Wildtrack

by Rose Tremain, Jeffrey Fisher (Illustrator)

Rose Tremain's fiction often finds itself drawn into the 'wide skies and watery byways' of East Anglia. The short stories gathered in Wildtrack, selected from her collections published over three decades, convey the sense of isolation, darkness and secrecy the region a sense that has long fired Tremain's imagination. At first sight, these four stories might seem to have little in common apart from their East Anglian settings. But some of the protagonists also share a feeling of anxiety that there is something wrong or missing in their lives which they must confront. The title story, Wildtrack, and Peerless both tackle the question of how we find meaning in a secular life, while in A Shooting Season, the main character believes she has found a safe haven, free from intervention of any kind but then The Past makes an appearance.

79 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2011

About the author

Dame Rose Tremain is an acclaimed English novelist and short story writer, celebrated for her distinctive approach to historical fiction and her focus on characters who exist on the margins of society. Educated at the Sorbonne and the University of East Anglia, where she later taught creative writing and served as Chancellor, Tremain has produced a rich body of work spanning novels, short stories, plays, and memoir. Influenced by writers such as William Golding and Gabriel García Márquez, her narratives often blend psychological depth with lyrical prose.
Among her many honors, she has received the Whitbread Award for Music and Silence, the Orange Prize for The Road Home, and the National Jewish Book Award for The Gustav Sonata. She was shortlisted for the Booker Prize for Restoration and has been recognized multiple times by the Walter Scott Prize for Historical Fiction. In 2020, she was appointed Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire for her services to literature. Tremain lives in Norfolk and continues to write, with her recent novel Absolutely and Forever shortlisted for the 2024 Walter Scott Prize.

Reviews

[Rachel Edney · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5/5
I just picked this collection of short stories up randomly at the library and WHAT A DELIGHT. Rose captures feelings of loss, love, nostalgia, grief, and longing so beautifully. Im distressed

[Novalinnhe Rowe · Rating 4 out of 5]

So, I actually ended up with this book by accident! I'd ordered an interior decorating guide online, yet - somehow - Wildtrack showed up.

After an odd dispute with the retailer (who eventually realised they'd never actually stocked said decorating guide), I was reimbursed for the mistake and allowed to keep the book. As it happens, this all coincided with a growing desire to get back into my old childhood hobby of reading fiction, and so a few days later I sat down and turned to the first page.

In a peculiar twist of fate, Wildtrack ended up being exactly the book I needed.

Split into four short stories set in the "wide skies and watery byways of East Anglia" (Tremain's words), Wildtrack is an interesting, meandering look at four people whose lives have crossed paths with the East Anglian landscape in some way. We have a man who has grown old, nestled within it; a teenage girl, to whom her fledgling life experiences it has played host; a divorced woman seeking temporary shelter and solace, hidden inside of it; and a wandering man, who comes and goes yet always returns to the well-worn memories trodden into its soil.

The book was perfect. Each story is very different to the last, and fairly short - maybe 15-20 pages each - so I was able to dip in and out easily. Each story also has a piece of abstract artwork (by Jeff Fisher) which you open up to as you read, further conveying either the plot or the emotional notes the author wished to convey with the story.

I fell in love with the wonderful imagery Tremain conjures of the landscapes of her beloved home, and really appreciated the "fragment in time" way each of the stories is told. They are fleeting glimpses into a passing moment of a person's life, and as a woman slowly settling into the rhythms of adulthood, I guess it was comforting to feel as though wonder could be drawn from every stage of life.

I've rated it 4/5 because one of the stories is more of a romance, and I'm generally not fond of those. That aside, I would hugely recommend Wildtrack to anyone looking for something short but beautiful to read, and a special thank you to Ms Tremain for rekindling my excitement for reading again.

[Vickie · Rating 4 out of 5]

2010. Four short stories by Rose Tremain, set in East Anglia, where she lives.

[Christine Williams · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good stories. Easy to read.

[Mrs D. J. Knapp · Rating 5 out of 5]

While I was reading this book I remembered what a good writer Rose Tremain is: four short, exquisitely written stories all calmly told and gently ended

[Carol · Rating 5 out of 5]

Four perfect short stories beautifully illustrated.