn’t dark or dreary like some of the classic gothic tales we may be used to reading -- this one had more of a lightness to it, which I appreciated. A lovely read that I definitely recommend!
Received ARC from G.P. Putnam and Sons via Penguin First-to-read program
I’ve been reading a lot of dual timeline books recently but this one definitely felt different. Despite the gap in timespan, the two narratives had a “continuity” about them that didn’t make me feel like I was being taken out of one time period and placed in another. Yes, part of this has to do with the common setting of Applecote Manor as well as some of the characters from the past narrative still having some involvement in the present narrative, but I think a large part was also due to the writing, which had an atmospheric, elegant feel to it that was consistent in both narratives. The author Eve Chase captured the essence of time and place well, especially with the narrative of the Wilde sisters and their coming of age during those summer months alongside the mystery of Audrey’s disappearance. Chase did a great job giving us vivid descriptions of the house and its surrounding area so as to make us as readers feel as though we were right there at Applecote Manor – in the past narrative, right alongside the Wilde sisters trying to fill up the long, idle days of summer with anything exciting and in the present narrative, right alongside Jessie and Bella as they try to mend their rocky relationship while also trying to make sense of their surroundings. What I appreciated most was that Chase was able to do all this without sacrificing characterization, as each of the characters in both narratives came alive for me and I found all of them quite endearing, despite their flaws. I also loved the way the author tackled the theme of sisterhood and family, showing the ups and downs of those relationships in a realistic way.
One thing to note is that this is more of a character-driven story (I’m including Applecote Manor as one of the “characters”) than a plot-driven one, so the pace is a bit slow, which is a little ironic given that the story starts off with an absolutely attention-grabbing scene involving the Wilde sisters and something that happened at the end of their summer at the manor. After that initial scene, the rest of the story is a slow buildup to that day, as events unfold one by one in both past and present, until we eventually find out what truly happened. I actually felt this was a clever way to tell the story, but the “slow burn” aspect might be an issue for those who prefer a more action-filled plot. Also, I’ve seen this book categorized as “gothic”, which I guess is true to some extent given the mysterious undertones and the haunting, gloomy feel to the setting, but this one wasn’t dark or dreary like some of the classic gothic tales we may be used to reading -- this one had more of a lightness to it, which I appreciated. A lovely read that I definitely recommend!
Received ARC from G.P. Putnam and Sons via Penguin First-to-read program
August 28, 2017
I was originally interested in this story due to the whimsical beauty of the front cover. That, along with the title, led me to assume this was a historical thriller of sorts. As I prefer going into thrillers 'blind' I did not read the synopsis and instead was pleasantly surprised to find, whilst reading this, that it was far more complex than I had ever imaged it being.
Present-day Jessie is aborting the chaos of London life and transporting her family to gorgeous Applecote Manor. Nestled in the depths of the English countryside she images this rural retreat will be the miracle that will restore her fissured family. However, her husband still finds himself reeling from a life split between week-day London and weekends in the countryside, and Jessie finds herself isolated with a toddler demanding constant attention and a teenage step-daughter who continues to despise her and still grieve for her deceased mother.
In the summer of 1959 Applecote Manor was the home of Sybil and Perry. Unable to cope with the disappearance of their daughter, Audrey, their home in now both a shackle they are confined to and their one last, tenuous link to their lost daughter. The intrusion of their four nieces, however, breathes life both back into the gloomy shell of a home and the gloomier shells of the people who reside there. For one summer the manor is returned to its former chaotic state and, in return, sheds the city skins of these London-born girls and transforms them into feral things of the forest.
I was initially unable to see how these two disparate narrative veins would converge, but enjoyed them both equally and immensely. Each was given a separate voice and a distinct feel entirely of its own, that both suited the time periods and the inhabitants of the story. But once the threads that bound each story began to unveil themselves to the reader, I was enthralled.
This was a mystery story, as I had initially speculated, but it was also a story about so much more than that. The character that entitles this book never appears inside its pages and yet the course of the live of two separate families revolve so much around her memory. For that is what this book is ultimately about - family. The trails and grief and agony that accompanies the fierce love and protective spirit you feel for those you choose as your own. For neither could exist without the other, and every facet of feeling is tested and explored inside this book.
The Gothic overtones of this novel were heightened by the setting, which remained a constant link, along with the spirit of Audrey, between the narratives. I found this often read like a classic female Gothic tale and found similarities between this and such renowned works as Jane Eyre and Rebecca. In its own way, perhaps it is a retelling in itself, but it is more the feel of these pieces that this novel so authentically evokes. The larger countryside setting was portrayed in broad, sweeping strokes, yet the feel of the manor and the character of the individuals who reside there were intricately preserved inside these pages. Chase makes it abundantly clear where her readers' focus should remain, and the heightened emotion centred on one, small sphere of space made this an equally powerful as poignant read.
I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. Thank you to the author, Eve Chase, and the publisher, Penguin, for this opportunity.
Present-day Jessie is aborting the chaos of London life and transporting her family to gorgeous Applecote Manor. Nestled in the depths of the English countryside she images this rural retreat will be the miracle that will restore her fissured family. However, her husband still finds himself reeling from a life split between week-day London and weekends in the countryside, and Jessie finds herself isolated with a toddler demanding constant attention and a teenage step-daughter who continues to despise her and still grieve for her deceased mother.
In the summer of 1959 Applecote Manor was the home of Sybil and Perry. Unable to cope with the disappearance of their daughter, Audrey, their home in now both a shackle they are confined to and their one last, tenuous link to their lost daughter. The intrusion of their four nieces, however, breathes life both back into the gloomy shell of a home and the gloomier shells of the people who reside there. For one summer the manor is returned to its former chaotic state and, in return, sheds the city skins of these London-born girls and transforms them into feral things of the forest.
I was initially unable to see how these two disparate narrative veins would converge, but enjoyed them both equally and immensely. Each was given a separate voice and a distinct feel entirely of its own, that both suited the time periods and the inhabitants of the story. But once the threads that bound each story began to unveil themselves to the reader, I was enthralled.
This was a mystery story, as I had initially speculated, but it was also a story about so much more than that. The character that entitles this book never appears inside its pages and yet the course of the live of two separate families revolve so much around her memory. For that is what this book is ultimately about - family. The trails and grief and agony that accompanies the fierce love and protective spirit you feel for those you choose as your own. For neither could exist without the other, and every facet of feeling is tested and explored inside this book.
The Gothic overtones of this novel were heightened by the setting, which remained a constant link, along with the spirit of Audrey, between the narratives. I found this often read like a classic female Gothic tale and found similarities between this and such renowned works as Jane Eyre and Rebecca. In its own way, perhaps it is a retelling in itself, but it is more the feel of these pieces that this novel so authentically evokes. The larger countryside setting was portrayed in broad, sweeping strokes, yet the feel of the manor and the character of the individuals who reside there were intricately preserved inside these pages. Chase makes it abundantly clear where her readers' focus should remain, and the heightened emotion centred on one, small sphere of space made this an equally powerful as poignant read.
I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. Thank you to the author, Eve Chase, and the publisher, Penguin, for this opportunity.
December 13, 2018
Welcome to Applecote Manor in the Cotswolds. This is a lovely English home that has housed families who have lost and found love, relationships, and the sadness that secrets often leave in their wake. We meet two of the families who have resided and now reside there.
The Wilde sisters arrive in the summer of 1959 to a world that might offer them an escape. Their mother had left them to the care of their aunt and uncle who five years previous had suffered the disappearance of their beloved daughter, Audrey. The house seems mystic, their aunt and uncle seem to be caught in a tunnel of hopefulness that soon Audrey would reappear and their lives would return to the before. The four Wilde sisters come to this home with its secrets and its tragedy hanging over its head. Yet, they have one another and then two boys come into their lives and the story drifts to their interactions, some with grave consequences. It is, for the sisters, a time of growing, of coming awareness of who they are, a time of trepidation and unknowing.
Almost a half century later, a young mother falls in love with the house which is now vacant. She begs her husband for it but as she finds out there are many things lying underneath both her soon to be home and the fact that she is competing with her husband's dead wife for his love and the love of a daughter that had been born to the dead wife.
Will this house and its history bring them together or will it be the downfall of two families separated by fifty years?
This was a lovely tale, made more so because not only is the setting so beautifully detailed, but also the love and loss one experiences when there is a lack of closure to tragedy. It's a haunting tale told through the hearts and minds of its characters and definitely recommended to those who so enjoy mystery, imagery, and most of all family.
Thank you to my local library for having a copy of this book.
My reviews can also be seen here: https://yayareadslotsofbooks.wordpres...
The Wilde sisters arrive in the summer of 1959 to a world that might offer them an escape. Their mother had left them to the care of their aunt and uncle who five years previous had suffered the disappearance of their beloved daughter, Audrey. The house seems mystic, their aunt and uncle seem to be caught in a tunnel of hopefulness that soon Audrey would reappear and their lives would return to the before. The four Wilde sisters come to this home with its secrets and its tragedy hanging over its head. Yet, they have one another and then two boys come into their lives and the story drifts to their interactions, some with grave consequences. It is, for the sisters, a time of growing, of coming awareness of who they are, a time of trepidation and unknowing.
Almost a half century later, a young mother falls in love with the house which is now vacant. She begs her husband for it but as she finds out there are many things lying underneath both her soon to be home and the fact that she is competing with her husband's dead wife for his love and the love of a daughter that had been born to the dead wife.
Will this house and its history bring them together or will it be the downfall of two families separated by fifty years?
This was a lovely tale, made more so because not only is the setting so beautifully detailed, but also the love and loss one experiences when there is a lack of closure to tragedy. It's a haunting tale told through the hearts and minds of its characters and definitely recommended to those who so enjoy mystery, imagery, and most of all family.
Thank you to my local library for having a copy of this book.
My reviews can also be seen here: https://yayareadslotsofbooks.wordpres...
June 12, 2017
4 stars--I really liked it.
I read Chase's first book, Black Rabbit Hall, and liked it, and I think I liked this one even more.
These dual-timeline novels have a formula to them (one which I enjoy): a dramatic secret in the past leads to healing and character growth in the future. This one follows the formula, but with the added bonus of the "past" story taking place in the late 1950s, which means the players were alive in the "present" narrative as well, contributing to both stories.
With this book, I enjoyed the story and character in both timelines. I thought characterization was nicely done and pacing was good.
I received this review copy from the publisher on NetGalley. Thanks for the opportunity to read and review; I appreciate it!
I read Chase's first book, Black Rabbit Hall, and liked it, and I think I liked this one even more.
These dual-timeline novels have a formula to them (one which I enjoy): a dramatic secret in the past leads to healing and character growth in the future. This one follows the formula, but with the added bonus of the "past" story taking place in the late 1950s, which means the players were alive in the "present" narrative as well, contributing to both stories.
With this book, I enjoyed the story and character in both timelines. I thought characterization was nicely done and pacing was good.
I received this review copy from the publisher on NetGalley. Thanks for the opportunity to read and review; I appreciate it!
February 14, 2017
Last year I read Eve's debut novel, Black Rabbit Hall, and absolutely loved it. I was very much looking forward to a new book by her.
This one is a dual timeline story taking place in the 1950's to present day. Which these are my favorite types of stories but few authors that can pull it off well. Eve, I'm happy to say, does. She opens with a bang with a body being dragged through the grass. I mean, it just screams for you to finish to find out what happens! I think I enjoyed the past story best with the 4 Wilding sisters. I loved their dynamic and their lives better than I did with the present day story. I just didn't like their family dynamics and was happy when we got back to the sisters. I probably would have given this novel 5 stars of it had focused more on the sisters and their missing cousin--it was such a evocative storyline and I wanted more of that. There's no doubt that Eve can write, her storytelling is beautiful. I'm already looking forward to what she writes next.
**Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
This one is a dual timeline story taking place in the 1950's to present day. Which these are my favorite types of stories but few authors that can pull it off well. Eve, I'm happy to say, does. She opens with a bang with a body being dragged through the grass. I mean, it just screams for you to finish to find out what happens! I think I enjoyed the past story best with the 4 Wilding sisters. I loved their dynamic and their lives better than I did with the present day story. I just didn't like their family dynamics and was happy when we got back to the sisters. I probably would have given this novel 5 stars of it had focused more on the sisters and their missing cousin--it was such a evocative storyline and I wanted more of that. There's no doubt that Eve can write, her storytelling is beautiful. I'm already looking forward to what she writes next.
**Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
July 8, 2017
Past and present, family drama at its best. The book starts present day and the unkept condition of Applecote Manor and a body. The four grown sisters each with their own problems and the past where sisters close as one unit become divided by the disappearance of their cousin and who is ultimately responsible for that event is only hinted at thru most of the story until the reveal. Great read about family dynamics and how one event can change your life forever. I would like to thank the Publisher and Net Galley for the chance to read this ARC.
July 12, 2017
This review can also be found at Carole's Random Life in Books.
I would say that this book was just okay for me. I decided to read this book because the premise sounded really interesting. The story opened with a bang and I was pretty sure that I had made a great decision in picking up this book. After just a few pages, things slowed down. All the way down. I found myself setting the book aside to clean and I hate cleaning. About a third of the way into the book, I seriously considered adding it to my dnf pile and moving on to something else. I decided to read just a bit more before quiting and it did pick up. The second half of the book was much more interesting to me and I am glad that I hung in there a bit longer.
This is a book that is told in two different periods of time. One story is set in 1959 and features Margot and her three sisters. The other story is set in the present time and features Jesse and her family. The connecting link is Applecote Manor. I knew that eventually the two stories would come together but it took a very long time for that to happen. I found the story that was set in 1959 to be much more interesting than the present day at least for the first half of the book.
I did really enjoy this book a lot more once the two timelines started to come together. Both timelines became much more interesting and I wanted to learn what happened to Audrey all of those years ago. I felt for her parents and thought that the way it impacted their lives was illustrated very well. Margot was an interesting character but I never got to really know her sisters very well. Jesse's story really focuses on the relationship between Jesse and her step-daughter Bella. I wanted to see them work things out and come to trust each other more as the story progressed.
I think that I would have enjoyed this book a lot more if it had been told in with just one timeline. As soon as things would get interesting, the time would shift and it slowed everything down for me. I am glad that I read the book but it isn't a favorite. I would like to read more from Eve Chase in the future.
I received an advance reader edition of this book from G.P. Putnam's Sons via First to Read.
Initial Thoughts
I had a really rough start with this book. I seriously considered giving up on it around page 80 since I really wasn't enjoying it all that much. It wasn't bad but I found myself putting it down to do other things constantly. The second half of the book did pick up and I found myself more focused on the story. It was an okay read in the end.
I would say that this book was just okay for me. I decided to read this book because the premise sounded really interesting. The story opened with a bang and I was pretty sure that I had made a great decision in picking up this book. After just a few pages, things slowed down. All the way down. I found myself setting the book aside to clean and I hate cleaning. About a third of the way into the book, I seriously considered adding it to my dnf pile and moving on to something else. I decided to read just a bit more before quiting and it did pick up. The second half of the book was much more interesting to me and I am glad that I hung in there a bit longer.
This is a book that is told in two different periods of time. One story is set in 1959 and features Margot and her three sisters. The other story is set in the present time and features Jesse and her family. The connecting link is Applecote Manor. I knew that eventually the two stories would come together but it took a very long time for that to happen. I found the story that was set in 1959 to be much more interesting than the present day at least for the first half of the book.
I did really enjoy this book a lot more once the two timelines started to come together. Both timelines became much more interesting and I wanted to learn what happened to Audrey all of those years ago. I felt for her parents and thought that the way it impacted their lives was illustrated very well. Margot was an interesting character but I never got to really know her sisters very well. Jesse's story really focuses on the relationship between Jesse and her step-daughter Bella. I wanted to see them work things out and come to trust each other more as the story progressed.
I think that I would have enjoyed this book a lot more if it had been told in with just one timeline. As soon as things would get interesting, the time would shift and it slowed everything down for me. I am glad that I read the book but it isn't a favorite. I would like to read more from Eve Chase in the future.
I received an advance reader edition of this book from G.P. Putnam's Sons via First to Read.
Initial Thoughts
I had a really rough start with this book. I seriously considered giving up on it around page 80 since I really wasn't enjoying it all that much. It wasn't bad but I found myself putting it down to do other things constantly. The second half of the book did pick up and I found myself more focused on the story. It was an okay read in the end.
November 7, 2017
I discovered Eve Chase earlier this year when I read her book “Black Rabbit Hall” which I truly enjoyed. So when I heard she had another book coming out I knew I had to read it. And I was not disappointed. The “Wildling Sisters” is told in dual time lines, summer of 1959 and the other 50 years later. I enjoyed the historical time line much better than the present.
From the first chapter, which completely grabs your attention, there is a fascinating atmosphere of mystery. I could not put this book down; I was in a race to get to the end, although I didn’t want it to end. The story is slow-moving, a very moody Gothic tale. The mystery is maintained throughout the whole book. The only issue I had, I didn’t feel the “past” met the “present” very smoothly, but I would highly recommend this book and author.
4.5* rounded up.
From the first chapter, which completely grabs your attention, there is a fascinating atmosphere of mystery. I could not put this book down; I was in a race to get to the end, although I didn’t want it to end. The story is slow-moving, a very moody Gothic tale. The mystery is maintained throughout the whole book. The only issue I had, I didn’t feel the “past” met the “present” very smoothly, but I would highly recommend this book and author.
4.5* rounded up.
September 27, 2017
Frankly, I’m surprised I had the patience for this book, because I am not lately a reader who appreciates slow-moving, thoughtful, atmospheric writing. Yet I was propelled toward the ending somehow, almost against my will. And when the quiet, reflective resolution came, I was strangely satisfied, even though part of me was hoping for a thunderclap of a finish. What sorcery is this?
The Wildling Sisters is a story of a summer heat wave that brought with it something weird and sinister, and how the twisted and tragic events of that summer reverberate into the future. It’s about two families living in the same estate in the English countryside half a century apart. It’s not, as I initially thought, a ghost story. There’s a creepy house, but it’s not haunted except by sad memories. And it’s only barely-kinda-maybe a murder mystery. Mostly, it’s about sisters and the bonds between them, which proves to be something that hasn’t changed much through the years.
So I guess you could say I grudgingly recommend this one. It won me over despite my typical preferences and expectations. Maybe the arrival of fall is making me contemplative. Maybe the book is just that good. The more I ponder it, the more I’m leaning towards the latter.
I should note that a sizeable portion of my enjoyment came from the quality of the audio version, fantastically read by two very distinct but equally talented narrators. It’s no trouble to keep track of alternating timelines when the narrators trade off; the voices signal to you which year you’re in. And of course, it goes without saying that British accents are dreamy AF.
More book recommendations by me at www.readingwithhippos.com
The Wildling Sisters is a story of a summer heat wave that brought with it something weird and sinister, and how the twisted and tragic events of that summer reverberate into the future. It’s about two families living in the same estate in the English countryside half a century apart. It’s not, as I initially thought, a ghost story. There’s a creepy house, but it’s not haunted except by sad memories. And it’s only barely-kinda-maybe a murder mystery. Mostly, it’s about sisters and the bonds between them, which proves to be something that hasn’t changed much through the years.
So I guess you could say I grudgingly recommend this one. It won me over despite my typical preferences and expectations. Maybe the arrival of fall is making me contemplative. Maybe the book is just that good. The more I ponder it, the more I’m leaning towards the latter.
I should note that a sizeable portion of my enjoyment came from the quality of the audio version, fantastically read by two very distinct but equally talented narrators. It’s no trouble to keep track of alternating timelines when the narrators trade off; the voices signal to you which year you’re in. And of course, it goes without saying that British accents are dreamy AF.
More book recommendations by me at www.readingwithhippos.com
August 3, 2017
This book really surprised me. It’s a gothic tale that shifts from the 1950s to present day. It centers on Applecote Manor in the English countryside. There are all the elements of a gothic novel – an estate with a mysterious history, strange rumors, and interesting characters that leave you guessing. Eve Chase’s writing is beautiful and she’s able to so effectively weave a plot of suspense with this novel. The sense of intrigue combined with an air of foreboding just permeates the book, page after page. I didn’t want to put it down. It just kept drawing me deeper and deeper into the narrative. The characters are interesting and thoughtfully written. I enjoyed how the weaving of time was handled. It really effectively helped keep the sense of unease going throughout the novel. The primary focus of the novel is ultimately around family relationships and dynamics. How these things play out and impact everyone so differently. The characters were all well drawn but the way that Chase made Applecote Manor a character in its own right was done brilliantly. It felt as real to me as any of the characters. All in all, a wonderful novel with suspense, mystery and a family saga all rolled into one! Highly recommend this one particularly if you’re a fan of the gothic novel!
NOTE: Thank you to the publisher for providing me with a free ARC of this novel for an honest review.
NOTE: Thank you to the publisher for providing me with a free ARC of this novel for an honest review.
February 11, 2019
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The Vanishing of Audrey Wilde by Eve Chase. (2017).
In the present day, Jessie and her troubled family move to Applecote Manor thinking it'll be the perfect escape. But the house has an unsettling history.
In 1959, teenager Margot and her three sisters arrive at Applecote to find their aunt and uncle still struggling after the disappearance of their daughter Audrey five years before. The sisters are drawn into the mystery until the summer takes a shocking turn - will they be bound together or torn apart?
This book was recommended to me and I'm glad I went ahead and read it as it was an enjoyable novel. As you can tell from the blurb, there are two storylines happening in the same house years apart and I really liked both narratives that come together in the end. At the book's heart is the mystery of what happened to Audrey, but I felt it's also a coming-of-age for all of the teenagers in both storylines even though this occurs in different ways. The imagery is beautiful and I could really picture Applecote Manor as I read. If you enjoy Kate Morton novels, you may appreciate this book as it had a similar feel (with a much shorter length). I intend on checking out the author's previous work and look forward to future works.
*www.facebook.com/onewomansbbr
The Vanishing of Audrey Wilde by Eve Chase. (2017).
In the present day, Jessie and her troubled family move to Applecote Manor thinking it'll be the perfect escape. But the house has an unsettling history.
In 1959, teenager Margot and her three sisters arrive at Applecote to find their aunt and uncle still struggling after the disappearance of their daughter Audrey five years before. The sisters are drawn into the mystery until the summer takes a shocking turn - will they be bound together or torn apart?
This book was recommended to me and I'm glad I went ahead and read it as it was an enjoyable novel. As you can tell from the blurb, there are two storylines happening in the same house years apart and I really liked both narratives that come together in the end. At the book's heart is the mystery of what happened to Audrey, but I felt it's also a coming-of-age for all of the teenagers in both storylines even though this occurs in different ways. The imagery is beautiful and I could really picture Applecote Manor as I read. If you enjoy Kate Morton novels, you may appreciate this book as it had a similar feel (with a much shorter length). I intend on checking out the author's previous work and look forward to future works.
Read
November 19, 2023This was a beautiful mood. Haunting, mysterious, scandalous…very cinematic details—review soon!
August 1, 2017
Reviewed on:5171 Miles Book Blog.
Thank you to Netgalley and Penguin/Putnam for allowing 5171 Miles Book Blog to review this novel.
Let me tell you now, folks, The Wildling Sisters by Eve Chase is a summer release you are going to want to pick up. This book captivated me from the very first page. It begins in 1959 at Applecote Manor in Cotswolds, England with the Wilde sisters dragging a body through the landscape. This haunting tale combines past and present perspectives, diverging in the end, to reveal the story of a young girl who unexpectedly vanished. The walls of Applecote Manor haven't changed much in decades, but the secrets within are silently screaming to get out. It will only take the right person to uncover them.
I cannot rave enough about this novel, as it had numerous elements I loved. To begin with, the cover is instantly eye-catching. When I look at it, I want to know the story the girls are going to tell. What are they up to? What secrets lie behind their eyes? It has such an interesting mystery, just like the pages to follow. I'm also enamored by stories set in England, especially the countryside; I love the written prose of British English; and enjoy reading about the quirks of life in Great Britain. Though this story was set in a beautiful place, it had a haunted feel throughout. I imagined the house speaking the sounds, thoughts, and feelings of its previous occupants.
The alternation between the past and present allowed such an enticing story to follow, as both perspectives were equally interesting to me. In the past, the Wilde sisters, endearingly known as the Wildling's are spending an unpleasantly warm summer at their aunt and uncle's home in Cotswolds as their mother goes to find work in Morocco. The sisters come to the manor living and breathing as one unit, but by the end of the summer find their relationship strained by the mystery surrounding their cousin's disappearance and the growing up they individually experience throughout the summertime.
Fast forward to present day, Jessie is desperate to start a new life away from the hustle and bustle of London with her husband, young daughter, and her challenging step-daughter, Bella. Applecote Manor seems to be just the ticket to create the family dynamic Jessie has been dreaming of, until she discovers the house may have more secrets than her small blended family.
Tidbits about the past are revealed though each viewpoint, keeping the plot always interesting. I could not put this book down, not even because I was anxious to find out the mystery behind Audrey's disappearance (of course, I was), but simply because I enjoyed the enveloping feel of this story. I haven't been completely drawn into a novel in ages, feeling like I'm living out the movie of the story in my head. Eve Chase's writing was like travelling through time and across the ocean to an eerie place I wasn't quite ready to leave. Her similes were thought provoking and expressive, the imagery made me feel like I was there, and the voices of her characters were realistic in the best possible way. Simply, this is well-written tale worth reading immediately. It has quickly taken over the top place as my favorite book of this genre for 2017.
Pick up this book when it releases on July 25th! The Wildling Sisters will send just enough chills up your spine to keep you cool this summer.
Thank you to Netgalley and Penguin/Putnam for allowing 5171 Miles Book Blog to review this novel.
Let me tell you now, folks, The Wildling Sisters by Eve Chase is a summer release you are going to want to pick up. This book captivated me from the very first page. It begins in 1959 at Applecote Manor in Cotswolds, England with the Wilde sisters dragging a body through the landscape. This haunting tale combines past and present perspectives, diverging in the end, to reveal the story of a young girl who unexpectedly vanished. The walls of Applecote Manor haven't changed much in decades, but the secrets within are silently screaming to get out. It will only take the right person to uncover them.
I cannot rave enough about this novel, as it had numerous elements I loved. To begin with, the cover is instantly eye-catching. When I look at it, I want to know the story the girls are going to tell. What are they up to? What secrets lie behind their eyes? It has such an interesting mystery, just like the pages to follow. I'm also enamored by stories set in England, especially the countryside; I love the written prose of British English; and enjoy reading about the quirks of life in Great Britain. Though this story was set in a beautiful place, it had a haunted feel throughout. I imagined the house speaking the sounds, thoughts, and feelings of its previous occupants.
The alternation between the past and present allowed such an enticing story to follow, as both perspectives were equally interesting to me. In the past, the Wilde sisters, endearingly known as the Wildling's are spending an unpleasantly warm summer at their aunt and uncle's home in Cotswolds as their mother goes to find work in Morocco. The sisters come to the manor living and breathing as one unit, but by the end of the summer find their relationship strained by the mystery surrounding their cousin's disappearance and the growing up they individually experience throughout the summertime.
Fast forward to present day, Jessie is desperate to start a new life away from the hustle and bustle of London with her husband, young daughter, and her challenging step-daughter, Bella. Applecote Manor seems to be just the ticket to create the family dynamic Jessie has been dreaming of, until she discovers the house may have more secrets than her small blended family.
Tidbits about the past are revealed though each viewpoint, keeping the plot always interesting. I could not put this book down, not even because I was anxious to find out the mystery behind Audrey's disappearance (of course, I was), but simply because I enjoyed the enveloping feel of this story. I haven't been completely drawn into a novel in ages, feeling like I'm living out the movie of the story in my head. Eve Chase's writing was like travelling through time and across the ocean to an eerie place I wasn't quite ready to leave. Her similes were thought provoking and expressive, the imagery made me feel like I was there, and the voices of her characters were realistic in the best possible way. Simply, this is well-written tale worth reading immediately. It has quickly taken over the top place as my favorite book of this genre for 2017.
Pick up this book when it releases on July 25th! The Wildling Sisters will send just enough chills up your spine to keep you cool this summer.
June 10, 2018
really enjoyed this novel which is 2 stories interlinked with each other and easy written plot and soon read this book as soon as got in the plot didn't want to put the book down.
October 4, 2017
I listened to the audiobook of this story and the narration was superb.
Very well written story but would have liked to have seen a stronger plot hence the three stars.
To think I only recently started to listen to audiobooks and now I listen most days.
I spend an awful lot of time laid down due to a back injury and I can see their must be a huge market for this medium.
Really helped to pass the time and an intriguing story. Will be on the lookout for more from this author.
Very well written story but would have liked to have seen a stronger plot hence the three stars.
To think I only recently started to listen to audiobooks and now I listen most days.
I spend an awful lot of time laid down due to a back injury and I can see their must be a huge market for this medium.
Really helped to pass the time and an intriguing story. Will be on the lookout for more from this author.
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