A History of Wild Places by Shea Ernshaw
A History of Wild Places by Shea Ernshaw
Travis Wren has an unusual talent for locating missing people. Hired by families as a last resort, he requires only a single object to find the person who has vanished. When he takes on the case of Maggie St. James—a well-known author of dark, macabre children’s books—he’s led to a place many believed to be only a legend.
Called Pastoral, this reclusive community was founded in the 1970s by like-minded people searching for a simpler way of life. By all accounts, the commune shouldn’t exist anymore and soon after Travis stumbles upon it… he disappears. Just like Maggie St. James.
Years later, Theo, a lifelong member of Pastoral, discovers Travis’s abandoned truck beyond the border of the community. No one is allowed in or out, not when there’s a risk of bringing a disease—rot—into Pastoral. Unraveling the mystery of what happened reveals secrets that Theo, his wife, Calla, and her sister, Bee, keep from one another. Secrets that prove their perfect, isolated world isn’t as safe as they believed—and that darkness takes many forms.
Hauntingly beautiful, hypnotic, and bewitching, A History of Wild Places is a story about fairy tales, our fear of the dark, and losing yourself within the wilderness of your mind.
I received a complimentary ARC from the publisher, courtesy of Edelweiss, in exchange for an honest review.
BOOK SUMMARY
Travis Wren has an unusual talent for locating missing people. Hired by families as a last resort, he requires only a single object to find the person who has vanished. When he takes on the case of Maggie St. James—a well-known author of dark, macabre children’s books—he’s led to a place many believed to be only a legend.
Called Pastoral, this reclusive community was founded in the 1970s by like-minded people searching for a simpler way of life. By all accounts, the commune shouldn’t exist anymore and soon after Travis stumbles upon it… he disappears. Just like Maggie St. James.
Years later, Theo, a lifelong member of Pastoral, discovers Travis’s abandoned truck beyond the border of the community. No one is allowed in or out, not when there’s a risk of bringing a disease—rot—into Pastoral. Unraveling the mystery of what happened reveals secrets that Theo, his wife, Calla, and her sister, Bee, keep from one another. Secrets that prove their perfect, isolated world isn’t as safe as they believed—and that darkness takes many forms.
Hauntingly beautiful, hypnotic, and bewitching, A History of Wild Places is a story about fairy tales, our fear of the dark, and losing yourself within the wilderness of your mind.
BOOK DETAILS
A History of Wild Places by Shea Ernshaw
Published December 7th 2021 by Atria Books
Young Adult Fiction /Mystery/ Magical Realism
Hardcover, 368 Pages
My Rating: 4 of 5 Stars
A History of Wild Places by Shea Ernshaw does not disappoint when it comes to eerie atmosphere and a building mystery.
A History of Wild Places is the author’s debut adult book, and I felt Ernshaw overall did a good job transitioning out from YA.
I definitely got vibes of M. Night Shyamalan's, The Village and even though I guessed the villain early on, I did not mind because the writing kept me entertained and swept away to an enchanted and dark world.
“She was building a story in her mind, just like the fairytales she wrote-the ending not yet written. Or an ending only she foresaw.”
The community of Pastoral and its inhabitants added just the right edge of tension. I would have liked more from Maggie St. James and Travis as I found their circumstances and backgrounds enticing and is what drew me to the book in the first place.
“Death has a way of leaving breadcrumbs, little particles of the past that catch and settle and stain.”
Overall, Theo, his wife, Calla, and her sister, Bee, kept me intrigued. Their relationship within Pastoral had that twisty sensation like an elusive vine you find ensnared about you, tugging relentlessly.
I would recommend A History of Wild Places for fans of Ernshaw’s YA books. I’m looking forward to more writing from the author and I would also recommend The Wicked Deep for readers new to her writing.
