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A Wild & True Relation
A gripping feminist adventure story of smuggling and myth-making, by award-winning author Kim Sherwood.
A Wild & True Relation opens during the Great Storm of 1703, as smuggler Tom West confronts his lover Grace for betraying him to the Revenue. Leaving Grace’s cottage in flames, he takes her orphaned daughter Molly on board ship disguised as a boy to join his crew. But Molly, or Orlando as she must call herself, will grow up to outshine all the men of Tom’s company and seek revenge – and a legacy – all of her own.
Woven into Molly’s story are the writers – from Celia Fiennes and George Eliot to Daniel Defoe and Charles Dickens – who are transfixed by her myth and who, over three centuries, come together to solve the mystery of her life. With extraordinary verve , Sherwood remakes the eighteenth-century novel and challenges women’s writing and women’s roles throughout history.
A Wild & True Relation opens during the Great Storm of 1703, as smuggler Tom West confronts his lover Grace for betraying him to the Revenue. Leaving Grace’s cottage in flames, he takes her orphaned daughter Molly on board ship disguised as a boy to join his crew. But Molly, or Orlando as she must call herself, will grow up to outshine all the men of Tom’s company and seek revenge – and a legacy – all of her own.
Woven into Molly’s story are the writers – from Celia Fiennes and George Eliot to Daniel Defoe and Charles Dickens – who are transfixed by her myth and who, over three centuries, come together to solve the mystery of her life. With extraordinary verve , Sherwood remakes the eighteenth-century novel and challenges women’s writing and women’s roles throughout history.
528 pages, Hardcover
First published February 2, 2023
15 people are currently reading
517 people want to read
About the author
Kim Sherwood
7 books149 followersKim Sherwood is an author and creative writing lecturer at the University of Edinburgh, where she lives in the city. Kim Sherwood’s first novel, Testament (2018), won the Bath Novel Award and Harper’s Bazaar Big Book Award. It was longlisted for the Desmond Elliot Prize and shortlisted for the Author’s Club Best First Novel Pick. In 2019, she was shortlisted for The Sunday Times Young Writer of the Year Award. Her second book, Double or Nothing (2022), is the first in a trilogy commissioned by the Ian Fleming Estate to expand the world of James Bond. Her next novel, A Wild & True Relation, was described by Hilary Mantel as “a rarity – a novel as remarkable for the vigour of the storytelling as for its literary ambition. Kim Sherwood is a writer of capacity, potency and sophistication.”
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 49 reviews
September 20, 2024
DNF 66%. Unfortunately this just wasn't for me. I was enjoying the story about Molly, but I could have done without the interludes which were quite boring to be honest and made the novel drag on. I feel like this is one of those books you'll either love or hate, I thought I'd loved it because I love a good pirate/sea adventure novel but there was very little of that.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
Thank you to Netgalley, Little, Brown Book Group and the author.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
Thank you to Netgalley, Little, Brown Book Group and the author.
January 12, 2023
I really enjoyed this book. It begins with a violent episode whereby young Molly, having lost her mother, is taken into the care of Tom West. But Tom is a pirate, and given women are unlucky to have on board a ship, Molly becomes "Orlando", her real gender kept a secret from all others. The book spans the course of Molly's life as she strives to avenge the death of her mother; but on a deeper level it explores themes of identity and conformity.
The book contains "interludes" which I feel quite mixed about. I found it disrupted the narrative, and whilst it sought to further develop those themes of gender and identity (e.g. introducing Mary Ann Evans aka the author George Eliot) and was undoubtedly incredibly interesting, it felt a little detached. Personally, I'd have rather had the author talk about these historical figures who inspired her writing at the end, instead of blending fact with fiction.
That all said - I enjoyed the main story, Molly's character is beautifully written and the undercurrent of revenge and the complexities of striving for redemption was fascinating and for me, thoughtprovoking long after reading.
The book contains "interludes" which I feel quite mixed about. I found it disrupted the narrative, and whilst it sought to further develop those themes of gender and identity (e.g. introducing Mary Ann Evans aka the author George Eliot) and was undoubtedly incredibly interesting, it felt a little detached. Personally, I'd have rather had the author talk about these historical figures who inspired her writing at the end, instead of blending fact with fiction.
That all said - I enjoyed the main story, Molly's character is beautifully written and the undercurrent of revenge and the complexities of striving for redemption was fascinating and for me, thoughtprovoking long after reading.
November 21, 2022
Kim Sherwood, who has recently launched a James Bond spin-off series, shows what a versatile writer she is with this, her latest novel. A Wild & True Relation came with a blurb from the late, great Hilary Mantel, so my expectation here was high.
First up let's say that Sherwood is a great storyteller. There is enough material here to fill a couple of novels, but the novel never feels overburdened by its plot. The narrative, which shifts between different stories, will live or die by how much patience you have for these type of narrative switches. I'm a sucker for it, so I loved wallowing in this world. Others have found it distracting, so this would be my only caveat of warning.
The story's principal focus, though is Molly (or Orlando) as she must call herself, and in Molly Sherwood has created a wonderful character whose life we follow into smuggling and whose encounters with people such as George Eliot provide much extra meat to the story.
I expect big things ahead for Sherwood, so read this and get on the train early. You won't be sorry.
Thank you to the publishers and Netgalley for the ARC.
First up let's say that Sherwood is a great storyteller. There is enough material here to fill a couple of novels, but the novel never feels overburdened by its plot. The narrative, which shifts between different stories, will live or die by how much patience you have for these type of narrative switches. I'm a sucker for it, so I loved wallowing in this world. Others have found it distracting, so this would be my only caveat of warning.
The story's principal focus, though is Molly (or Orlando) as she must call herself, and in Molly Sherwood has created a wonderful character whose life we follow into smuggling and whose encounters with people such as George Eliot provide much extra meat to the story.
I expect big things ahead for Sherwood, so read this and get on the train early. You won't be sorry.
Thank you to the publishers and Netgalley for the ARC.
February 26, 2023
I was drawn to this book by the Hilary Mantel endorsement, as well as the description - I do like a good smuggler story.
The main narrative centres on Molly / Orlando. When her mother is brutally murdered in a showdown between Revenue officer Dick English and her lover and famed free trader (aka smuggler) Tom West, 7 year old Molly is taken on board Tom’s ship. As it is bad luck to have women on board, Molly is passed off as a boy, Tom’s powder monkey and protegee. She sleeps in his cabin and develops a fierce love and loyalty for him, her protector and father figure. She also nurtures an equally fierce hatred for Dick English, who she is led to believe was her mother’s murderer.
The story follows Tom’s freetrading fortunes as he eludes the Revenue and commands the public’s loyalty throughout Devon by means of a mutually profitable free trade arrangement.
Just as the story had me completely immersed, the flow was interrupted by an interlude. Badged as ‘Notes for a lecture on the anniversary of Virginia Woolf's A Room of One’s Own’, it paints a vignette of a largely forgotten 18th century female travel writer in the circle of the artist Joshua Reynolds and his artist sister.
This pattern persists throughout, with Molly and Tom’s story interspersed with short accounts of female writers in the shadow of more famous male authors, who have been near forgotten or marginalised or had to disguise themselves in order to continue to practise their art. Much is made of the way they used their domestic role as wives to create the space to write. In one way or another they are all inspired by the legend of Tom West and the rumours of a journal kept by a mysterious female relating his story.
Molly grows older and it becomes more difficult to disguise her femininity. And meanwhile her determination to exact revenge for her mother's murder grows, as she waits and waits through Tom’s inexplicable failure to hunt down Dick English. A revelation from one of her shipmates turns her world upside down, and sets her on a course to forge her own path as an independent and successful shipwright.
The narrative technique of interleaving female author vignettes with Molly’s story is innovative and successful, as it draws various historic strands together to provide a commentary on centuries of women having to use subterfuge in order to succeed at anything other than domesticity. Ultimately though, as was the case with AS Byatt’s Possession, the book as a whole succeeds because it is extremely well written, seamlessly constructed, and tells a riveting story with well-drawn characters and a universally recognisable human drama. Highly recommended.
The main narrative centres on Molly / Orlando. When her mother is brutally murdered in a showdown between Revenue officer Dick English and her lover and famed free trader (aka smuggler) Tom West, 7 year old Molly is taken on board Tom’s ship. As it is bad luck to have women on board, Molly is passed off as a boy, Tom’s powder monkey and protegee. She sleeps in his cabin and develops a fierce love and loyalty for him, her protector and father figure. She also nurtures an equally fierce hatred for Dick English, who she is led to believe was her mother’s murderer.
The story follows Tom’s freetrading fortunes as he eludes the Revenue and commands the public’s loyalty throughout Devon by means of a mutually profitable free trade arrangement.
Just as the story had me completely immersed, the flow was interrupted by an interlude. Badged as ‘Notes for a lecture on the anniversary of Virginia Woolf's A Room of One’s Own’, it paints a vignette of a largely forgotten 18th century female travel writer in the circle of the artist Joshua Reynolds and his artist sister.
This pattern persists throughout, with Molly and Tom’s story interspersed with short accounts of female writers in the shadow of more famous male authors, who have been near forgotten or marginalised or had to disguise themselves in order to continue to practise their art. Much is made of the way they used their domestic role as wives to create the space to write. In one way or another they are all inspired by the legend of Tom West and the rumours of a journal kept by a mysterious female relating his story.
Molly grows older and it becomes more difficult to disguise her femininity. And meanwhile her determination to exact revenge for her mother's murder grows, as she waits and waits through Tom’s inexplicable failure to hunt down Dick English. A revelation from one of her shipmates turns her world upside down, and sets her on a course to forge her own path as an independent and successful shipwright.
The narrative technique of interleaving female author vignettes with Molly’s story is innovative and successful, as it draws various historic strands together to provide a commentary on centuries of women having to use subterfuge in order to succeed at anything other than domesticity. Ultimately though, as was the case with AS Byatt’s Possession, the book as a whole succeeds because it is extremely well written, seamlessly constructed, and tells a riveting story with well-drawn characters and a universally recognisable human drama. Highly recommended.
May 22, 2023
A Wild & True Relation is a swashbuckling, high stakes story of betrayal, rivalry and murder that opens with a bang. The very first page of this novel is seared by violence, never once does it quieten down, making this essential reading for any adventure fan. The wild and rugged landscape dominates the pages of this tale, muscling its way in to becoming a central pillar of the storytelling. By now, anyone who knows me, will know that this is one of my favorite things in literature, nature really can be the most unforgiving of foe.
This tale belongs as much to Tom as it does to Molly. Where Molly is perhaps one of the greatest protagonists for a story like this, Tom is one of the single greatest villains of all time. Molly is spellbinding on her quest to seek out freedom and justice, Tom is cruel and commanding as he controls those around him. Despite what an unlikable brute he is, despite the impact he has on Molly's tale, he somehow still manages to cast himself in a sympathetic light.
On its own, Molly's and, by extension, Tom's story would be a fantastic one. A tale that truly captivates and enthralls all readers. Unfortunately, the interludes that are peppered throughout this novel slice right through any and all of the narrative flow. As much as this was an innovative and creative idea from someone who is, clearly, a masterful storyteller, I do wish they had been absent from the novel entirely. However, as you can see from my 4-star rating, it was merely a slight annoyance, rather than something that seriously diminished this books impact.
This tale belongs as much to Tom as it does to Molly. Where Molly is perhaps one of the greatest protagonists for a story like this, Tom is one of the single greatest villains of all time. Molly is spellbinding on her quest to seek out freedom and justice, Tom is cruel and commanding as he controls those around him. Despite what an unlikable brute he is, despite the impact he has on Molly's tale, he somehow still manages to cast himself in a sympathetic light.
On its own, Molly's and, by extension, Tom's story would be a fantastic one. A tale that truly captivates and enthralls all readers. Unfortunately, the interludes that are peppered throughout this novel slice right through any and all of the narrative flow. As much as this was an innovative and creative idea from someone who is, clearly, a masterful storyteller, I do wish they had been absent from the novel entirely. However, as you can see from my 4-star rating, it was merely a slight annoyance, rather than something that seriously diminished this books impact.
August 9, 2023
tedious and slightly contrived...
September 8, 2023
The worst part is that I can’t even be mad that Kim was working on this while I was undergoing dissertation hell under her supervision because, damn, it’s good. I’d have ignored my emails too.
This is such a great take on the historical fiction novel, while adding just enough of a metafictional spin that it feels different from your typical history. Sherwood reimagines the world as it is now, but adds her own very niche folktale into the mix of the supposed very-real and often-forgotten life of Molly, a woman shipwright and ex-free-trader. It’s a story that’s filled with so much passion for the craft with characters that feel so real, it’s impossible to imagine they just sprung from Sherwood’s brain.
At it’s heart, this is a story about love and abuse, and the ways children must work to overcome the shadows of their parents and the scars left behind by the people who are meant to protect them. This story watches Molly grow from a scrap of a girl to a young teen unsure in their own body to a woman who finally understands what she wants from the world and stops at nothing to take it. The audience is forced to grow with Molly, and as she rises, so we see Tom fall. It’s all a story about cyclical movement and the patterns of both abuse and love. We see many versions of love for Molly from the men in her life, just as we see the love displayed by different women, or the ways love and abuse is used as a tool by other characters like Rhys and even Benedict. Sherwood treats love as something that walks a line of purity and selfishness and is not so easily fleshed out or understood.
The world itself is well laid out, and you can really see all the care and research Sherwood went into imagining 1700s Devon, as well as France. Every character was so interesting and vibrant, and the pacing made reading this story a breeze despite the heavy content. The only small thing was that while I liked the little interludes that imagined conversations between different literary persons, there were a few that fell a bit flat for me, and the very last one just felt out of place. Overall though, I thought they added a good flavour to the text.
It was a story that had something for everybody: action, adventure, romance, hatred, coming of age. Sherwood uses every bit of this story to her advantage, using it to display just how much women have affected the literary craft, and how equally they have been forgotten for doing so. This book shines a light on both girlhood and womanhood, and uses its vast array of female characters from Molly to Grace to Rhys to show just how society does it’s best to cloister women away, while it (the book) also offers them a space to fight back against this oppression of their very existence. The use of Tom—a man who cannot help but hurt the women he’s meant to love—as a stand in for the rest of the world was well-crafted, and all in all, Sherwood is the the queen of metaphor and allusion.
It’s a great story overall, and if it takes ten years to write a story like this, I think every second was very much worth it.
This is such a great take on the historical fiction novel, while adding just enough of a metafictional spin that it feels different from your typical history. Sherwood reimagines the world as it is now, but adds her own very niche folktale into the mix of the supposed very-real and often-forgotten life of Molly, a woman shipwright and ex-free-trader. It’s a story that’s filled with so much passion for the craft with characters that feel so real, it’s impossible to imagine they just sprung from Sherwood’s brain.
At it’s heart, this is a story about love and abuse, and the ways children must work to overcome the shadows of their parents and the scars left behind by the people who are meant to protect them. This story watches Molly grow from a scrap of a girl to a young teen unsure in their own body to a woman who finally understands what she wants from the world and stops at nothing to take it. The audience is forced to grow with Molly, and as she rises, so we see Tom fall. It’s all a story about cyclical movement and the patterns of both abuse and love. We see many versions of love for Molly from the men in her life, just as we see the love displayed by different women, or the ways love and abuse is used as a tool by other characters like Rhys and even Benedict. Sherwood treats love as something that walks a line of purity and selfishness and is not so easily fleshed out or understood.
The world itself is well laid out, and you can really see all the care and research Sherwood went into imagining 1700s Devon, as well as France. Every character was so interesting and vibrant, and the pacing made reading this story a breeze despite the heavy content. The only small thing was that while I liked the little interludes that imagined conversations between different literary persons, there were a few that fell a bit flat for me, and the very last one just felt out of place. Overall though, I thought they added a good flavour to the text.
It was a story that had something for everybody: action, adventure, romance, hatred, coming of age. Sherwood uses every bit of this story to her advantage, using it to display just how much women have affected the literary craft, and how equally they have been forgotten for doing so. This book shines a light on both girlhood and womanhood, and uses its vast array of female characters from Molly to Grace to Rhys to show just how society does it’s best to cloister women away, while it (the book) also offers them a space to fight back against this oppression of their very existence. The use of Tom—a man who cannot help but hurt the women he’s meant to love—as a stand in for the rest of the world was well-crafted, and all in all, Sherwood is the the queen of metaphor and allusion.
It’s a great story overall, and if it takes ten years to write a story like this, I think every second was very much worth it.
April 6, 2023
Hilary Mantel's praise that the book is filled to the brim with "literary ambition" is certainly true, but it fails, in certain occasions, to hit the mark. This book held so much promise, and in the first hundred pages or so I thought this might be a new favourite - its literary form is particularly unique and because of this the first third of the novel is exquisite. BUT half way through this begins to fail. Where it really declined was the weird incest-like relationship between Tom and Molly. Incestuous relations in literature are nothing new, and though always disturbing to read, in this novel it was particularly disturbing. It is bought up and continued for about a hundred pages, and then weirdly dropped. After the night in the cabin with Benedict and Tom it is simply never bought up again, and to be honest the book would have been so much better without it (and to be honest dropping the sub-plot with both Benedict and Charles too)
Ultimately, what this novel really lacked was consistency, if we would have heard more about Tom's love for Grace, or if Molly could have chosen a lover (or stayed single) this novel would have been so much better. If the alternative scenes (the ones in different type) had been more consistent and stayed with a character then again we would have connected so much more to these characters, who I felt like we heard once from and who we quickly forget)
But what saves this book is how well written in parts it is, and it being tied to a specific location (but here again having a more detailed description of the landscape would have made it so much more resonant). The structure of the novel was also a saving point, it is by far the most interestingly formatted contemporary novel I have recently read, and I wish Sherwood would have really developed that and run with it
3.25/5
Ultimately, what this novel really lacked was consistency, if we would have heard more about Tom's love for Grace, or if Molly could have chosen a lover (or stayed single) this novel would have been so much better. If the alternative scenes (the ones in different type) had been more consistent and stayed with a character then again we would have connected so much more to these characters, who I felt like we heard once from and who we quickly forget)
But what saves this book is how well written in parts it is, and it being tied to a specific location (but here again having a more detailed description of the landscape would have made it so much more resonant). The structure of the novel was also a saving point, it is by far the most interestingly formatted contemporary novel I have recently read, and I wish Sherwood would have really developed that and run with it
3.25/5
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 15, 2024
Such a mess.
Is simply telling a story too difficult?
Margit Lindeman
Finland
Is simply telling a story too difficult?
Margit Lindeman
Finland
March 3, 2023
A wild & true relation definitely takes the reader on a wild journey through time and I really enjoyed this tale. The reader can clearly see that Sherwood has done extensive research for this book with the details portrayed throughout. Sherwood is also an excellent storyteller and does transport the reader back to the 1700s. There are two narrative switches/font changes when this happens, which at the start I enjoyed but towards the end, I didn't really care for it as I wanted to continue reading on about Molly and Tom.
The beginning starts with a violent episode in which Molly's mother is murdered and Molly is taken into the care of Tom West and made to dress and pretend to be a boy, Orlando aboard the ship. The story of Molly reminded me a bit of another Irish historical figure Granuaile or Grace O'Malley (the pirate queen) as she is also known in English, where she too dressed as a boy/man in order to sail the seas. Such an interesting concept how women stepped outside the gender norms at the time to pursue something they wished to do or in the case of Molly in this story in order to protect her identity and live abroad on a ship peacefully for a certain time. I loved the character of Molly throughout, her strong mind and character, and her strive throughout her life to avenge her mother's death. Molly's character is beautifully written and the descriptions throughout really set the scene and paint the picture of the time and place. The story was definitely thought provoking long after reading.
However, this isn't the typical historical fiction book I tend to go for but I am glad I picked it up as I thoroughly enjoyed it and would recommend it! Thank you to the publishers and NetGalley for the advanced copy.
Synopsis from Goodreads:
A gripping feminist adventure story of smuggling and myth-making, by award-winning author Kim Sherwood.
A Wild & True Relation opens during the Great Storm of 1703, as smuggler Tom West confronts his lover Grace for betraying him to the Revenue. Leaving Grace’s cottage in flames, he takes her orphaned daughter Molly on board ship disguised as a boy to join his crew. But Molly, or Orlando as she must call herself, will grow up to outshine all the men of Tom’s company and seek revenge – and a legacy – all of her own.
Woven into Molly’s story are the writers – from Celia Fiennes and George Eliot to Daniel Defoe and Charles Dickens – who are transfixed by her myth and who, over three centuries, come together to solve the mystery of her life. With extraordinary verve , Sherwood remakes the eighteenth-century novel and challenges women’s writing and women’s roles throughout history.
The beginning starts with a violent episode in which Molly's mother is murdered and Molly is taken into the care of Tom West and made to dress and pretend to be a boy, Orlando aboard the ship. The story of Molly reminded me a bit of another Irish historical figure Granuaile or Grace O'Malley (the pirate queen) as she is also known in English, where she too dressed as a boy/man in order to sail the seas. Such an interesting concept how women stepped outside the gender norms at the time to pursue something they wished to do or in the case of Molly in this story in order to protect her identity and live abroad on a ship peacefully for a certain time. I loved the character of Molly throughout, her strong mind and character, and her strive throughout her life to avenge her mother's death. Molly's character is beautifully written and the descriptions throughout really set the scene and paint the picture of the time and place. The story was definitely thought provoking long after reading.
However, this isn't the typical historical fiction book I tend to go for but I am glad I picked it up as I thoroughly enjoyed it and would recommend it! Thank you to the publishers and NetGalley for the advanced copy.
Synopsis from Goodreads:
A gripping feminist adventure story of smuggling and myth-making, by award-winning author Kim Sherwood.
A Wild & True Relation opens during the Great Storm of 1703, as smuggler Tom West confronts his lover Grace for betraying him to the Revenue. Leaving Grace’s cottage in flames, he takes her orphaned daughter Molly on board ship disguised as a boy to join his crew. But Molly, or Orlando as she must call herself, will grow up to outshine all the men of Tom’s company and seek revenge – and a legacy – all of her own.
Woven into Molly’s story are the writers – from Celia Fiennes and George Eliot to Daniel Defoe and Charles Dickens – who are transfixed by her myth and who, over three centuries, come together to solve the mystery of her life. With extraordinary verve , Sherwood remakes the eighteenth-century novel and challenges women’s writing and women’s roles throughout history.
September 6, 2023
DNF 64%
If they had ended this book on page 273 I would have rated it 3 or 4 stars. However, they pushed the ending of the book when they didn’t need to, and it turned weird.
The book was already very dense, as most historical fictions tend to be, but they added more content that felt unnecessary, like a link to a second book forced into one. There were weirdly sexual scenes between Molly and Tom, and I believe it was implied Benedict and Molly had sex (or kissed at the very least), when he has been one of her caretakers since she was 6 years old, and I’m just not alright with that.
The character of Dick English surviving three or four close calls with death felt too forced, too “main antagonist-y” for my taste. Once or twice, sure, but the continued forced survival? Big No.
The symbolism of fire was also pushed far too hard for my liking. Every big moment, fire was involved. Dick got set on fire twice or thrice, Hellard died to fire, Tom was born to fire, this and that and everything, it felt poetic the first couple of times but again, just got too forced for me.
The book also showed Tom to be mildly homophobic towards one of his crew, when historical pirates were very alright with gay marriage, seen through the fact that they had plans in place for if the captain (always a man, few exceptions) wanted to marry the first mate (almost always a man) on the ship, and who could legally do that.
I’m rambling now. Overall, I quiet enjoyed the first section, dense as it was, but just can’t commit to finishing the book right now. It may get better, and I may revisit it in a week or two when I have the energy (and no other books waiting for me), but for now I just can’t put in the time with hope it’ll change.
If they had ended this book on page 273 I would have rated it 3 or 4 stars. However, they pushed the ending of the book when they didn’t need to, and it turned weird.
The book was already very dense, as most historical fictions tend to be, but they added more content that felt unnecessary, like a link to a second book forced into one. There were weirdly sexual scenes between Molly and Tom, and I believe it was implied Benedict and Molly had sex (or kissed at the very least), when he has been one of her caretakers since she was 6 years old, and I’m just not alright with that.
The character of Dick English surviving three or four close calls with death felt too forced, too “main antagonist-y” for my taste. Once or twice, sure, but the continued forced survival? Big No.
The symbolism of fire was also pushed far too hard for my liking. Every big moment, fire was involved. Dick got set on fire twice or thrice, Hellard died to fire, Tom was born to fire, this and that and everything, it felt poetic the first couple of times but again, just got too forced for me.
The book also showed Tom to be mildly homophobic towards one of his crew, when historical pirates were very alright with gay marriage, seen through the fact that they had plans in place for if the captain (always a man, few exceptions) wanted to marry the first mate (almost always a man) on the ship, and who could legally do that.
I’m rambling now. Overall, I quiet enjoyed the first section, dense as it was, but just can’t commit to finishing the book right now. It may get better, and I may revisit it in a week or two when I have the energy (and no other books waiting for me), but for now I just can’t put in the time with hope it’ll change.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 25, 2023
I had recently enjoyed Kim Sherwood’s 007 novel and the late great Hilary Mantel said this is remarkable so I made my request for this without reading much about it. The story has a deep sense of place; the descriptions of the Devon and Brittany of the free-traders and merchants are lovingly detailed. The scenes throughout are evocative, cinematic even, especially in the prologue amidst The Great Storm of 1703.
There are interesting and believable characters throughout, not least Molly who lives as a boy by her own choosing and, with smuggler kingpin Tom West and his crew, out of necessity. With so many people keeping secrets or avoiding telling the truth, it’s hard to know who can be believed. A number of characters made choices I’d never have guessed at, loyalties ever-shifting and a betrayal always on the cards.
I found A Wild & True Relation something of a slow burner; I could have taken or left it in the early part of the book but by halfway through I had to know how it panned out. As well as the main narrative of the free-traders being interspersed with Tom’s memories and excerpts from Grace’s journal, interleaved are Sherwood’s notes for a lecture on women and writing that are themselves followed by passages of imagined real life among a Who’s Who of literary England, from Samuel Johnson to Charles Dickens. Each highlights the lack of opportunities and hurdles that existed for women over centuries. If all that makes it sound bitty or contrived, fear not – it all fits together beautifully.
I received a free proof copy of this book via NetGalley in return for an honest review.
There are interesting and believable characters throughout, not least Molly who lives as a boy by her own choosing and, with smuggler kingpin Tom West and his crew, out of necessity. With so many people keeping secrets or avoiding telling the truth, it’s hard to know who can be believed. A number of characters made choices I’d never have guessed at, loyalties ever-shifting and a betrayal always on the cards.
I found A Wild & True Relation something of a slow burner; I could have taken or left it in the early part of the book but by halfway through I had to know how it panned out. As well as the main narrative of the free-traders being interspersed with Tom’s memories and excerpts from Grace’s journal, interleaved are Sherwood’s notes for a lecture on women and writing that are themselves followed by passages of imagined real life among a Who’s Who of literary England, from Samuel Johnson to Charles Dickens. Each highlights the lack of opportunities and hurdles that existed for women over centuries. If all that makes it sound bitty or contrived, fear not – it all fits together beautifully.
I received a free proof copy of this book via NetGalley in return for an honest review.
February 1, 2023
Set in Free Trader's Devon in the 1700s, this is historical fiction like I've never read before and I loved it. It was so different to anything I've read before - I highly recommend to any historical fiction lovers.
It follows the story of legendary free trader, Tom West, his lover, Grace and her daughter, Molly. After Grace is brutally murdered (not a spoiler, its right in the first pages 😅), Tom vows to look after her 6 year old daughter Molly who he disguises as a boy called Orlando and takes on board his ship where she grows up at sea to be one of the crew. As the story progresses, Tom and his crew share in adventure, lies, deceit, smuggling and mystery as more information about Grace's murder comes to light and Molly seeks revenge for the murder of her mother.
The book addresses lots of issues surrounding women's voice and power over their life but it definitely isn't the type of feminist novel where all women are good and want good things and all men are powerful and prevent them. The characters are often morally grey and have you really thinking about their choices, often some you don't expect them to make and reading on especially for them.
It is a very character centred novel, all of which are written so beautifully and believable that even though it is a bit of a slow burning book, I was super invested in what happened to them.
The story is also interwoven with extracts from female literary figures that are interested in Molly West's story. I found this so interesting and so expertly woven in at the right time. It added depth and skill to the prose that I wasn't expecting.
It follows the story of legendary free trader, Tom West, his lover, Grace and her daughter, Molly. After Grace is brutally murdered (not a spoiler, its right in the first pages 😅), Tom vows to look after her 6 year old daughter Molly who he disguises as a boy called Orlando and takes on board his ship where she grows up at sea to be one of the crew. As the story progresses, Tom and his crew share in adventure, lies, deceit, smuggling and mystery as more information about Grace's murder comes to light and Molly seeks revenge for the murder of her mother.
The book addresses lots of issues surrounding women's voice and power over their life but it definitely isn't the type of feminist novel where all women are good and want good things and all men are powerful and prevent them. The characters are often morally grey and have you really thinking about their choices, often some you don't expect them to make and reading on especially for them.
It is a very character centred novel, all of which are written so beautifully and believable that even though it is a bit of a slow burning book, I was super invested in what happened to them.
The story is also interwoven with extracts from female literary figures that are interested in Molly West's story. I found this so interesting and so expertly woven in at the right time. It added depth and skill to the prose that I wasn't expecting.
February 11, 2023
This is an intelligent and literary novel and a damned good story. The author’s skill in changing the pace and direction of the narrative was a joy to read and the interleaved sections cleverly supported the narrative as well as telling a story of their own even though they interrupted the story at rather dramatic moments.
A cracking start on a stormy night with murder, mayhem, love and betrayal sets the scene for a tale of smuggling, revenue men and a pursuit both for justice and revenge. The characters and setting are convincing, the detail of the period, especially the dialogue, specific and obviously well researched. I loved Molly, torn from her roots, protected by Tom and loved by Benedict. Her coming to terms with the life she was leading and the future that was coming was at times heartbreaking but also inspiring. Dick English proved a worthy adversary and nemesis not to be thwarted. The atmosphere is frequently charged with high emotion particularly between Tom and Molly and while early hints suggest an ending, the ongoing path is gripping and compulsive.
The ending is satisfying, bringing to a close Molly’s story and justifying the interleaved homage to women’s writing. If I read the book again though I would omit these sections for a more fluid reading experience. The contrasting writing style of' the 'notes for a speech' particularly jarred with the main narrative.
A wonderful story and I look forward to reading more from this author.
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for an advanced reader copy.
A cracking start on a stormy night with murder, mayhem, love and betrayal sets the scene for a tale of smuggling, revenue men and a pursuit both for justice and revenge. The characters and setting are convincing, the detail of the period, especially the dialogue, specific and obviously well researched. I loved Molly, torn from her roots, protected by Tom and loved by Benedict. Her coming to terms with the life she was leading and the future that was coming was at times heartbreaking but also inspiring. Dick English proved a worthy adversary and nemesis not to be thwarted. The atmosphere is frequently charged with high emotion particularly between Tom and Molly and while early hints suggest an ending, the ongoing path is gripping and compulsive.
The ending is satisfying, bringing to a close Molly’s story and justifying the interleaved homage to women’s writing. If I read the book again though I would omit these sections for a more fluid reading experience. The contrasting writing style of' the 'notes for a speech' particularly jarred with the main narrative.
A wonderful story and I look forward to reading more from this author.
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for an advanced reader copy.
January 19, 2023
I found this very slow going to begin with, to the extent that I almost gave up on it, but it gradually developed into a compelling story and towards the end I started to enjoy it and care about the characters. It tells the story of Grace, Molly and Tom in 18th century Devon. Tom is a dashing smuggler and classic hero type, save for a penchant for beating up the women in his life. Grace is his lover, and Molly is Grace's daughter, brought up by Tom as his own and striving to carve out a path to freedom for herself in a man's world. There are a lot of themes going on in the novel, mainly around the silencing and treatment of women in society over the years, which although laudable did feel shoehorned in at times and perhaps laid on a little thick. However, I did admire the fact that, notwithstanding the points she is trying to get across, the author was prepared to make Tom a complex, well rounded character with good points as well as bad: this isn't the type of feminist novel where all men are evil and all women are perfect. And the relationship between abuser and abused is explored here in a way which is genuinely thought provoking.
So overall, something of a slow burn that (just about) rewarded perseverance. I would recommend if you do read if that you focus on the Tom/Grace/Molly story arc and skip through the annoying modern bits that are occasionally interwoven with it. Thanks to the author, publisher and NetGalley for an ARC in return for an honest review.
So overall, something of a slow burn that (just about) rewarded perseverance. I would recommend if you do read if that you focus on the Tom/Grace/Molly story arc and skip through the annoying modern bits that are occasionally interwoven with it. Thanks to the author, publisher and NetGalley for an ARC in return for an honest review.
February 5, 2023
4.5 stars
I picked this book up just after seeing the play Orlando (based on Virginia Woolf’s novel) and imagine my surprise that it’s about a girl named Molly who is pretending to be a boy named Orlando. Now, although this seems like a coincidence, this book is perhaps a mini homage to Woolf’s book, as she is frequently referenced throughout. More on that later.
At its heart, A Wild & True Relation is a swashbuckling adventure with duels, betrayal, lust and love; it instantly gripped me and made me want to run away to Devon and join a dastardly crew to sail the Seven Seas! But it is actually a deep and insightful analysis on female identity that is explored through its characters – both real and imagined – over time.
Molly’s story on its own would be a fabulous one, as Sherwood writes vividly about her love for being free when she is Orlando, but also wanting to be able to do what she likes and be herself without hiding away. Her love of the rugged landscape strewn with cliffs is almost a metaphor for her feelings towards Tom and the crew – despite the desire and desire for other avenues, something keeps pulling her back.
Molly’s tale is intertwined with her role in literature, and features scenes and letters from many authors who have examined and enjoyed her story over time. I’m slightly torn about this; much as I found these pieces of information about Dickens, Defoe and others, extremely interesting, they did upset the flow of the book. I’m not sure if I’d have preferred them at the end, in a separate section or not (as this might not have worked either), but when reading, these interruptions took me out of Molly’s story.
Characters are rich and diverse, ranging from free trader rapscallions to society ladies, Samuel Johnson and Robert Louis Stevenson. Women are at the core of this book, but they are written with flaws, seeking fame, vengeance and – perhaps most importantly – acceptance.
Although it is a slow burn, and there is repetition, I loved this book. Swordfights and heroics, combined with danger, betrayal and a quest to belong, make for an extremely gripping story. There are a few unanswered questions, but something about Molly’s story struck me and I am still thinking about it weeks later.
I picked this book up just after seeing the play Orlando (based on Virginia Woolf’s novel) and imagine my surprise that it’s about a girl named Molly who is pretending to be a boy named Orlando. Now, although this seems like a coincidence, this book is perhaps a mini homage to Woolf’s book, as she is frequently referenced throughout. More on that later.
At its heart, A Wild & True Relation is a swashbuckling adventure with duels, betrayal, lust and love; it instantly gripped me and made me want to run away to Devon and join a dastardly crew to sail the Seven Seas! But it is actually a deep and insightful analysis on female identity that is explored through its characters – both real and imagined – over time.
Molly’s story on its own would be a fabulous one, as Sherwood writes vividly about her love for being free when she is Orlando, but also wanting to be able to do what she likes and be herself without hiding away. Her love of the rugged landscape strewn with cliffs is almost a metaphor for her feelings towards Tom and the crew – despite the desire and desire for other avenues, something keeps pulling her back.
Molly’s tale is intertwined with her role in literature, and features scenes and letters from many authors who have examined and enjoyed her story over time. I’m slightly torn about this; much as I found these pieces of information about Dickens, Defoe and others, extremely interesting, they did upset the flow of the book. I’m not sure if I’d have preferred them at the end, in a separate section or not (as this might not have worked either), but when reading, these interruptions took me out of Molly’s story.
Characters are rich and diverse, ranging from free trader rapscallions to society ladies, Samuel Johnson and Robert Louis Stevenson. Women are at the core of this book, but they are written with flaws, seeking fame, vengeance and – perhaps most importantly – acceptance.
Although it is a slow burn, and there is repetition, I loved this book. Swordfights and heroics, combined with danger, betrayal and a quest to belong, make for an extremely gripping story. There are a few unanswered questions, but something about Molly’s story struck me and I am still thinking about it weeks later.
February 18, 2024
I really struggled to give this book a rating. I was so excited, not least when I realised that the book is heavily set in Plymouth and the surrounding area (where I currently live); given I had no idea when I picked up the book that this was the case, it was a nice surprise. I was also really keen to see how the author was going to interweave all these famous historic authors. But I struggled so much at first with the book - the writing style, the breaking up of the plot with other sections. I knew what the author was trying to achieve, but didn't think it was really working. I felt the feminist angle was sometimes a bit overplayed, and dialogue could feel clunky sometimes; because of that, there were times when I didn't really know what was happening in the plot (e.g the madame Rhys episode). I also felt like the identity of the murderer of Grace was pretty obvious from almost the very beginning, so wasn't sure why the book took so long to get down to it.
Then, suddenly, on page 200 and something, I couldn't put it down. Read the rest in one evening. The plot picked up, felt like the character arcs were really interesting, a melancholy yet realistic ending, and I think I finally understood the interwoven extra stories. So, a somewhat arbitrary 4 stars because you can't do decimals here.
Then, suddenly, on page 200 and something, I couldn't put it down. Read the rest in one evening. The plot picked up, felt like the character arcs were really interesting, a melancholy yet realistic ending, and I think I finally understood the interwoven extra stories. So, a somewhat arbitrary 4 stars because you can't do decimals here.
December 24, 2022
I suspect A Wild and True Relation will be a bit of a marmite book. There’s a lot to like but it’s not going to be for everyone. I really enjoy historical fiction, particularly those which are woven around truth. Kim Sherwood is attempting to present fact and fiction in a rather complicated way and there were times when I found the narrative a little confusing.
In essence it’s a tale of revenge. But it’s also one which touches on the strength of women in the face of every adversity. It’s a rollicking pirates tale, at one level with a cast of colourful characters and incredible settings. I enjoyed those bits. I understand why there are attempts to include Dickens, Eliot, Defoe etc., but for me, this doesn’t work quite as well and slows the overall pace. There’s repetition and which again breaks the pace and plot and although I don’t usually mind switch of narrative point, there are times in this book when it was difficult to follow what was going on. It’s a book I wanted to live. I have a soft spot for pirates and love the mystery and intrigue that surrounds those buccaneering days. But this didn’t quite hit that sweet spot.
My thanks to the publisher for a review copy via Netgalley.
In essence it’s a tale of revenge. But it’s also one which touches on the strength of women in the face of every adversity. It’s a rollicking pirates tale, at one level with a cast of colourful characters and incredible settings. I enjoyed those bits. I understand why there are attempts to include Dickens, Eliot, Defoe etc., but for me, this doesn’t work quite as well and slows the overall pace. There’s repetition and which again breaks the pace and plot and although I don’t usually mind switch of narrative point, there are times in this book when it was difficult to follow what was going on. It’s a book I wanted to live. I have a soft spot for pirates and love the mystery and intrigue that surrounds those buccaneering days. But this didn’t quite hit that sweet spot.
My thanks to the publisher for a review copy via Netgalley.
November 18, 2022
I grew up in Devon. I LOVE smugglers and the local history. I am a history and literature nerd - and the idea of connecting Johnson to Dickens to Eliot and the women who were lost in the process really floats my boat. Somehow, this just missed the mark for me, and maybe that's why I'm scoring it 3 stars rather than 4 - because my expectations were so high.
It's a great story, and there are bits of it that are fabulously written - it's definitely an action-led narrative. The glimpses into Tom, Molly/Orlando and Richard's characters and their development/ inner struggles that pushed the action forward was great.
My biggest problem with this was the pacing - there were parts that seemed a bit repetitive, others that were a bit slow. I love the idea of the interweaving of other writers discovering this story was a beautiful idea, but sometimes felt a bit confusing. It felt like the kind of book that I would normally rip through, but it took me much longer to read, and I'm not 100% sure why.
There are definitely people who I would recommend this to, but it isn't a universal EVERYONE SHOULD READ THIS BOOK, for me.
Thank you Netgalley for the ARC
It's a great story, and there are bits of it that are fabulously written - it's definitely an action-led narrative. The glimpses into Tom, Molly/Orlando and Richard's characters and their development/ inner struggles that pushed the action forward was great.
My biggest problem with this was the pacing - there were parts that seemed a bit repetitive, others that were a bit slow. I love the idea of the interweaving of other writers discovering this story was a beautiful idea, but sometimes felt a bit confusing. It felt like the kind of book that I would normally rip through, but it took me much longer to read, and I'm not 100% sure why.
There are definitely people who I would recommend this to, but it isn't a universal EVERYONE SHOULD READ THIS BOOK, for me.
Thank you Netgalley for the ARC
February 25, 2023
Kim Sherwood is one of those authors who refuses to be trapped in one genre or another. She's written historical fiction about the Holocaust. She's written James Bond. And here she is telling, with great verve and with a strand of modern relevance, a story of smugglers, Revenue men and seadogs in early 18th century Devon, Queen Anne's time.
But A Wild & True Relation is so much more than that, really it is.
It's the tale of Molly - Orlando - a young girl brought up aboard ship by smugglers as a boy, after her mother is killed in a mysterious scuffle involving notorious 'free trader' Tom West, Revenue man Dick English, and one of West's crew.
Orlando grows up determined to take revenge against English, who he blames for his mother's death. Influenced and schooled by West, he/ she becomes an accomplished sailor, something that would never be allowed a girl or woman, and indeed a perfect smuggler, something only a hair's breadth from being a pirate. But it's a time when the free traders are popular - 'Watch the wall, my darling, when the gentlemen go by' - and West lords it over Devon like a king, any and all manner of sins being forgiven or at least overlooked... for now.
But there's more! A Wild & True Relation may be rooted in stormy 18th century Devon but it grows out into other ages, other places too. Molly's/ Orlando's story is elusive, contradictory - one of the themes of this book, indeed, with nothing sure and certain, facts slippery and events liable to be reimagined - but it comes to the attention of a succession of writers: Mrs Thrale and Doctor Johnson, Daniel Defoe and Celia Fiennes, Charles Dickens, and eventually, Robert Louis Stevenson. We see the story become a touchstone, as characters look for a personal connection with Molly, eventually the 'lady shipwright" of Devonport, as it is reworked into filmscript, travelogue and more.
A common feature of the reworking is the appropriation of women's writing, imagination, life by men, something coolly commented on by a modern voice writing a series of lectures to be given commemorating Virginia Wolf at Girton College, Oxford (Orlando, of course!) I really enjoyed these interpolations. While the story of Orlando/ Molly is (I think!) fictitious, the descriptions given, and judgements made, of how cerated male writers used the woman around them are factual - and pretty scathing. Putting into those hands a narrative of a woman who who did whatever it took not to be so used - neither by the hand of officialdom nor by a romantic rogue - is a great corrective. There is a golden thread running through this book that, come what may, in the end Molly will be heard.
In the strangest sense, that very modern sensibility makes the romantic, salt-splashed narrative of three hundred years ago seem even more immediate, its themes and issues even more alive and present, than if it were just another romance of the sea, of which we have plenty (and I'm not saying that's a bad thing!)
Really, really good, fun to read and with a sharp core - or might I say a blade? - of steel at its heart
But A Wild & True Relation is so much more than that, really it is.
It's the tale of Molly - Orlando - a young girl brought up aboard ship by smugglers as a boy, after her mother is killed in a mysterious scuffle involving notorious 'free trader' Tom West, Revenue man Dick English, and one of West's crew.
Orlando grows up determined to take revenge against English, who he blames for his mother's death. Influenced and schooled by West, he/ she becomes an accomplished sailor, something that would never be allowed a girl or woman, and indeed a perfect smuggler, something only a hair's breadth from being a pirate. But it's a time when the free traders are popular - 'Watch the wall, my darling, when the gentlemen go by' - and West lords it over Devon like a king, any and all manner of sins being forgiven or at least overlooked... for now.
But there's more! A Wild & True Relation may be rooted in stormy 18th century Devon but it grows out into other ages, other places too. Molly's/ Orlando's story is elusive, contradictory - one of the themes of this book, indeed, with nothing sure and certain, facts slippery and events liable to be reimagined - but it comes to the attention of a succession of writers: Mrs Thrale and Doctor Johnson, Daniel Defoe and Celia Fiennes, Charles Dickens, and eventually, Robert Louis Stevenson. We see the story become a touchstone, as characters look for a personal connection with Molly, eventually the 'lady shipwright" of Devonport, as it is reworked into filmscript, travelogue and more.
A common feature of the reworking is the appropriation of women's writing, imagination, life by men, something coolly commented on by a modern voice writing a series of lectures to be given commemorating Virginia Wolf at Girton College, Oxford (Orlando, of course!) I really enjoyed these interpolations. While the story of Orlando/ Molly is (I think!) fictitious, the descriptions given, and judgements made, of how cerated male writers used the woman around them are factual - and pretty scathing. Putting into those hands a narrative of a woman who who did whatever it took not to be so used - neither by the hand of officialdom nor by a romantic rogue - is a great corrective. There is a golden thread running through this book that, come what may, in the end Molly will be heard.
In the strangest sense, that very modern sensibility makes the romantic, salt-splashed narrative of three hundred years ago seem even more immediate, its themes and issues even more alive and present, than if it were just another romance of the sea, of which we have plenty (and I'm not saying that's a bad thing!)
Really, really good, fun to read and with a sharp core - or might I say a blade? - of steel at its heart
November 24, 2022
A Wild and True Relation by Kim Sherwood
Thank you Netgalley and Little, Brown Book Group UK for a copy for an unbiased review.
This is a book that ultimately will be enjoyed by many who like a certain style of historical fiction, and there undoubtedly be others who might struggle with it. I personally really enjoyed the book. I feel it did what I expected it to.
The descriptions were vivid, and the characters engaging throughout. It was a book that had a lot of scope and it did so unapologetically.
The whole premise was certainly interesting and although as with many books of this kind, perhaps not for the purists of historical events or people, I felt this book was able to show us women's voices that felt real to the events and time.
The only reason I have this at 4 stars and not the full 5 is it felt a little repetitive in relatively few instances. It was barely notable admittedly but it just shaved that star off for me. Others might be happy to give it 5 stars regardless.
If expansive History fiction focusing on the female voice is your thing, I'd highly recommend this.
4/5 stars 🌟
Thank you Netgalley and Little, Brown Book Group UK for a copy for an unbiased review.
This is a book that ultimately will be enjoyed by many who like a certain style of historical fiction, and there undoubtedly be others who might struggle with it. I personally really enjoyed the book. I feel it did what I expected it to.
The descriptions were vivid, and the characters engaging throughout. It was a book that had a lot of scope and it did so unapologetically.
The whole premise was certainly interesting and although as with many books of this kind, perhaps not for the purists of historical events or people, I felt this book was able to show us women's voices that felt real to the events and time.
The only reason I have this at 4 stars and not the full 5 is it felt a little repetitive in relatively few instances. It was barely notable admittedly but it just shaved that star off for me. Others might be happy to give it 5 stars regardless.
If expansive History fiction focusing on the female voice is your thing, I'd highly recommend this.
4/5 stars 🌟
October 23, 2023
Swashbuckling feminist adventure. Wild Tom West takes on orphan Molly after being partially responsible for killing her mother. Since women are deemed unlucky on board ship Tom turns Molly into Orlando and rears him as a powder monkey..Tom is a Free Trader and seen as a rescuer for the people of Portsmouth and the people of Roscoff.
But retribution catches up with him He's clapped into prison, humiliated and once Molly discovers he's her mother's killer, deserted by her. But of course she has second thoughts.
About two thirds of the way through I sensed the book was struggling. Molly seemed constantly confused about her loyalties and the last third was repetitive. I wasn't sure author Kim Sherwood knew how to end.
There were occasional inserts of information about Dr Johnson and others who similarly tried to research Tom West's story and write their own versions; these annoying asides breaking up the narrative. I felt that in about 10 years time Sherwood should grasp the last chapters and shake them with a firm rewrite.
But retribution catches up with him He's clapped into prison, humiliated and once Molly discovers he's her mother's killer, deserted by her. But of course she has second thoughts.
About two thirds of the way through I sensed the book was struggling. Molly seemed constantly confused about her loyalties and the last third was repetitive. I wasn't sure author Kim Sherwood knew how to end.
There were occasional inserts of information about Dr Johnson and others who similarly tried to research Tom West's story and write their own versions; these annoying asides breaking up the narrative. I felt that in about 10 years time Sherwood should grasp the last chapters and shake them with a firm rewrite.
January 21, 2023
Following the murder of her mother, seven-year old Molly, is taken in by her mother’s lover, Tom West. Tom, who is a smuggler, takes Molly onboard his ship, where she lives disguised as a boy. The story follows Molly as she works to avenge her mother’s death and secure her future. Molly’s story is interleaved by extracts featuring female literary figures, who were overlooked or hidden in their own time, who are fascinated by the mystery of Molly West.
The story is narratively interesting, with constant narrator and time shifts. These shifts run fluidly, but do take a degree of concentration to keep up with. The prose is beautifully written and evocative, and the story obviously well researched. The themes of gender, identity, feminism and myth-making are explored with freshness and skill.
The story is narratively interesting, with constant narrator and time shifts. These shifts run fluidly, but do take a degree of concentration to keep up with. The prose is beautifully written and evocative, and the story obviously well researched. The themes of gender, identity, feminism and myth-making are explored with freshness and skill.
April 30, 2025
Devestated by this book. It was recommended to me by one of the magical book elves of Mr. B's Emporium after I told them I had read a book about a woman pirate and loved it, and that I wanted more badass ladies of the sea. She hit this recommendation out of the park.
The way this book takes apart women's relationship to men and to themselves, it upended all the thoughts I had of myself and of feminism, up until now. I didn't know there were any unexplored facets remaining, but...here we are. Gonna sit quitely with this one some more until I develop more solid thoughts. It's like being unexpectedly punched in the face. Gotta recover from that a little.
Please note, writing style may require patience.
The way this book takes apart women's relationship to men and to themselves, it upended all the thoughts I had of myself and of feminism, up until now. I didn't know there were any unexplored facets remaining, but...here we are. Gonna sit quitely with this one some more until I develop more solid thoughts. It's like being unexpectedly punched in the face. Gotta recover from that a little.
Please note, writing style may require patience.
July 11, 2025
I really enjoyed the main story about Molly and this book could easily have been 4 or 5 stars for me if I hadn’t kept being interrupted by the interludes. I didn’t ‘hate’ them exactly but just really resented being taken out of the main story.
I also massively got the ick when Tom and Molly started flirting and having weirdly sexually tense scenes together. For a feminist novel I hated that Molly could even entertain sexual feelings towards the guy who was basically her father. I felt we got dangerously close to romanticising a man who was not only a serial abuser of women but also a murderer. I could understand Mollys conflict, but felt he got away far too lightly, so I finished the book a bit disappointed.
I also massively got the ick when Tom and Molly started flirting and having weirdly sexually tense scenes together. For a feminist novel I hated that Molly could even entertain sexual feelings towards the guy who was basically her father. I felt we got dangerously close to romanticising a man who was not only a serial abuser of women but also a murderer. I could understand Mollys conflict, but felt he got away far too lightly, so I finished the book a bit disappointed.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 3, 2023
This is an excellent read on a huge topic. The most important aspect is that it emphasises the fact that if we suppress the talents of women, asking them to conform to a stereotype their talent will come to the fore anyway. It acknowledges that femininity is not a monochromatic concept but is diverse and we have spent far too long suppressing its full expression. It develops a really interesting character in Tom, at once tender and loving, but more often violent. In a stunning climax, Molly in coming to realise his full nastiness can not forget the mutual love they share. Wow. Read this book!
March 22, 2023
I am not sure about this book. A slow start with some of the text being a bit confusing due to portraying the way people spoke in the 18th century, but it does improve and has a good ending. Kim Sherwood tells a swashbuckling story, her descriptions especially of the countryside are lovely. The inclusion of well-known writers of the following eras does not really blend in despite references back to Tom and Molly. It would have been better to have made two books out of this, as what Sherwood wrote in defence of women writers in those days made very interesting reading. Not a book I would recommend to everyone.
May 1, 2024
Pirates, feminism, adventure and revenge. All written by the author penning the new James Bond books. On paper, this book had so much promise but I struggled to connect with it like I hoped.
There are some interesting themes written into the story, and Sherwood is clearly an accomplished writer. I found the back and forth timeline tedious, and I felt like I was constantly waiting for the plot to get going… even at the half way mark. It’s certainly a slow burn which isn’t what I was hoping for in this novel, and is part of the reason I didn’t rate this higher.
Don’t let this put you off though, I’m sure this book will be loved by many.
There are some interesting themes written into the story, and Sherwood is clearly an accomplished writer. I found the back and forth timeline tedious, and I felt like I was constantly waiting for the plot to get going… even at the half way mark. It’s certainly a slow burn which isn’t what I was hoping for in this novel, and is part of the reason I didn’t rate this higher.
Don’t let this put you off though, I’m sure this book will be loved by many.
November 14, 2022
A Wild & True Relation by Kim Sherwood
Not my usual read but I found this book totally engrossing with a brilliant plot.
It has everything to keep you interested until the very end. Intrigue , love , murder , smuggling , drama - the lot.
We mainly follow Molly from a child who has an unusual life ( an understatement ) and those around her that strive to keep her safe .
Great characters , wonderful descriptions of the sights and smells of the era.
A cracking , rip roaring , often heartbraking read.
Not my usual read but I found this book totally engrossing with a brilliant plot.
It has everything to keep you interested until the very end. Intrigue , love , murder , smuggling , drama - the lot.
We mainly follow Molly from a child who has an unusual life ( an understatement ) and those around her that strive to keep her safe .
Great characters , wonderful descriptions of the sights and smells of the era.
A cracking , rip roaring , often heartbraking read.
September 20, 2023
A feminist swashbuckler taking place in the early 1700s as British sailing was taking off before the Age of Exploration. It comes with a superb, gutsy heroine along with literary flair and imagination. The plot is interlaced with imaginary encounters between notable writers and their friends and colleagues like George Eliot, Charles Dickens and Daniel Defoe shining a lens on the obstacles faced by early female writers. If you read it, be sure to read the opening chapter twice. It's a better start than reading it once.
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