The Wilderwomen: A Novel

Zadie can see the future. Finn can see the past. Ever since their mom, Nora, disappeared five years ago, they have been slowly drifting apart. Zadie vows to try to close the distance between them with a vacation celebrating Finn's high school graduation. Instead, they spontaneously embark on an adventure to find out what really happened to their mom. Although the girls possess extraordinary and supernatural powers, will they be able to piece together the puzzle? And at what cost?

Ruth Emmie Lang presents a unique story that I am not sure I have read anything quite like it before. Two sisters with extraordinary powers, coming together with their differences, to try to figure out a mystery. Throughout the story, I felt like I was dealing show more with real people. They had their flaws and insecurities, just like everyone else. Their troubled family past is raw and transparent. I appreciated Lang's colorful and poetic descriptions, as well as her humor. The themes of strong family ties and empathy were present in every part of the book. I did not see the unusual ending coming and I am thankful for that! Although I would have liked the ending's explanation to be more solid and believable, I think young adult readers will especially enjoy this novel. show less

This book tore me apart on so many levels. It was harsh but tender, sarcastic but sweet, full of love and loss. Equal parts diametrically opposed. A mother goes missing, sisters are torn apart, Zadie, the older was of majority when Nora disappeared and has had to navigate so many difficult situations, not the least of which is losing her sister Finn to a foster home. She is not a warm and fuzzy character, not immediately likable. Despite Finn being in a loving environment all she can think about is Nora. And Nora, well we are not sure what has become of her. Each of the three women have a special gift even if at times it seems to be an unbearable burden. Each of the women love the other and each other beyond measure and that is why it show more is inexplicable and so fundamentally wrong when Nora walks down the driveway and out of her daughters’ lives. We are left to wonder why and finding that answer becomes everything.

I can’t even imagine the fear of realizing that you are losing yourself, trying to hold on to the minute knowing there is something so important that you must not forget, hold on, hold on and then succumbing to the fog and mist swirling in your brain. Zadie and Finn each have specific, special powers which may be able to help them locate Nora. A very interesting road trip is going to lead them in conflicting directions physically, mentally and spiritually. Zadie is not sure she ever wants to see and be hurt by her mother again. All Finn can think about is finding her mother. All Zadie wants is to help and be with her sister. We are not given the opportunity of seeing or understanding what Nora wants or is thinking. As the sisters travel, looking for their mother, they are forced to revisit flawed misconceptions and face some long hidden damaging truths.

The story is described as magical realism - Zadie’s suppression of her psychic abilities in large part due to her guilt about the day Nora left and Finn’s embracing her “echoes” of the memories of strangers which may lead her back to her mother leaves the door open for the possibility that having a sixth sense might not be magical just very special.

I am so glad I was gifted a copy of this well written and thought provoking book. Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for a copy. show less

I loved Ruth Emmie Lang’s debut novel, Beasts Of Extraordinary Circumstance, so was thrilled when St Martin’s Press reached out with an ARC of her new book, The Wilderwomen. Lang stays true to what I loved about Beasts and upped her game.

The Wilderwomen is a genre bending story, combining elements of paranormal, mystery, and magical realism. This is a story of a family where women have a sixth sense, of a mother who was lost to her daughters and their search for her five years later.

Told between present day and flashbacks, sisters Zadie and Finn go on a journey to find out what really became of their mother, Nora. Ruth Emmie Lang is really in her element as Zadie and Finn travel from Texas through the Arizona desert. Each location show more is so unique, and it’s own character. The tension between the sisters is palpable, as is the desire to trust and rebuild a close relationship. I loved Zadie’s arc from carrying the burden of past knowledge, feeling helpless to help Finn, anger at Nora, that comes to a very satisfying resolution (spoiler free!). The blending of generational family mystery with a touch of paranormal/sixth sense was done seamlessly. This was a perfect fit for my reading year that has been stacked full of great women’s stories!

I recommend The Wilderwomen by Ruth Emmie Lang for lovers of of her previous book, Beasts of Extraordinary Circumstances, those that enjoy magical realism with a mystery, perfect for readers of Sarah Addison Allen’s Other Birds. show less

I really enjoyed this book! I liked the author’s first book, Beasts of Extraordinary Circumstance, when I read it several years and I was eager to read more of her work. I am happy to report that this book was just as good as her first. Once I started reading this book, I found it incredibly hard to set aside.

Zadie and Finn’s mom, Nora, disappeared years ago and nobody knows what happened to her. Finn was young enough to be placed with a family but Zadie was left to fend for herself. The sisters have a trip planned shortly after Finn’s graduation but their plans change when Finn convinces her sister to spend the time searching for their mother instead of heading to the beach. Like Zadie and Finn, I wondered what had really show more happened to Nora years earlier.

As much as I enjoyed going on this journey with Zadie and Finn, I worried about them during their quest to find their mother. They do encounter some interesting characters during their travels which I thought added a lot to the story. Each of the sisters has a special ability that added just the right amount of magic to the story. I loved watching Zadie and Finn grow closer and grow as individuals over the course of the book.

I listened to the audiobook and thought that Anna Caputo did a fantastic job with the story. I believe that this was my first experience with her narration and I was impressed. I thought that her voice was very pleasant and worked well for the story. I am certain that her narration added to my overall enjoyment of the story.

I would not hesitate to recommend this book to others. I thought that this was a very well-done story filled with likable and interesting characters. I was very satisfied with how everything turned out and cannot wait to read more of this author’s work in the future.

I received a review copy of this book from St. Martin’s press and purchased a copy of the audiobook. show less

Sisters Zadie and Finn go on an adventure to find their mom, Nora, who has been missing for the last five years. Using their psychic abilities, they travel across the country in pursuit of their mother’s memories.

This was a good story but not what I was expecting. The ending felt weird to me - almost forced. With the level of paranormal elements in the story, I was wanting an exclamation of where Mom went that was reflective of that. What I got didn’t uphold my expectation. However it was still an easy, enjoyable read. It’s going to be a great story for someone. It’s just not me.

TW/CW: Pregnancy, parental abandonment, scary situations

RATING: 4/5

REVIEW: The Wilderwomen is about two sisters, Zadie and Finn, who join together to attempt to locate the mother that had abandoned them five years before. Using supernatural abilities that they possess but don’t completely understand, they start tracking her across the country, not knowing what they will find at the end.

This is a really good book. It grabbed my attention a lot more than Beasts of Extraordinary Circumstance did. I liked a lot of the characters – especially Zadie – although Finn really wore on my nerves. It seemed like she just allowed herself to make dangerous mistake after dangerous mistake and just get mad at Zadie when she tried to protect her or show more yelled at her about it.

This was a very character driven book – almost everything was inside the characters heads and if you think about it, there really wasn’t that much action beyond that. It’s okay though, because Lang does it well and you care about the characters and what they’re searching for.

This is a quick read – took me about six hours to read the whole thing with dinner in the middle – and it’s a book you won’t want to put down! show less

Nora Wilder disappeared five years ago leaving her two daughters behind. Zadie and Finn both have special abilities. Zadie has psychic abilities and Finn can feel memories other people have left behind. The girls decide to look for their mother following the memories she left behind. The magical realism, while not up to Alice Hoffman standards, is nicely done. I have Ruth Emmie Lang's first book, Beasts of Extraordinary Circumstance and will definitely move it up my TBR pile!