The Wilding

The Wilding Cover

Maria McCann

In her second novel Maria McCann returns to 17th Century England, where life is struggling to return to normal after the horrific tumult of the Civil War. In the village of Spadboro Jonathan Dymond, a 26-year old cider-maker who lives with his parents, has until now enjoyed a quiet, harmonious existence. As the novel opens, a letter arrives from his uncle with a desperate request to speak with his father. When his father returns from the visit the next day, all he can say is that Jonathan's uncle has died. Then Jonathan finds a fragment of the letter in the family orchard, with talk of inheritance and vengeance. He resolves to unravel the mystery at the heart of his family - a mystery which will eventually threaten the lives and happiness of Jonathan and all those he holds dear.

4 Reviews 3 Comments

Cover

Judy

When I’d finished reading The Wilding, I closed the book with a sigh of pure pleasure. What a fabulous read this novel is, one of the best I’ve read in ages. It’s set in 1672, a generation after the bloody English Civil War, and while life in rural England has more or less returned to normal, rank and evil traces of the

horrors of that time still lurk in the form of old secrets and wounds, causing terrible hardship.

As the story begins, however, country life is idyllic for our young hero, Jonathan Dymond, twenty one years old, the only child of loving and modestly prosperous parents, respected inhabitants of a picturesque village. Jonathan loves making cider, an important part of the rural economy, and every Autumn, he visits all the neighbouring villages, earning money by producing the best cider for miles around.

This perfect happy life begins to disintegrate when his father receives a message from his dying brother. Jonathan is kept in the dark, but clearly there are frighteningly foul family secrets afoot.

These secrets are electrifying; forbidden love so degrading, sexual jealousy so violent, that they lead to

poverty of the direst kind, prostitution, rape , violence and more.

The reader is not spared the stench and horror of these times, but ultimately this a novel of redemption, and family love. I adored it. Maria McCann writes like she is living a dream. She never puts a foot wrong.

Richard

This book is completely gripping. The story of Tamar, the young servant girl employed by Jonathan’s implacably hostile Aunt, whom Jonathan meets when he tries to find out about his dead uncle’s dark secrets, dominates the novel. Her hardships, the unbelievable horror of her daily life, as she tries to care for her ruined mother, living in a cave in the woods, without fuel to warm their winters, without food unless they resort to prostitution, are starkly believable.

And yet Jonathan becomes obsessed with Tamar. His innocent loving upbringing leaves him unprepared for the squalor of her existence, but he is fatally drawn to her.

The character of Jonathan is drawn with tender sympathy. This headstrong but deeply well-meaning young man is cast into a world depraved beyond his imagination. But, ultimately, his moral grasp on life, the teachings of the parents who love him but deceived him out of goodness, is redeemed, but with sadness and everlasting regret.

The account of what happens when war enters a quiet village, when ordinary people are viciously sacrificed to soldiers to protect the rest, is vivid. It happens to this day.

A great book which captures all the senses. You can see it, smell it, and taste it.

Maria McCann talks to Richard and Judy

Reviews

Add a Review

  • The Wilding

    I was a bit disappointed with this to be honest. I love hisotrical fiction so was expecting quite a lot! I can see why people might like it; it's fabulously researched giving hints of what the author thinks that time was like. However, it failed to make me want to read it again. I will forget it soon after reading, unlike the other of your choices I've read so far. However if you're new to historical fiction it's a good read.

    By Emily Oldham - 05.10.2010

  • Loved it

    blown away by this - twists and turns and loads of great detail. My favourite so far (Waiting for Colombus is no.1 for me)

    By C Scott - 19.10.2010

  • I liked the idea but maybe something could of been introduced, but I not sure what. May be a sequel.

    I liked the idea but maybe something could of been introduced, but I not sure what. May be a sequel. Feel this a good novel to be made into a Sunday night viewing.

    By Cher - 21.11.2010

  • The Wilding

    I bought this book at the airport for a holiday read after seeing that it was part of Richard and Judy's Book Club. I thoroughly enjoyed it and couldn't put it down. However, I did feel slightly exhausted by the time that I'd finished it. It was emotionally draining reading how women had to "endure" such hardships back then. All in all a great read and would recommend this book.

    By Jane - 30.12.2010

Comments

Add a Comment

  • Fantastic .... I would never have picked this book up off the shelf if it hadn't been recommended by the Book Club!

    Carol

  • This is my least favourite of the book club books I've read so far. I just didn't really care. The author has put too much effort into researching and describing the cider making process rather than properly developing the characters. However this isn't the sort of book I'd normally read, and I did find it fairly gripping and there were a few surprises in the plot, but I was pleased to finish it so I can now start something else!

    Amy

  • The Wilding is splendid. After reading Sister, A place of secrets and operation mincemeat I admit I was hesitant about an historical novel, but well done to Maria McCann, a great read from start to finsh. Loved the end, as Id been worried for 50 pages what would happen to the cider press. Must read.

    Mike Garrick

Richard and Judy's posts

More posts