A summary of sorts:
Wildthorn was a great story of the difficulties of being a woman coming to age in the Victorian era, a woman not wanting to be restricted of the times expectations of a lady. The main character is 17 year old Louisa Cosgrove. Louisa still lives with her parents and older brother. Louisa's mother does whatever she can to make Louise behave, but Louisa has dreams, big dreams. Louisa wants to be a doctor, like her beloved father. Not many members of the household supports Louisa's dream, it is just not suitable for a young lady to have an occupation. She ought to find a good man and get married, have children and be a good wife.
Louisa falls unexpected in love, but things are very complicated and it brings her more sorrow than joy. From then on everything seems to fall apart for her. She decides to take a place in a nice family, her brother has arranged it for her, but the carriage that was supposed to bring Louisa to this new place leaves her in an asylum. Now all of a sudden Louisa is told that she is confused that she isn't really called Louisa Cosgrove, her name is Lucy Childs. Who is she really? Louisa/Lucy is determined to get to the bottom of this and while she tries to figure it out she finds love in a place she never would have thought possible.
My thoughts:
Louisa a strong female character which I immediately fell for. I have a thing for female characters who doesn't want to be confined by the female ideal of their time, women who goes their own way. Louisa grows up at a time where it is difficult to be different, to want to do unladylike things like getting a job is almost unheard of but it seems like times are slowly changing for the better.
Wildthorn also tells the story of a number of ladies who, sadly, experienced being locked up in an asylum and being badly treated. The psychiatry methods in those days weren't particulary good, if you weren't insane when you got there then you probably would be due to the way you where treated.
All in all this was a very good book, not all was sad and grim. It is a hopeful story filled with love, it is also about fighting for yourself and your dreams. It makes me so grateful to think about all those women who has lived before us and made it possible for us, women of today, to have the opportunity to chose our own path, our own life.
Wildthorn is a young adult historical fiction.
My rating of this book:
4.5 stars out of 5
Want to know more?Visit Jane Eagland's homepage
Full disclosure:
Review copy provided by netGalley.
The book is being re-released on September 4th.
