Wildflower Hill

By: Kimberley Freeman

Narrated by: Caroline Lee

In 1920s Glasgow, Beattie Blaxland falls pregnant to her married lover Henry just before her nineteenth birthday. Abandoned by her family, Beattie and Henry set sail for a new life in Australia. But life is not about to follow the plan that Beattie had hoped for and fate will play her a cruel hand...

In 2009, London, prima ballerina Lydia Blaxland-Hunter is also discovering that life can also have its ups and downs. Unable to dance again after a fall, Lydia returns home to Australia to recuperate. But on arrival she is presented with some surprising news – her recently deceased and much-loved grandmother Beattie Blaxland has left her Tasmanian property to Lydia. Told through the eyes of a young Beattie Blaxland and a contemporary Lydia Blaxland-Hunter, this is an emotionally charged, seductive tale of self-discovery, secrets and surprises.

©2008 Kimberley Freeman. (P)2010 Bolinda Publishing

Critic reviews

'The reader is helpless to do anything but turn the page.' (Australian Bookseller & Publisher)

'A gorgeous story of family and secrets and the redemptive power of love.' (Kate Morton, bestselling author of The Lake House)

Engaging story with great historical points

I bought this on a 4.95 sale, and it was a very good choice. I was getting bogged down in "Bleak House" by Dickens, and this really kept me in the story. I was concerned about the reviewer who likened this to a romance novel, and it did have that element in the final third or fourth of the story. Another reviewer commented on the abrupt ending, and I have to agree. It had something of a feel of the author feeling she had done a great multigenerational story, and that was enough - let the readers make up the conclusion.

This was indeed a great multigenerational story, lots of compelling history about discriminiation against women and aboriginals and the displacements of the second world war. The card game was a great part of it - the most that can be said without a spoiler.

In addition to the conclusion, there were other abrupt points in the narrative, to me, so I would give the story 3.5 stars on those merits except, no question, it was an interesting story and i wanted to listen to it, so it comes up to four. In my magic scoring scheme, a 5 shows up once for every ten 4's, fwiw.

The narrator was excellent. I cannot make judgments on Scottish versus Aussie versus Tasmanian accents, and understand one reviewer felt the Scottish was overdone. But to this midwest US guy, it was all good.

One of my favorites

Where does Wildflower Hill rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

This is at least in the top three

Who was your favorite character and why?

I liked everything about this book. It's one of those that just keeps pulling you along and you would listen all at once, but it's pretty long. In spite of that, I was thrilled it was long because I didn't want it to end.

I didn’t want it to end!

Great story, fabulous characters, her writing made me see everything and the storytelling was fabulous. I really didn’t want the story to end and I wanted it to go on and on.

Could not put it down

Over 16 hours long and I finished it in 4 days. The story just pulled me in. Both heart-warming and heart-breaking. And as always, Caroline Lee's narration is superb!

Wonderful story.

Beautifully written and narrated
Intriguing characters and plot development. I couldn't help but feel I belonged there on Wildflower Hill.