A History of Wild Places

A Novel

By: Shea Ernshaw

Narrated by: Carlotta Brentan, Cassandra Campbell, Gibson Frazier, Cindy Kay, Pete Simonelli

In this “riveting, atmospheric thriller that messes with your mind in the best way” (Laini Taylor, New York Times bestselling author), three residents of a secluded, seemingly peaceful commune investigate the disappearances of two outsiders.

Travis Wren has an unusual talent for locating missing people. Often hired by families as a last resort, he takes on the case of Maggie St. James—a well-known author of dark, macabre children’s books—and is soon led to a place many believed to be only a legend.

Called Pastoral, this reclusive community was founded in the 1970s by like-minded people searching for a simpler way of life. By all accounts, the commune shouldn’t exist anymore and soon after Travis stumbles upon it…he disappears. Just like Maggie St. James.

Years later, Theo, a lifelong member of Pastoral, discovers Travis’s abandoned truck beyond the border of the community. No one is allowed in or out, not when there’s a risk of bringing a disease—rot—into Pastoral. Unraveling the mystery of what happened reveals secrets that Theo, his wife, Calla, and her sister, Bee, keep from one another. Secrets that prove their perfect, isolated world isn’t as safe as they believed—and that darkness takes many forms.

“As spine-chilling as it is beautifully crafted” (Ruth Emmie Lang, author of Beasts of Extraordinary Circumstance), A History of Wild Places is a story about fairy tales, our fear of the dark, and losing yourself within the wilderness of your mind.

??

Still not sure if I'm satisfied, but I sure did rip through it. Pretty sure I enjoyed it even though at times I struggled to believe in the concepts.

Interesting book

This book was definitely intriguing. A little mystery, a little suspense. Overall a good story. I enjoyed the flow and the narrators were great

Performance was good, story was good, ending was very disappointing.

I just don’t buy the ending at all. The explanation for everything just makes no sense. Up until the last couple of hours of the book, I really enjoyed it. The performance was engaging to listen to, at least.

Great book

I liked the story and even though the concept isn’t something I would want, the author did a good job explaining and developing characters.

Great story, poor narrations.

The story itself is great. I enjoyed Shea Ernshaw’s first two books and even preordered A History of Wild Places on Audible. Despite this novel being her first foray out of the YA genre, she knocked it out of the park. I’ve come to expect engrossing, atmospheric reads from Ernshaw and I was not disappointed in the slightest.

My problem with the Audible recording of A History of Wild Places in that some of the narration was absolutely terrible. There are multiple narrators for the different characters’ POVs. The narrators for Theo and Calla were some of the worst I’ve ever heard. Theo’s narrator sounded like a robot. Siri honestly sounds more lifelike and has more tone variation than this particular narrator.

The narrator for Calla whispered so quietly that I could barely hear her even when using headphones. It was even worse when the Calla’s narrator tried to read lines spoken by male characters. Not only were the lines whispered, but the pretend male voice did not sound good and she would add in a random accent here and there and then drop it suddenly.

I listened to half the audiobook but then switched to a physical copy because I couldn’t continue listening to Theo and Calla’s narrators.