Liz's Reviews > The Vaster Wilds

This book was getting such positive reviews I decided to give it a try. It’s a book I appreciated more than enjoyed. And even my appreciation had its limits.
A young servant girl takes off into the wilderness from the English colonial settlement of Jamestown. It’s a meaty story, tackling the strict religion of the colony, the dominance of the men and of the leaders. It beautifully paints the darkness and horror - the starvation and illness inside the fort, but more so of men’s souls. It goes back in time, so the reader learns of her prior life in England. But it was also a little too woowoo for me. At times, she gets all mystic, and it was hard for me to buy into this deeply philosophical bent.
While Mother Nature throws everything at the girl, she has little interaction with humans. That means everything is some form of internal dialog. The girl struggles to survive. There are scenes when she eats things you and I would struggle to stomach which gives you an idea of the depth of her hunger. We eventually learn why the leaders were so determined to catch her and it’s not a pretty story.
I listened to this and January LaVoy does her normal excellent job.