The Wild Girl

By: Kate Forsyth

Narrated by: Kate Reading

Length: 17 hrs and 42 mins

Publisher's summary

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 firesides of houses grand and small all 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.

©2015 Blackstone Audio, Inc. (P)2015 Blackstone Audio

Pleasantly surprised!

With the title I expected a wild magical concoction. I thoroughly enjoyed this romantic, historical tale. The way the story is punctuated with heartbreak almost caused physical pain. Now on to my next Forsyth……

Surprising Depth

I don't know how much of this is true. But I know its based on truth. This story packs a punch, just like Grimms’ original fairy tales. Very glad i read it. Official fan.

What a surprise in the most pleasant way!

I don’t usually write reviews but wow! Completely blown away by how much I enjoyed this book. The narration, writing, and overall story arc are *chef’s kiss*. Will most definitely listen to again and will probably be buying the book as well.

Powerful, bittersweet and enchanting

If you could sum up The Wild Girl in three words, what would they be?

Powerful, bittersweet, and enchanting. For anyone who loves history, fairytales, and romance, this is your perfect book. For me in particular it was special, as the German setting brought me close to home.

What other book might you compare The Wild Girl to and why?

I've never read any like it, which made it even more special. But thinking on this question made me think of Pan's Labyrinth, the film.

What does Kate Reading bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

Oh, her voices were perfect for each character. I loved listening to her!

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

Yes, absolutely. I loved everything - save the treatment of the main character - the interweaving of love, storytelling, German folk culture, history and the war. Every detail, like the description of medicines and herbal remedies, added to the layered magic of this tale.

Any additional comments?

It was quite a tragic story in many ways, but don't all fairytales have an element of tragedy? The treatment of Dortchen by her father was very alarming at times, and I wondered how true this was to the real life of this family. There were moments I could scarcely listen and felt perhaps the author went too far, but perhaps my strong reaction to the story is what makes it such a great story. The ending was perfect!!

In the end, I loved it 💜

It took a moment for me to settle into this book. However, I'm so glad I did! Definitely worth the read. Especially if you enjoy period pieces.

heartwrenchingly amazing

could not put it "down. Excited to read more from this author. Narrator Kate Reading nails it, again:-)

Excellent performance, brutal story

I enjoyed the descriptions of life in the time and place, including the references to real historical events. The narrator is superb. The story was compelling, but so often the brutality and violence were just really hard to listen to. This book is definitely not recommended for anyone with issues around sexual abuse.

Bittersweet story, fantastic reader

I had debated on this book for some time just not quite sure about it from the description. But because Kate Reading was narrating, I finally gave it a try. And so glad I did!

One of the amazing things about voice actor Reading is that I forget there is s narrator. I just get completely lost in the story. Yes, she has unique character voices, a smooth narration, and all the other hallmarks we look for in a reader. But the story comes first, and it shines in the best possible light.

This bittersweet tale could have been one of the brothers Grimm own tales. It weaves through hardship after hardship, to end with a triumph against the odds. A story to encourage perseverance and hope.

While there were no notes regarding historical accuracy, it does take place in Westphalia before and after Napoleon's rise to power. And I think to myself: It seems a realistic picture of what it might have been like as an average person living through war torn times in the 19th century. Some nice details for the historical clothing fans out there. Enough visuals overall, that I recall it as one might a movie.

Beautiful and tragic

This was such a sad love story with such great detail and historical references that kept me listening every chance I had. I highly recommend but definitely be aware there are some very disturbing traumas described. At times they were too much to listen to but indeed gave such a deep layer of empathy for the main character and her story that I understand why the author wrote them in where she did.

Wonderful story of Wilhem Grimm and Dortchen

I read other reviews before I purchased this book. Many reviews were negative as far as listening to this tale, which did not stop me from purchaseing. As a lover of fairytales and the Grimm tales , I was fascinated with the story of how the tales were collected and published, along with the trials they had to endure to finally have the stories recognized by the public. Yes the story of Dortchen is very sad, yes her father was a horrible man and scarred her for a long time which she finally overcame. One reviewer stated, she stopped listening to the book as it was too horrendous to hear about Dortchen's father. There are many bad people in the world and what Dortchen endured was horrific, however Wilhem's devotion to her and his willingness to wait for her overcomes all the bad that happened before. Listen to the whole book and fall in love with the sweet Dortchen who knew the power of stories to heal and used them to help her understand her life and to share her tales with the world through the Grimm brothers. Those stories have stood the test of time and will be told and retold as long as there is someone to listen. Read or listen to this tale to the end. You won't regret your choice.