Title: Wildthorn
Author: Jane Eagland
Edition: Paperback (my version was an eBook)
Genre: YA Paranormal History
Publisher: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt
Publication date: 06 September 2010
Blurb:
Seventeen-year-old Louisa Cosgrove longs to break free from her respectable life as a Victorian doctor's daughter. But her dreams become a nightmare when Louisa is sent to Wildthorn Hall: labeled a lunatic, deprived of her liberty and even her real name. As she unravels the betrayals that led to her incarceration, she realizes there are many kinds of prison. She must be honest with herself - and others - in order to be set free. And love may be the key...
My thoughts:
I do not usually read YA novels but sometimes a story just calls to you no matter what genre it is. And this was the case with Wildthorn. Although it is not a true story, it could just have been. Young girls in the early 1800’s had no real rights and were at the mercy of the men in their families. It was not uncommon to hear of a "troublesome" girl put in Victorian insane asylum when her family did not want to deal with her or the “problems” anymore.
Our story begins with Louisa Cosgrave's journey to be employed at Wildthorn Estate as a companion to girl her own age – or so she thinks. She soon wakes up to the reality of her betrayal when she find herself at Wildthorn, but not the estate she hoping for. But she is expected . . . and there is no employment waiting. And they insist on calling her Lucy Childs . . .
The story alternates between the present and flashbacks of certain events in Louisa's life. Throughout the book, we are kept in the dark. Are these really Louisa’s memories or is it just Lucy's mind playing tricks on her?
The descriptions of life in the asylum was hard to read although I don't doubt for a minute that it is true to life. I have read a few historical novels but this was the first book where young women were thought crazy when they wanted to learn. A scary idea.
The story constantly hints at the different people that might be responsible for sending Louisa to this terrible place but I have to admit that the true culprit was a surprise to me.
I really enjoyed this book - it was a quick and entertaining read and I would recommend it highly.
I received this book for review from the publisher. The opinions expressed are my own and I wasn't influenced in any way.
This review was also added to GOODREADS, BOOK BLOGS and AMAZON.com.
This review was also added to GOODREADS, BOOK BLOGS and AMAZON.com.
