1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Coming of age in "interesting times", March 22, 2009
This review is from: Wild Talent: : A Novel of the Supernatural (Paperback)
While Wild Talent is very different from Eileen Kernaghan's 2000 novel,
The Snow Queen, there are two major themes that the two novels have in common. Both feature young girls striking out precipitously on their own into an unsafe world. Both also address the frustrations of intelligent women up against the repressive mores of Victorian society. The result, in both cases, is a gently feminist coming-of-age tale with a strong sense of place and time.
Wild Talent tells the story of Jeannie Guthrie, a young Scottish farm girl who flees her home suddenly, fearing charges of witchcraft and murder after a telekinetic talent helps her fight off a would-be rapist. She reaches London, where she befriends Alexandra David and finds employment with Helena Blavatsky. The historical characters are fascinating, and Jeannie herself is delightfully complex -- unusually courageous in some ways and so very unsure in others.
The greatest strength of Wild Talent is its vivid portrayal of the tumultuous times in which Jeannie lives. The drudgery of rural poverty, the decadence of absinthe-soaked artists, the glamour of the Paris world's fair, and the spiritual debates among London's occult circles are all handled with skill. When I finished Wild Talent I felt that I'd paid a visit to the late 19th century, that I'd been right there with Jeannie all along.
Also well-handled were the questions of what is "real" and what is not. The book is teeming with the supernatural -- some of it real, some of it staged by charlatans, some of it in that gray area of uncertainty where the reader isn't sure whether it's real or a dream.
There's a spot toward the middle of the book that was rough going in a way, and ironically, it's because of something Kernaghan did very, very well. As the reader, I was feeling a little adrift and not sure whether the story was moving, and then a little light bulb went on over my head and I realized it was because Jeannie felt adrift and wasn't sure whether she was getting anywhere. Alone in London, with her fondest dream postponed for the sake of day-to-day survival, Jeannie is understandably depressed. Kernaghan's portrayal of Jeannie's depression is true to life and really made me feel for the character.
Spoiler Alert:
The ending leaves open the question of whether Jeannie achieves her goal of becoming a writer -- but as I remembered her musings at the beginning of the book about the power of words, I realized that the novel's text itself was meant to be the answer. Well played.
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1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
A carefully crafted and engaging book, March 21, 2009
This review is from: Wild Talent: : A Novel of the Supernatural (Paperback)
This absorbing novel wends its way through the fascinating occult worlds of late nineteenth century London and Paris. Rich in period detail, it chronicles the struggles of a young Scottish girl, Jeannie Guthrie, who fears she has run afoul of the law. Her character and her supernatural abilities are deftly explored against the backdrop of the London of that era. Counterbalanced with this are her association with the famous Victorian Theosophist Madame Helena Blavatsky, and her developing friendship with the charming and capricious Alexandra David. That Jeannie ends up in fin de siècle Paris, and must confront both her unhappy past and her dangerous talent, provides an exciting and satisfying climax.
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4.0 out of 5 stars
An intriguing novel about Victorian supernatural beliefs, January 25, 2011
This review is from: Wild Talent: : A Novel of the Supernatural (Paperback)
When she is accosted in a barn by a young man named George who attempts to rape her, Jeannie Guthrie lets loose a whirlwind of telekinetic power which sends a pitchfork into George's flesh. Believing she has killed him, Jeannie flees her Scottish home and farm. Fearing she will be labelled a witch, and punished for a murder she had not intended to commit, she heads to London. There, she encounters a kind young woman named Alexandra David who helps her get settled and find work with Helen Blavatsky, a woman known for her psychic medium abilities. From that moment on, Jeannie finds herself immersed in the world of the supernatural where she must navigate its treachery while she learns to understand and control her own powers. Ever-present is her fear of repercussion for her crime, which motivates her actions throughout the story. Frightened by her wild talent, Jeannie Guthrie, speaks to the reader in first person narrative as she writes in her journal.
In this coming of age, young adult novel that takes place during the fascinating Victorian era, Eileen Kernaghan has written an endearing tale of a young woman alone in a harsh world. It is clear right from the start that the author has done a great deal of research into the times, portraying the Victorian interest in the occult magnificently. The novel touches on the plight of a young woman alone, with no means of support, who is forced to make a living in difficult circumstances. The novel sweeps the reader from countryside of Scotland, to high society London, and then to the opulence of Paris during the time of the world's fair. Aspects of the supernatural is well-explored including real occurrences and tricks common during the time.
Although this novel is listed as a young adult novel, it transcends this limitation easily into adult or women's fiction. It is richly written with a high regard for historical detail, making this novel a true and accurate journey into the richness of the Victorian world.
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