Susan Gabriel
212 pages
Released: April 2012
Publisher: Wild Lily Arts
Source: the author
★★★★☆
You can read the Goodreads summary here.
The Secret Sense of Wildflower follows the life of Wildflower, a young girl growing up in 1940s Appalachia. Her father, the glue of her family, has passed away in a work related accident and Wildflower is taking hard. While she must cope with missing her father, her relationship with her mother is struggling. In addition, Johnny, a disgusting young man in town, seems to have it out for her and her loved ones.
The Secret Sense of Wildflower had me hooked from almost the beginning. Louisa May, aka Wildflower, is such a compelling character. From the start of the novel, it was clear that she was more mature than her age, which I think is a blessing considering all the grown-up issues she has to deal with as the novel continues on. Wildflower was a strong young-woman and I couldn't help but be on her side no matter what issue arose next.
The fast paced plot really had me turning the pages, though. The Secret Sense of Wildflower is a definite coming-of-age novel. Wildflower has to do a lot of growing up the year after her father dies in a tragic accident, but as that one year anniversary of his death arrives she has to deal with even more serious issues. I don't want to spoil the plot, when when the town ruffian sets his sights on her, it's obvious something terrible is going to happen. I can't remember the last time I met such a vile character in a book - I loved to hate him. At the same time, I had such protective feelings for Wildflower. I cried right along with her, I genuinely felt for her and that's why this novel gets four out of five stars from me. It was a very powerful read. This short novel really packs a punch.
If you liked Little Women or if you love historical fiction and coming-of-age novels, this is the book for you. Definitely add The Secret Sense of Wildflower to your TBR pile; you won't regret it.
I'll be reviewing this one in the fall!
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