by Ruth Emmie Lang
ASIN/ISBN: 9781250246912
Publication: November 15, 2022

**I was provided a copy of the book through NetGalley. I voluntarily read and reviewed it. All opinions are my own.**

Zadie has the power of foresight but was unable to prevent her mother’s disappearance. With her sister Finn’s ability to see the memories of other people, they may be able to find out what happened to her. More is suddenly at stake when Finn venturing into her mother’s memories may mean she loses herself.

The Wilderwomen deserves a high rating for the writing and the overall plot, but I could not do it because I lost steam at about the halfway mark. The mystery surrounding Nora Wilder’s disappearance and the elements of magical realism kept the story moving forward–I wanted to know what happened. The alternating chapters between the events leading to Nora’s disappearance and the present had me invested as it created suspense as well as conjured questions about Nora’s disappearance. Additionally, it fueled my need to find out why one sister was more reluctant than the other to find their mother.

While I was initially drawn to the story of sisters with special abilities searching for their mother, it soon turned into “Let’s chase after Finn.” The alternating chapters strategically contrasted how close the women once were to how distant they are in the present. With its focus on family and growing up, I was especially looking forward to Zadie and Finn reconnecting. However, Zadie was often chasing after Finn, and it was difficult for me to believe they were able to reestablish the bond.

Although I did not like the book as much as I hoped, I still found the writing to be evocative at times. There were multiple moments when I found myself lost in the beautiful descriptions. Readers who enjoy books that focus on family and fans of mysteries that have elements of magical realism may enjoy the novel.