I was drawn in right from the start! It seems as if I’m on a bit of a roll when it comes to historical fiction, especially when it features a strong female lead who challenges the norm and the idea of “suitable” roles for women. The cliff hanger ending had me stumped! How long do we have to wait for the 2nd book in the series Karen?? Effy has to compete and win against the males and it seems no challenge is too small for this young girl. Dinsdag 14 maart '23 stond voor mij in het teken van de verschijning van 'Het wilde eiland', van Karen Swan, het allereerste deel in haar gloednieuwe, gelijknamige en vooral historische reeks. Ik mocht van de uitgeverij al een exemplaar ontvangen en ik kan je zeggen: de auteur stelt wederom niet teleur!

Life changes forever three months later when all the residents of the island are relocated to the mainland. The island residents are no longer together and Effie after a disastrous beginning is offered a job by the very man who had come to the island previously. It is here that the reader is made well aware of British society in the 1900s and where Effie finds herself belonging to neither upstairs or downstairs in the home of her employer and her first love interest. It was wonderful to read about Effie’s experiences in this situation and her reaction to seeing herself in a mirror for the first time. The Last Summer by Karen Swan and audiobook Narrated by Katie Leung is an excellent historical fiction that takes us into the lives of those living and leaving St Kilda during the 1930s, and I just loved it. Karen Swan has become a prolific writer since her early years in fashion journalism. Each year she produces two books, one for the summer period in the northern hemisphere and the other in time for Christmas. With over twenty books to her credit, she has developed an extensive following. Her latest book, The Last Summer, is the first in her five book historical series called The Wild Isle, based upon the dramatic evacuation of Scottish island St Kilda in the summer of 1930. Throughout the many hours listening I was kept hooked and I didn't want this to end! Especially like it did! Literally a cliff hanger - excuse the pun!Powerful writing and a wonderful premise make this a novel you'll simultaneously want to savour and race through. I loved it and can't wait for the next in the series!' - Jill Mansell This time, the place is the isle of St. Kilda, an isolated island belonging to Scotland, in the 1930s. The story begins shortly before the evacuation of the inhabitants of the island, whose small population, only a few dozen people, is fighting for survival in a centuries-old way, isolated from many of the modern amenities. The book was inspired by real events. Effie’s life changes drastically a few months later, when all the residents of her beloved St Kilda are forced to relocate to the “mainland”, leaving the only place she’s ever known behind. How will she and the other island residents adapt to this new way of living? She is offered a job by the Earl of Dumfries, but how will it be to see Lord Sholto again, in his “proper” social standing?

Not only shops and trees but new rules and discrimination never known to Effy before and yes she causes chaos! I like the idea of a book set on a remote island and the descriptions of the location were very good. Unfortunately, the story didn’t grab me.I loved the author’s vivid descriptions of St Hilda which told of a very different life to the one I know. The author writes the book so I felt like I was actually there scaling the cliffs and hunting for birds alongside Effy. I was so intrigued that I spent a lot of time googling the Isle to see how it looked in real life. I doubt I’d have been able to cope with the harsh life there but it was interesting to live it through Effy. The description of the house and the community there amongst the servants was also really wonderful. I loved following Effy as she adjusted to life at the house and made new friends. Wild-spirited Effie Gillies has lived all her life on the small island of St Kilda. But when Lord Sholto, heir to the Earl of Dumfries, visits, the attraction between them is instant. For one glorious week she guides the handsome young visitor around the isle, falling in love for the first time – until a storm hits and her world falls apart.