Book: Wildflower Hill
Author: Kimberley Freeman
Site: http://kimberleyfreeman.com/
Category: Fiction
My thoughts ...
Short summary: The book simultaneously tells the story of modern day Emma, a prima ballerina in London whose career is ruined after she injures her knee and Beattie (her grandmother) who was once at a crossroads herself as an unwed pregnant young woman. When Beattie passes away, she leaves Wildflower Hill (a sheep station in the country) to Emma and it is while cleaning up the house that she learns more about her grandmother's past and long buried family secrets.
The good: I think what really touched me about the book was the richness of the characters, especially Beattie. Her struggles and the obstacles she faced are so sad and heartbreaking. But she overcomes them the best she can and tries to impart that wisdom to Emma by leaving her the estate. Don't get me wrong though, I really enjoyed Emma's story too. Her whole life has been about one thing - ballet. And with the loss of it, she has to start anew and how she finds happiness again was really touching. The book encompassed so much - the importance of family, friendship, love and more.
The bad: I can't really think of any faults with the book. I did find myself getting very angry at certain characters (which is probably a testament to how the author brought her characters to life) and I wouldn't have minded a little more detail with the ending. But other than that, I thought everything was very well-written.
Do I recommend?: I do. Usually when I read a lot of Young Adult and suddenly switch to regular fiction, I find it to be kind of jarring. But in this case, It was easy to get absorbed in the story and these characters. I definitely recommend.
Happy reading!
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