Book Beat – Wildwood by Elinor Florence

Molly Bannister’s life is falling apart. She’s lost her accounting job in Phoenix, and her four-year-old daughter, Bridget, needs expensive therapy for her selective muteness. Then she learns that she will inherit her great-aunt’s farm, worth $1.5 million, if she agrees to live on the farm for one year. However, the farm lies in the far north of Alberta, Canada, miles from the nearest neighbor. No cell phone service, no internet, no electricity, no plumbing.

Desperate and determined, Molly discards her germophobic ways and plunges into the strange new lifestyle. When she finds her great-aunt’s diary from 1924, she draws strength and wisdom from the plucky pioneer. A young native girl forces Molly to confront her own painful youth, and an intriguing farmer forces her to confront her painful history with men. But can she survive the brutal winter and the trials it brings?

Wildwood by Elinor Florence is a glorious novel! With flawed and relatable characters, gorgeous description, and a loving but realistic look at a difficult lifestyle, Wildwood satisfies on every level. Through Molly’s modern eyes, we see the fortitude of pioneers in a refreshing way—and see our comfortable and rushed lives in a new way as well. Uplifting and thought-provoking, this is a novel to savor.