Wildthorn

by Jane Eagland

Seventeen-year-old Louisa Cosgrove is locked away in the Wildthorn Hall mental institution, where she is stripped of her identity and left to wonder who has tried to destroy her life.

• ISBN10: 0547370172
• ISBN13: 9780547370170
• Publish Date: 6 September 2010 (first published 6 March 2009)
• Publish Status: Out of Print
• Out of Print: 9 July 2021
• Publish Country: US
• Imprint: Houghton Mifflin
• Edition: First Edition, None ed.
• Format: Hardcover
• Pages: 352
• Language: English

Reviews

[Jo]

Originally posted on Once Upon a Bookcase.

Jane Eagland wrote a guest post for Sex in Teen Lit Month back in 2009 about Wildthorn, so I knew I had to review Wildthorn as soon as I decided to hold LGBTQ YA Month. I'm not the biggest fan of historical fiction, but I found I really enjoyed it!

Louisa Cosgrove is on her way to be a companion to the daughter of the Woodville family. However, when she arrives, Louisa is shocked to discover that she isn't at the Woodvilles', but at Wildthorn, an asylum for the mentally insane. Believing her to be a Lucy Childs, she is admitted to the asylum and locked in despite putting up a fight. The more she insists she is Louisa Cosgrove, the more the attendants believe she is mad. Determined to find out who is behind her treachery, Louisa fights to never lose sight trying to get out. At every corner she discovers just how deeply the betrayal goes, and just how difficult it will be to escape her ill treatment. There is only one person at Wildthorn she trusts, the only person who may be her way to freedom.

This isn't an LGBTQ story in that Louisa's sexuality doesn't play a hugely important role. Ths focus is on her incarceration at Wildthorn, why she's there, and how she's ever going to get out. The treatement of the residents is atrocious. There are some attendants who are nice or those that don't really care and so will let the residents do as they wish, but there are others who are so vindictive, so cruel, and take great pleasure from it. It's just awful!

Set in 1876, there are quite a few views about the role of women and how they should be living their lives, and a lot of this is shown through Louisa's flashbacks. There were so many times when opinions of many of the men, and even some of the women too, in the book - that women should stay at home, raising babies and looking after their husbands - really wound me up. Don't get me wrong, I'm not against women who are stay-at-home mums/housewives - it's something I would like to do myself if I'm able - but we have the choice to either stay at home or work. It's the fact that they believed this is what women should do, this and only this, without choice, is what really annoyed me. Even more so what they thought of women who wanted more. Absolutely disgusting!

As I said, Louisa's sexuality isn't the focus of Wildthorn, and to some extent it's even secondary. However, Louisa does wonder if some of her previous actions before coming to Wildthorn are the reason for her being there. Did someone find out, and had her locked away because of it? There is no use of the word "lesbian" nor any other term/label to describe sexuality. In her guest post (linked above), Eagland explains that "the word ['lesbian'] wouldn’t have been used at the time the novel is set" and that "after some research, I discovered that at that time it was acceptable for girls to have passionate friendships, without necessarily having sexual feelings for one another - they would embrace and kiss and write and say extravagant things to each other." This was all perfectly normal, so Louisa's strong friendships were never seen to be thought badly of. However, romantic feelings for the same sex were considered abnormal, so it's something that Louisa kept secret, and was a major contender in her theories as to why she was at Wildthorn. The romance in the book is sweet, but slow to build. On the sexuality side of things, the main focus is Louisa discovering her sexuality and her feelings rather than an actual romance. The way things are wrapped up for Louisa in the romantic sense made me feel a little sad despite what happens. It's down to the times, but it just feels so unfair.

Overall, an intriguing story with twists I didn't expect! A great, quick read that will both enrage you and make you smile.

[celinenyx]

I don't know what it is with asylums that attracts me so much. Is it the horror of treatment? The mental illnesses? The big question of how they will get out? Will they be able to escape? Whatever it is, asylums make for great settings in a book. Wildthorn was no exception.

Louisa is a little different than the other girls of her age. She wants to be a doctor. Everyone in her family thinks she is being ridiculous, as doctor is clearly a profession only for men. Louisa should concentrate more on finding a suitable husband, and getting ready to start a family. A few months after the death of her father, she finds herself locked away in an insane asylum. Who sent her here and why? And more importantly, how will she get out?

A common theme in fiction set in the Victorian age is feminism. More often than not the main female character rebels against the set role for women, namely motherhood. What I found interesting in Wildthorn is that even though Louisa rebels against the prejudices, she is no revolutionist. She doesn't want to change the world, call all women to arms, overturn the world's thinking. The only thing she wants is to be left alone, so she can pursue her dream and become a doctor. Her goal is a personal one. She doesn't resent other girls for wanting to marry. She just acknowledges that it's not right way for her. I thought this was very well done, and I admire Ms. Eagland for taking this road, and writing something believable, something that might have actually happened a few hundred years ago.

Louisa is a likeable character. I really felt for her. With flashbacks set at a regular interval throughout the books we learn about her past, everything that has happened to her the past years. I though it was very interesting to read about these events in first person, instead of just being told "hey, five years ago, this happened!". If I would have been in her shoes, I probably would have handled everything the way she did.

A fair warning, this book is not for homophobes. Please don't read this book if you're against lesbian romance. Or if you're against the gay "lifestyle", like most homophobes put it. Don't get me started on homosexuality being a "lifestyle", I can rant about this all day. So I'll just give you a warning. There is a romantic plot, and yes, it's between two girls. Deal with it. It would be such a shame to let your prejudices stand in the way of this great book.

Wildthorn is a very quick read, and a very exciting one. As Louisa slowly unravels the secret of her incarceration, her situation becomes more and more bleak. This book might not be that suitable for the faint of heart. Life in an asylum just isn't roses and sunshine, it's brutal and unfair. Especially towards the end of the book, I couldn't stop reading any more. And when the ending came, I could finally sigh a content sigh. The ending is sweet, cute, and everything it should be.

I definitely recommend this book for anyone that likes historical romance in young-adult form. I think fans of Sarah Water's Fingersmith might enjoy this too.

[Amber]

To start with, it took me a while to get into this book and because of this I was a little hesitant to continue reading. However, I am very glad I did continue, as this book was a truly great read in the end.

The story is set in the 19th century and starts when our protagonist, Louisa, is sent to an insane asylum. Louisa has no idea why she has been sent there, or who has sent her, and she spends a good length of the book trying to figure these things out. She knows that she is not insane, however it's up to the reader if they believe her or not.

The narrative takes us from the present day, back to the past to Louisa's childhood, and there we learn about how she has always wanted to follow in her father's footsteps and become a doctor. A female doctor was not seen as acceptable in Louisa's time and as we read various 'flashbacks' we see how Louisa struggles with being different to most girls, and not living up to her mother's expectations of her.

I thought that the plot was well thought out, and there were even a couple of twists, which I am not used to in a historical novel. I was very interested in the asylum and the culture of 19th century England, and Eagland managed to keep me intrigued throughout the novel. She painted a perfect picture of the era and some of the descriptions were so vivid I had to stop reading for a moment to take it all in.

The character of Louisa was very likable, and I felt able to connect with her easily. I felt so sorry for her being locked up in the asylum for no apparent reason, but she was strong and that is what gave me hope.

Overall, I highly recommend this book. As Jane Eagland's first book, I think she did a phenomenal job with it, and I will certainly be reading more of her works in the future.
Rating: 4/5

[rakesandrogues]

Out of the whole book, I tremendously enjoyed the flashbacks that gave an insight as to how Louisa got into the asylum. I couldn't get myself to stop reading because I was so intrigued as she uncovered all the secrets. I had to know what happened to Louisa at the end. I couldn't figure out if Wildthorn was going to end with a sad or happy ending. I enjoyed the book a lot, but once I did get to the ending, I thought it started to get a little too drawn out.

I loved the main character. Louisa is intelligent, clever, and passionate. I love that she does not care what others think of her. She sets her own standards and goes after what she believes in. I love that she is an avid reader and itches to study, despite that society dictates it improper.

I was not a fan of the "unconventional" romance in the book. I don't want to say much about it because it is a huge spoiler if I do, but to me, I just couldn't feel the passion or chemistry. I felt like the romance was planted in the novel for the sake of just putting it in there. I guess that Eagland was trying to point out another issue in Victorian society, but I thought the two characters were better off as friends.

Speaking of issues, I love how this book brings up several issues. It made me realize how far in mental health we have come today. The state of the asylums back in the Victorian times is atrocious from the living conditions to the way patients are treated. It's hard to imagine today that a normal woman could be confined in an institution, but I can definitely see it happening back then, when women had no say in anything. As I'm packing for college, I feel thankful that I at least have the opportunity of seeking higher education. Women like Louisa looked to learn more but were not allowed because of their gender.