The Vaster Wilds

I write and tend to read stories about contemporary relationships. Lauren Groff has recently written a fiction set long ago about women who face extraordinary challenges, in this case, the survival of a runaway servant, c 1609.

It is a literary action adventure of a sort with profound meaning. She grounds her stories in the landscape, while I ground mine in the culture.

I love the contrast. She inspires me. Her descriptive prose is spectacular in detail, and I was swept along, spellbound, on this arduous journey as if I were there, rooting for the runaway, even knowing the odds… show more.

This historical novel is set in 17th century Colonial America, and the main character is a runaway servant girl who flees into the forest from the Jamestown settlement where people are dying of disease and famine.

I was stunned by Groff’s ability to put herself inside the mind and body of her sole character, and to imagine with incredible detail the young woman’s experiences in the wild, some of them horrific and some transcendent. The actual historical event at Jamestown that inspired the book was a revelation to me.

This book is a lyrical and beautifully raw tale of a young woman's survival in colonial America.

I loved the historical details, but at the same time, its fable-like quality made it timeless. As an endurance athlete, I enjoyed the young heroine's stamina, sweat, and fortitude.