The Wilderness

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What to expect

A beautifully observed, wry novel of the dislocation of family life and a marriage, and of loss and love, set on the western coast of Scotland.

Once it was a family home. Now they are all at sea...

When Anna and David receive a phone call late one evening, their lives are upturned. Within minutes, they are travelling to the west coast of Scotland, preparing to care for two young sisters, tragically and suddenly orphaned.

It's a beautiful place, the heather is in bloom, the birds wheel above the waves, the deer graze peacefully in the distance. But the large granite house is no longer a home for the girls, and Anna knows she can never take the place of their mother. Then David invites his friend to stay, to 'ease them through' and Anna finds herself increasingly isolated, with everything she - and the girls - once knew of life discarded and overruled by a man of whom she is deeply suspicious.

(P) 2022 Headline Publishing Group Ltd

Critics Review

Praise for The Wilderness:
'Almost indecently readable . . . Duguid keeps the tension almost at boiling point'
Daily Mail
'Darkly beautiful and exquisitely written, I loved this haunting story'
Eve Chase
'Pungently atmospheric . . . beautiful descriptions'
Metro
'Evocative, stunning and so beautifully written, the landscape of the wilderness smothers Anna as effectively as her marriage has always done. A powerful book about how the needs of men often consume the women and girls around them. I absolutely loved it'
Araminta Hall
'Insightful, moving, and with a gloriously described location where nature rules'
Peterborough Telegraph
'Beautifully written and well-paced - a real page-turner which I read in two sittings . . . I can still picture every corner of the island as though I was there - a place of unease, mystery and wild beauty'
Goodreads reviewer
A slender, intense book that explores grief and love, but with such a sharp attention to detail that I found it very difficult to put down
Netgalley review
A clever exploration of family and grief. Not only is this a very well-written book with wonderfully-interesting characters, but the suspense builds at just the right pace as the story unfolds
Netgalley review
A wonderful, intense, evocative experience'
Carole Hailey
Praise for Look at Me:
With characters that are sharply observed with a beady eye for detail, this is a haunting study of family, grief, and loss
Daily Mail
This slender novel puts a fragile family under the spotlight with great effect
Cathy Rentzenbrink
Exquisitely written, with a beautiful balance between darkness and humour
Joanna Cannon
A clever exploration of family and grief
Red
'Swept away in the depth and darkness of her storytelling, the beauty of the landscape and these fragile, damaged relationships'
Emma Stonex

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