A beautifully raw, honest and relatable memoir

If you have experienced trauma and the perpetual impact it has on your life, in both good times and bad, this book will resonate deeply with you.
Clover’s reminiscence of her happy childhood, her bond with her mother, her sibling relationships, the power of her connection with horses, is exquisitely expressed in this wonderful book. Her life takes her on so many adventures, throughout every one of them she learns to deal with the haunting and deep rooted trauma that tethers her wherever she goes.
This book made me reflect on my own relationships with family, and what I should be grateful for. Her descriptions of the rural contexts she finds herself profoundly bound to, are so tangible, you feel you need to go there and experience them too.
I couldn’t love this book more, as a daughter, mother, sister and wife, it resonated deeply with me. As someone who also wears the internal scar of trauma, it was an extremely cathartic experience listening to her story.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

Incredibly honest

What made the experience of listening to The Wild Other the most enjoyable?

The honesty with which Stroud tells her true feelings

Who was your favorite character and why?

Clover Stroud as above

What about Esther Wane’s performance did you like?

Clear and unaffected

If you made a film of this book, what would be the tag line be?

Thrill seeker

Any additional comments?

Amazing strength of personality and character to experience just what she has.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

1 person found this helpful

Beautifully read. Beautifully written.

I had hoped that Clover Stroud herself would be reading this audiobook as she was so excellent at reading her book The Red of my Blood. However, Esther did a wonderful job, and I enjoyed it immensely. Clover writes so well, and that’s an understatement.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

Beautiful

Life, love, grief and motherhood, punctuated by horses, a heart wrenching memoir that's beautifully narrated

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

Outstanding writing

I loved this book. I think Clover is an example of bravery and courage. It’s her attitude to her ‘needs’ that impresses me. Her embracing of what she needs to experience in order to grow. An unflinching love of life, living and her true nature of fierce friendship, love, family and home place. She enables me to shed tears and shake off some sorrow and shame accumulated throughout my journey. Her words help to make sense of the choices and challenges life throws at us/me. Thank you Clover for another wonderful book.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

Wonderful

I listened to this book some weeks ago on the recommendation of a friend and the feelings evoked by it have stayed with me despite listening to other books since then. It is a wonderful book which has been narrated beautifully. Clover and her siblings had an idyllic life with their wonderful, enthusiastic and unconventional mother who gave her children the childhood we all would have liked to have given our children. Their mother's accident is truly dreadful and cruel and the impact of it is then always with Clover and every action and decision she takes following that is a result of that accident. The story triggered memories of my own losses and made it doubly powerful. I highly recommend The Wild Other. It is a beautiful, sensitive, brave and fascinating book and it completely absorbed me. I had to ration how long I listened to it in one go, otherwise I occasionally felt overwhelmed by anxiety for Clover.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

Beautiful, Raw and Poignant

I loved this memoir, I highly recommended this lyrical meditation on love, loss and landscape.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

Completely engaging

This book was completely engaging and I never wanted it to end. It was beautifully written and the reader could have been the author she read with such integrity and passion.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

Wonderful, poignant and hopeful

Honest, raw and moving. Highly recommend

The performance was good although I always like it when the author reads their own work. I feel it adds an additional layer of nuance.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

Brilliantly honest and at times heartwrenching

Master wordsmith, richly flowing story that fascinates and pulls at the heart strings in equal measure. Makes me think am I too cautious in my own life to read of Clovers adventurous Wild one x

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!