Fans of Maria McCann’s first novel, As Meat Loves Salt, have had a 10-year wait for her second. Was it worth it?
The Wilding transports the reader to post Civil War Somerset, where Jonathan Dymond lives quietly and peaceably with his parents following the trade of cider-maker.
The sudden and unexpected death of his father’s brother disrupts his idyllic, sheltered existence.
He travels to the home of the not-so-grieving widow Harriet to lend practical support and attempt to solve the mystery of what his uncle was desperate to make reparations for before his untimely demise.
Once at his aunt’s home he makes the acquaintance of the strange, disrespectful servant girl Tamar, and her beggarly mother Joan.
Thus begins the gradual unravelling of family secrets, betrayal and lies.
The Wilding could have been a 17th-century bodice-ripper, but it’s something quite different, both in tone and content.
This is no conventional love story, but a painful rite of passage for the naive Jonathan whose upbringing has not equipped him for the deceitfulness and moral dilemmas he has to face.
It’s a ripping yarn, well told, with an authentic atmosphere and some unexpected twists.
It was long-listed for the Orange Prize for Fiction. I think I would agree with the judges it’s worthy of recognition, but not in the very top rank of the year’s crop of fiction offerings.
There are some weaknesses in the plot and the protagonist’s innocence and gullibility can prove a little wearing.
However, it’s an enjoyable read and has that all-important page-turner quality along with the capacity to shock and surprise the reader.