Genre Fiction
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The Wild Girl: A Novel
One of six sisters, Dortchen Wild lives in the small German kingdom of Hesse-Cassel in the early 19th century. She finds herself irresistibly drawn to the boy next door, the handsome but very poor fairy tale scholar Wilhelm Grimm. It is a time of tyranny and terror. Napoleon Bonaparte wants to conquer all of Europe, and Hesse-Cassel is one of the first kingdoms to fall. Forced to live under oppressive French rule, Wilhelm and his brothers quietly rebel by preserving old half-forgotten tales that had once been told by the firesides of houses grand and small over the land.
As Dortchen tells Wilhelm some of the most powerful and compelling stories in what will one day become his and Jacob's famous fairy tale collection, their love blossoms. But Dortchen's father will not give his consent for them to marry and war, death, and poverty also conspire to keep the lovers apart. Yet Dortchen is determined to find a way.
Evocative and richly-detailed, Kate Forsyth's The Wild Girl masterfully captures one young woman's enduring faith in love and the power of storytelling.
As Dortchen tells Wilhelm some of the most powerful and compelling stories in what will one day become his and Jacob's famous fairy tale collection, their love blossoms. But Dortchen's father will not give his consent for them to marry and war, death, and poverty also conspire to keep the lovers apart. Yet Dortchen is determined to find a way.
Evocative and richly-detailed, Kate Forsyth's The Wild Girl masterfully captures one young woman's enduring faith in love and the power of storytelling.
Editorial Reviews
"A beautiful and often heartbreaking love story that is sure to move and captivate readers." ―Booklist (starred review)
"A beautiful love story... In the bleak pages of history, Forsyth finds a story of enduring love and artistic integrity-her retelling is a fairy tale in itself." ―Kirkus Reviews
"Storytelling is at the heart of the narrative... This intriguing look at a little-known historical figure has definite appeal for fairy-tale aficionados." ―Library Journal
"History and fairy tale are richly entwined in this spellbinding story. Unputdownable!" ―Juliet Marillier, author of Daughter in the Forest
"Like a fairytale, The Wild Girl gives us an explosive and evocative set of truths set within a deceptively simple and delicately written story." ―The Newtown Review of Books
"Kate Forsyth is a storyteller whose books are spun out of magic and folklore. In all her stories there are princesses and wild forests, imagined terrors and real darkness, escapes to be made and arms to fall into. She is the ultimate giver of dreams, taking a fairytale and turning it around to provide even more possibilities." ―Readings (AU)
"I wholeheartedly recommend The Wild Girl by Kate Forsyth ... her prose is effortless to read and her tales ultimately uplifting." ―Booklover Book Reviews (AU)
"Against an intricately-crafted tapestry of early nineteenth-century German daily life and tumultuous, tragic historical events, the story of star-crossed lovers Dortchen Wild and Wilhelm Grimm unfolds with a kind of dreamy, haunting precision." ―Sophie Masson, author of Moonshine and Ashes
"Voted as the Most Memorable Love Story by Australian voters in books of 2013 on TheReadingRoom." ―TheReadingRoom
"Wonderful. Whether you love fairy tales or historical fiction or romance, there is something for you" ―January Magazine
"This book captivated me from the very first scene. An historical novel with a lot of heart which will appeal to lovers of Austen and the Brontes as well as those in love with Kate Morton and Philippa Gregory." ―John Purcell, Booktopia
"History and fairy tale are richly entwined in this spellbinding story. Unputdownable!" ―Juliet Marillier, author of Daughter in the Forest
"Like a fairytale, The Wild Girl gives us an explosive and evocative set of truths set within a deceptively simple and delicately written story." ―The Newtown Review of Books
"Kate Forsyth is a storyteller whose books are spun out of magic and folklore. In all her stories there are princesses and wild forests, imagined terrors and real darkness, escapes to be made and arms to fall into. She is the ultimate giver of dreams, taking a fa...
"A beautiful love story... In the bleak pages of history, Forsyth finds a story of enduring love and artistic integrity-her retelling is a fairy tale in itself." ―Kirkus Reviews
"Storytelling is at the heart of the narrative... This intriguing look at a little-known historical figure has definite appeal for fairy-tale aficionados." ―Library Journal
"History and fairy tale are richly entwined in this spellbinding story. Unputdownable!" ―Juliet Marillier, author of Daughter in the Forest
"Like a fairytale, The Wild Girl gives us an explosive and evocative set of truths set within a deceptively simple and delicately written story." ―The Newtown Review of Books
"Kate Forsyth is a storyteller whose books are spun out of magic and folklore. In all her stories there are princesses and wild forests, imagined terrors and real darkness, escapes to be made and arms to fall into. She is the ultimate giver of dreams, taking a fairytale and turning it around to provide even more possibilities." ―Readings (AU)
"I wholeheartedly recommend The Wild Girl by Kate Forsyth ... her prose is effortless to read and her tales ultimately uplifting." ―Booklover Book Reviews (AU)
"Against an intricately-crafted tapestry of early nineteenth-century German daily life and tumultuous, tragic historical events, the story of star-crossed lovers Dortchen Wild and Wilhelm Grimm unfolds with a kind of dreamy, haunting precision." ―Sophie Masson, author of Moonshine and Ashes
"Voted as the Most Memorable Love Story by Australian voters in books of 2013 on TheReadingRoom." ―TheReadingRoom
"Wonderful. Whether you love fairy tales or historical fiction or romance, there is something for you" ―January Magazine
"This book captivated me from the very first scene. An historical novel with a lot of heart which will appeal to lovers of Austen and the Brontes as well as those in love with Kate Morton and Philippa Gregory." ―John Purcell, Booktopia
"History and fairy tale are richly entwined in this spellbinding story. Unputdownable!" ―Juliet Marillier, author of Daughter in the Forest
"Like a fairytale, The Wild Girl gives us an explosive and evocative set of truths set within a deceptively simple and delicately written story." ―The Newtown Review of Books
"Kate Forsyth is a storyteller whose books are spun out of magic and folklore. In all her stories there are princesses and wild forests, imagined terrors and real darkness, escapes to be made and arms to fall into. She is the ultimate giver of dreams, taking a fa...
Readers Top Reviews
ReaderLady Fancifull
The Wild Girl is a beautifully written account of how the Grimm brothers came to collect their folk tales, evoking snowy woods and the danger and poverty of living in Germany through the Napoleonic wars. I loved the evocation of the life of the Grimm family and the family of Dortchen Wild, who was the source of many of the folk tales. I had always wanted to know more about this time period, on the cusp of the Romantic movement, and found it fascinatingly and believably evoked. This is also a very clever book, revealing how the psychology of old legends and fairy tales can sometimes speak to and heal the lives of those who tell them. The author has a very interesting take on how the tales that Dortchen told to Wilhlem Grimm were a vehicle for communicating a dark secret that was hard to convey in any other way. This is based on the author's research and I found it very convincing. This is a wonderful book, especially at winter time and for reading on snowy nights by the fireside. It also contains a satisfying slice of pre- Victorian history. Highly recommend. I am now reading Bitter Greens and I hope that these books will be the first of many historical novels by Kate Forsyth.
Pollyanna
I loved this book.It had a lovely balance of realism and fairytale. It is the very well researched tale of The Brothers Grimm and their neighbours, and concentrates on the relationship and romance between Wilhelm Grimm and the girl next door,who told him many of the tales which were recorded in his books. The book finds a beautiful balance between fact and imagination.I found myself absorbed in the history and could see the houses, streets and people so clearly, I felt like I was actually there.I could almost smell the food cooking over the fire! This isn't a flowery tale for the feint hearted.It is gritty and sad in places and there are descriptions of sexual abuse which are quite harrowing, though sensitively portrayed. Kate Forsyth has obviously spent a long time researching her characters and has included all the history of the time in a very palatable way.She is a gifted story teller who has told the story of other gifted story tellers in a beautiful way.Thank goodness for The Brothers Grimm and thank goodness for Kate Forsyth.
Kindle
Kate Forsyth is one of my fav authors, I’ve read the entire Witches of Eileanan and loved them all. However, I had a tough time with this one. At times it felt like slogging through mud, but in defense of the book, Dortchen has never been known before now. So I give a clap for Kate to pull a life out of a hat If you don’t mind the slog, go ahead and read I’m glad I did.
Susan Chapek
My 4 stars means I wholeheartedly recommend this novel if you're into fairy tales or historicals (especially if you like Hilary Mantel or Jennifer Donnelly or Geraldine Brooks). This is an intricate and absorbing novelized bio of Wilhelm Grimm's wife Dortchen Wild, who also served as one of his important story sources. Forsyth uses the few facts known about Wild and the multitude of facts known about Grimm to build a life-story paralleled and illuminated by the fairy tales Wild contributed to the Grimms' collection (including several of the most famous stories, such as "Hansel and Gretel" and a version of "Beauty and the Beast"). The sense of time and place is utterly wonderful, and Forsyth uses human, close-to-home aspects of the Napoleonic wars to anchor the setting. Tons of fascinating detail about clothes, food, flowers, herbs, medicines, society, and mores, and not one speck of this detail is forced or intrusive. By the midpoint, I couldn't put it down. Also, the minute I finished it, I ordered another of Forsyth's historicals, BITTER GREENS. So why four stars instead of five? Because I reserve 5 stars for the small handful of my personal lifetime favorites. P.S. One of the most significant questions about Wilhelm and Dortchen is why they married so late in life. Along with the usual explanations about Grimm's poverty and Wild's family responsibilities, Forsyth (examining the various editions of the murky and ambiguous story "All Kinds of Fur") posits a dark and secret reason for the delay. So certain scenes may trouble sensitive or very young readers, and for that reason I'd class this book as New Adult.
Rebecca White
Like Kate Forsyth's other novels..."The Wild Girl" is like nothing you have read before. I love the way Kate infuses her stories with fairytales or folk lore whilst delving into real historical information and presenting it in a way that you can cant help but fall in love with the characters, the landscape and the journey. This is a slow paced story that meanders along gently, through wars, invasions, abuse, drug use, hardship and family drama, it speaks softly and warmly and even in the most confronting scenes (sensitive readers should be aware of sexual abuse, physical abuse and drug use in this book which may be disconcerting) you somehow feel comforted. I loved the detail of natural therapies, herbs and their uses, I have not previously read much about the Napoleanic rule, so I found that interesting and like another reviewer has said, it made me want to learn more about the Grimm brothers. All of us have such lovely memories of our childhood stories/fairy tales and this novel takes an interesting look at where they came from and how they originated. This novel has a good blend of drama, love, history, angst all wrapped up in a little bit of magic.
