The Vaster Wilds by Lauren Groff

I bought this book in the Madison airport on my way to Toronto for the Eras Tour, after realizing I left the other novel I was reading at home. I've read other Lauren Groff novels so I was encouraged I'd like this one, but was concerned because the blurb said the book was "part historical, part horror, part thriller, part survival tale..." I wasn't so sure about the horror and thriller elements but suspected the overall positivity of the rest of my trip could counteract anything I read on the plane which made me uneasy.

I had nothing to worry about because The Vaster Wilds is full of life and energy and while I know what plot elements could be described as horror/thrilling, I disagree. This is a story about a strong girl, her will to live, and the awe-inspiring ways nature wills life forward despite inevitable deaths. The time period in which this book is set is clearly stated, but it felt timeless in most places and I easily forgot the historical setting. The girl's desire to get away from her past, the natural world sheltering and feeding her, and the challenges she encounters along the way could happen in nearly any era. The lyrical descriptions of life, nature, and loss are continuous throughout. The girl is described by various names but mostly just "the girl" and we know she comes from a tough and lowly start. But she has so much depth and holds so much of both her past and her hope for the future, the reader quickly understands this girl is vast and admirably wild herself. There is beautiful language all throughout this book, some of my very favorite in the first two sections of Chapter 25. May we all live so brightly and fully and may Lauren Groff write like this forever. 

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