Calling all fans of Alice Hart
If you enjoyed The Lost Flowers of Alice Hart, you may not know that the author, Holly Ringland wrote another book which was released in 2022. Hooray! This week we take a look at The Seven Skins of Esther Wilding.
The Seven Skins of Esther Wilding is an evocative exploration of grief, identity, and the redemptive power of storytelling. Following the sudden disappearance of her sister, Esther Wilding embarks on a journey that takes her across the world and into the depths of her own psyche. The novel weaves together myth, memory, and loss, offering us an emotional reflection on what it means to truly know ourselves.
Esther Wilding, the protagonist, is a relatable character whose journey is as much internal as it is external. Her quest to understand her sister's disappearance forces her to confront her own fears and insecurities. The supporting cast, including family members and people she meets along her journey, are well developed, each contributing to the tapestry of the story and of Esther’s evolving understanding.
This book explores themes such as grief and loss. Esther’s journey shows us the different ways individuals cope with grief and the pathway to healing. It explores themes of identity, self discovery, myth and memory, and resilience and redemption.
If you enjoyed the style of writing in Alice Hart I think you will also appreciate Esther Wilding. The writing is lyrical and immersive, with vivid descriptions and emotional depth. Ringland brings the various settings to life in rich detail. My one small criticism of this book is that it dragged a little bit in the middle – something I didn’t find with Alice Hart. Esther Wilding is 580 pages compared with Alice Hart’s more palatable 400 pages, which may well be the difference. (Is anyone else sometimes put off by longer books?)
Overall, this book is definitely worthy of a recommendation – it is richly layered, and deals with grief beautifully. Ringland is a master storyteller, and having now read and loved two of her books, I think she might be an auto-read author from here on in. This book is for you if you appreciate literary fiction with a strong emotional core and a touch of the mystical. Add this to your TBR, because life is too short to read bad books.