Customer Reviews

The Wild Child

5 star:		(38)
4 star:		(6)
3 star:		(7)
2 star:		(5)
1 star:		(4)

 

 

I love this story! The empathic, sensitive, animal-healing hero is to die for, and I really love the heroine, especially her psychic abilities and the way the hero and heroine both love animals so much and connect emotionally and spiritually over this love.

MJP's major talent is very much in evidence in every part of this story. I am in awe of her elegant use of flashbacks, the careful, believable, moving character development with great motivation, the extraordinary romance, friendship and passion between the hero and heroine. Also, MJP's special gift, very much in evidence here, is interweaving the relationship between the hero and heroine with their relationships with their blood families as well as their "families of affiliation." Particularly in this case the latter provides a welcome chance to revisit old friends in Rebecca and Kenneth.

I find the whole setting of the heroine's incredible gardens enthralling, including her artistic ability with flower arrangements and "carving" bushes in the topiary and elsewhere. I love Meriel's amazing tree house and the lovely image of the beautiful horse Dom gets her with hair the color of hers. The scene with the fox Meriel and Dom save is very moving, as is the relationship she has with her East Indian rescuer and his romance with an important subcharacter. So many riches in one book, I have to say more. <G>

I experienced the prologue as incredibly powerful--what a fantastic hook! I myself never suspected for a moment who the villain is until the climax, but his evil is not at all "out of the blue." Also well done is the interweaving of the theme of the castle ruin throughout the whole book. It serves multiple linked purposes, including the ultimate regaining of the heroine's blocked memory. I am tempted to hazard my own response to the symbology here--that the castle ruin can be seen to represent (among other evocative images and metaphors) the heroine's family roots, and a basic solidity in her core character that allows her to heal from the horrendous psychological trauma in her early childhood shown in the prologue. Conceptually, the castle ruin also provides opportunities for MJP's wonderful, subtle wit, which shines throughout the book.

The plotting altogether is superb. For example, I love what MJP does with the madhouse and the way that the hero's helping Ames' daughter Jena leads to Dom later getting assistance to help rescue Meriel from the same place. I like the interweaving of what is happening with Kyle, the hero's twin, with what is happening with Dom, the hero, throughout the book.

I found myself wondering about halfway through if Dom and Kyle are going to change places in the end as a powerful echo of their switching places throughout the book. So for me it is extremely well motivated and "organically cohesive" when MJP does that switch figuratively, in a believable psychological way, with Dom and Kyle realizing that Dom is very like their father, rooted in family and tradition and the land, and that Kyle is a natural wanderer. Kyle also realizes that only he has been keeping himself from following his dream and that he doesn't have to resent anyone or anything for that situtation anymore--he can remedy it himself.

Mary Jo Putney has made a name writing books that combine lyrical romance with strong characterization and social commentary. In THE WILD CHILD she is in top form. This historical tells the story of Meriel Grahme and Dominic Renbourne. Dominic is the younger of an earl's two sons--by ten minutes. Those few minutes make all the difference. Relaxed and friendly where his identical twin is formal, and independent where his twin is duty-bound, Dominic is hardly one to step to his brother's tune. But then Kyle, his brother, offers him the chance to realize a dream Dominic had thought beyond his grasp. In return, he must play Kyle in an odd charade that makes no real sense to him; he agrees to court his brother's betrothed, Meriel Grahame, a lovely, wealthy--and apparently mad heiress.

So begins a well-realized love story between two remarkable people. Putney creates a magical quality for Meriel's vast garden, where much of the story takes place. In some ways, THE WILD CHILD is an adult retelling on THE SECRET GARDEN, with the roles reversed. Here the woman needs to heal. Meriel is both strong and vulnerable, freed in some ways from the constraints on women in her culture, yet bound by the borders of her garden. Her gradual recovery makes an uplifting story. For all her silences and withdrawal, she often comes across as one of the most sensible people in her small world. The garden is beautifully realized, from vivid descriptions of the topiary to the enchanted quality of Meriel's tree house.

Dominic's burgeoning love touches a deep chord. I don't normally go for twin substitution stories, but this one works. His dilemma--coming to love with his brother's intended--avoids cliches. Rather than bogging down with discord or misunderstandings, the characters act with maturity, humor, and a refreshing dash of common sense. None are perfect; when Dominic isn't pretending to be his overly exacting twin, he is somewhat of a disorganized mess. His faults only increase his charm. His fundamental decency adds power to the conflict he faces when he realizes how he feels for Meriel.

With gentle stealth feminism, Putney comments on how labels such as "hysterical" and "mad" have been used to silence women's voices. Although this book is a historical, it has resonances with our own culture. The commentary is all the more effective because of the compassion Putney infuses into her work. She seems to care for all her characters, male and female, young and old, of all races, conservative or modern.

Putney fans may recognize Meriel as the descendant of another Merial in the novel UNCOMMON VOWS. Nor does the story arc end with THE WILD CHILD. Due out in summer 2000, THE CHINA BRIDE tells the story of Dominic's brother Kyle and an unusual, captivating woman who comes into his life.

THE WILD CHILD is well worth reading. It is Mary Jo Putney at her best. And that is good indeed

Loved this book. This book is my second Putney to read and I must say that I am most impressed with this author's writing style. Her plots are not conventional nor was it predictable. It is refreshing to find an author that has been out there for a while writing stories of this caliber.... just think of the joy of discovering her back list!!! LOL

"The Wild Child" tells the story of two twin brothers that have a very strained relationship although at one time they were very close (as common with twins) it also tells the story of a woman not afraid of her own physical wants and desires, however because of a tragedy when she was young has chosen to stay "mute" with society's world. Getting to know Meriel and her world was tedious at times because quite frankly reading a book where one of the main characters does not communicate can be.

I do highly recommend this book once it picked up it really became rather interesting. If you like books with Twins switching places I also recommend "The Switch" by Sandra Brown as well as "Deceptions" by Judith Michael. If you should like books about Heroines that are "mute" then try "Awaken My Love" by Robin Schone.

Happy Reading

Even though I am a long time fan of Mary Jo Putney's books (and I love the fallen angels), I usually don't like the "everyone thinks she's crazy" storyline, or when the heroine seems too victim-like or too delicate. So even though I bought the book when it first came out, I hesitated diving in based on the jacket blurb. Well after reading it this weekend, I am glad to say that my apprehensions were entirely unfounded and the blurb is a little misleading. Meriel is a very interesting character and so is Dominic.

The story grabs you at the begining and is filled with interesting secondary characters. Her research, as always, seems right on.

All-in-all, Wild Child is as good as the other fallen angel books and very enjoyable. I wish she would write faster and that there were more authors producing the same high quality work!

Dominic Renbourne, younger son - by ten minutes - of the Earl of Wrexham, is bored and restless. Not having the taste or talent for the army or the church, he lives a life of jaded pleasure from his lodgings in London. His twin Kyle, Viscount Maxwell, on the other hand, seems to have it all: land, money and an inheritance to look forward to. And yet, as we learn, Kyle is as envious of Dominic's freedom as Dominic is envious of Kyle's ownership of land - Dominic would love nothing more than to be a country farmer.

So when Kyle contacts Dominic and offers to sign over to him a manor estate if Dominic will take his place for a few weeks, Dominic is tempted. The masquerade involves visiting the home of Kyle's almost-fiancee, Lady Meriel Grahame (descendant of Adrian and Meriel of Warfield, from Uncommon Vows). Meriel is rumoured to be mad, as the result of severe childhood trauma; she doesn't speak and seems to pay no attention to anything around her. The idea of a child-woman like this becoming someone's wife disgusts Dominic, but he senses some raw pain in his brother's heart, so in the end agrees to go to Warfield.

Meriel is everything Dominic expected... and yet nothing like he expected. She is beautiful and untamed. She ignores everyone except Kamal, her Indian servant... and yet Dominic realises very quickly that she watches him and understands what he says to her. Gradually, she accepts his friendship and allows him to teach her to ride and to become involved in her daily activities.

But Dominic also realises that this apparently childlike woman is hiding her real nature. She understands far more than she pretends. She is highly intelligent, as well as intuitive. And when he discovers that she can read - and that her reading matter includes serious and demanding books - he suspects that she isn't being honest about her abilities. Can she speak, after all?

At the same time, Meriel and Dominic are falling in love with each other. And yet Dominic is bound by loyalty to his brother. How can he escape that? And in the background lurks the danger that Meriel's paternal uncle, Earl Grahame, will get his way and have her committed to an asylum.

Twins changing places is a common theme in romance novels, but many of these suggest that such changes are easy to execute. Never for one minute, though, are we allowed to believe that Dominic's masquerade is easy to maintain and unlikely to be discovered. Likewise, Meriel is portrayed in a very sympathetic and multi-dimensional way; at first she did indeed seem to be a very simple, possibly not sane, child; as we got to know her better, the glimpses we got of her thoughts and desires showed us that she was far more complex and intelligent than would be expected.

There are some lovely scenes in The Wild Child, as Dominic begins to get to know Meriel; the frightening events in the ruined Norman castle where Meriel pretended to throw herself off the battlements; the rescue of the fox; tending the garden together. As other reviers have noted, the compassionate treatment of the asylum was both fascinating and chilling.

This book gripped me from start to finish, and the only reason it didn't get read in one sitting was the inconvenience of having to get up to go to work! And then I couldn't wait to read Kyle's story, to find out how he fared after the loss of his beloved Constancia. A keeper!

I finished this book in three days. It probably would have taken me less time, but I forced myself to stop for food and sleep and going to work! I was just breathless when I got to the end of the book. I had also used up about half a box of tissues -- not that it was tragic, it was just so beautiful and emotionally charged that I turned on the waterworks!

Dominic's compassion -- and later passion -- for Meriel and his unswerving loyalty to his estranged twin, Kyle, make him a hero to be reckoned with. Meriel's retreat from the world after childhood tragedy and her creativity in expressing herself without speech make her a very sympathetic heroine. The emotion between these two protagonists is devastating to behold, absolutely, heart-breakingly beautiful. Kyle's loyalty to his "other obligation" (I won't give anything away!) makes me very glad that we will learn his story in The China Bride.

I also appreciated the fact that MJP links this new family of novels to one of her previous novels, Uncommon Vows. Linking characters from different novels, however loosely (but always convincingly) provides the reader with a sense of connection and allows the reader to develop a rapport with the characters, and this is something MJP does very well.

Some authors tend to lose their steam, so to speak, after several novels, but this is not the case with MJP. The Wild Child is a shining example of her amazing talent. I would give it 20 stars if I could!

I didn't want to like this book. The identical twins substituting for each other, woman thought insane but really still suffering from childhood trauma, the coincidence of Meriel's best friend from India being locked in the same asylum where Meriel is bound, and the predictable ending should have made it easy to put this one down--but I couldn't.

Putney is such a good writer that she can take these standard and overused plot devices and turn them into a truly compelling read. Even though you'll know exactly what comes next, you'll want to read it to see how Putney describes it and makes it real.

Although it falls somewhat short of the emotional intensity of its sequel, CHINA BRIDE, THE WILD CHILD is a superior romance.

I certainly can't agree with the reviewer from Florida that the heroine, Meriel, was selfish! To me, she was someone who had been traumatized terribly as a child, and had to develop a radical coping mechanism in order to survive. She withdrew so deeply into her own world that she could no longer connect in a normal way with others, but her place of mental safety became her prison.

The power of the romance comes from the way Dominic was able to look at Meriel and see not a hopelessly damaged young woman, but a person of unique and enchanting qualities--a girl who had literally had to invent her own reality to survive. Watching Meriel be slowly coaxed out of her fear and solitude was fascinating. And if she didn't have any sexual inhibitions because of her separation from normal life--well, that was part of the fun. <g>

I also much enjoyed the secondary characters, especially Kyle, the twin brother, whose ability to love was deeply poignant. I hope that MJP will be doing a story about him soon!

Kyle and Dominic Renbourne are twins, born 10 minutes apart, which makes Kyle the heir and Dominic the spare. This causes some family problems with the brothers... one becomes domineering and the other rebellious. After living separate lives for some time. Dominic finds Kyle at his door offering him something he has wanted all his life. But, he can't get it until he does what big brother asks.

Dominic agrees to impersonate his twin at the Warfield Manor with Kyle's future bride, Lady Meriel. Dominic thought it would be quick and simple... until he sees the rumored mad and silent young lady his brother had described is really a beautiful, enchanting woman, living in an enchanted world of her own making. A world Dominic feels at home in.

The Wild Child captured my attention immediately. The story itself is enchanting and romantic. Mary Jo has a way of writing that has her readers coming back for more. The characters are well developed and come to life with the first page. Each has a vital part that adds to the story line and their relationships are intriguing. If you are a romantic at heart, you will love this passionate romance.

I have been a fan of Ms. Putney's writing for sometime now. I love the huge amount of research she puts into her books. I love the way her books all connect together, but at the same time stand on their own. She does not make the mistake of some romance writers in having the books totally co-depend on characters from previous books.

That said, this book is a total departure from Putney's other books. I picked the book up because of her previous books. I read it in one night because it was a fabulous original book.

I cannot add much to the previous reviews. I will say that I kept reading to find out how she would deal with this apparently crazy heroine. I also liked the unique love story of Kyle and his older mistress. The long running feud between the twins Kyle and Domonic was well done. I could see both sides of the fuss and see how the whole thing had gone bad over the years.

Please Ms. Putney, write Kyle's story!