'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.