Book Synopsis:
In the summer of 1972, a group of friends is invited to Somerset to help photographer Seymour Stratton renovate a dilapidated cottage on Wyld Farm. Over the next year the group come to regard the farm as offering them a place to be for the rest of their lives, to enjoy ‘the good life’. But despite the commitment and camaraderie the rural idyll collapses.
Twenty-five years later, the group is brought together again in unexpected circumstances. Can events of the past be forgotten? Or will the secrets that are revealed devastate once unbreakable friendships?
Wyld Dreamers is available in ebook and paperback now. The ebook is currently only £1.99. You purchase your copy of both here.
My Review:
The Wyld Dreamers is a lovely book that perfectly evokes those long, seemingly endless summer days of youth. I loved the wonderful description of the beautiful Wyld Farm and the life that they lived there. The relaxed party atmosphere was great to read about and made me wish that I was there alongside them experiencing it all myself.
The characters were all great creations and I felt like I could really imagine them in my mind, particularly the waif like models who floated around the place at times. My favourite was Seymour Stratton as I loved his laid back attitude and his affection towards the guests. He is very generous towards them all, always bringing in lots of treats for the many parties he throws. I did also like the main character Amy as she seems like a lovely friendly girl who is very willing to get stuck in and help out around the farm. Her naivety was quite cringy at times though and I found myself feeling quite embarrassed for her.
The story has lots of surprising twists and went in a different direction to how I though it would go. The first few chapters lull the reader into a sense of false calm as the idyllic setting of the farm, and life on it, is described. Slowly real life and real responsibilities start to take over and shatters Amy’s lovely summer. In a lot of ways this is a coming of age book as Amy breaks away from her parents and starts to discover the world on her own.
This is the second book by the author I have read and while I didn’t think it was as good as her first, I’d still recommend it to other readers. If you like coming of age stories that are filled with nostalgia for summers gone by then you’ll love this book.
Huge thanks to Kelly from Love Books Group Tours for inviting me onto the blog tour and for my copy of this book.
About The Author:
Pamela Holmes was born in Charleston, South Carolina. At the age of eight, she moved with her family to England. She works and volunteers to improve the lives of older people, including those with dementia, and sings in a rock band.
She won the Jane Austen Short Story Award in 2014 and her shortlisted work was highly recommended in the HISSAC award 2015. Pamela lives in London with her husband, acclaimed cartoonist Kipper Williams.
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