This has to be one of the most highly anticipated middle grades for 2023 - a new novel from the Costa Book Awards winner for ‘The Voyage of the Sparrowhawk’, author Natasha Farrant! Very exciting! This is a BIG story. BIG because like one of my favourite cakes, there are layers upon layers of delicious storylines for the reader to immerse themselves in, but at the heart of it is a dollop of yummy chocolate ganache - unconditional love for one's family and friends.

'Wilder' is set in a British water-side village, perhaps 150-200 years ago, telling by the landowning gentry, clothing worn, lack of industry, Christian superstitiousness of traditional folklore ways. A touching story that achieves the delicate balance between sacrifice, loss, and an appreciation for life entwined in the presence of nature in any given moment.

A brilliant debut from Townsend!! A lonely human soul, 12 year-old Orla lives in a simple wooden shed in her garden away from the rest of her water-side rural village of Thorn Creek. She's grumpy, stubborn, closed, hurt, conflicted...and she has a lot to live up to. I will never forget Orla's story and the underlying legacy and importance of female healers and wise-women.