Book Summary and Reviews of The Wilderness by Angela Flournoy

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Evonne_Benedict

Beautiful story of friendship and change
The Wilderness is the story of a group of women friends over a span of several years. These women of color stretch from coast to coast; from single to paired; from successful to still trying out different paths. This book reminded me why I love reading so much: it took me to places I might never go, and introduced me to people I may never meet, with lives and loves and challenges unlike my own. There's a lot going on in this book but it ends on just the right note.

Lynn D. (Kingston, NY)

True friendship
The Wilderness is a wonderful story of the friendships of 5 young women over several decades beginning around 2008. It is very much a character driven story. We follow these women through the wilderness of young adulthood as they each find their paths in a rapidly changing world. I loved it! And there is lots for book clubs to explore here.

Denise_G

friendship and found family
A poignant set of stories about best friends making their way through adulthood, told through snapshots from their different perspectives over the course of many years.

Karen_K

Angela Flournoy gets in my head!
The Wilderness by Angela Flournoy

This is the 20 plus year story of the friendships of a group of young adult women (January, Monique, Nakia, and sisters Desiree and Danielle) growing into middle age in the early 21st century to 2027. It is a deep dive into the lives of the characters at different times in their journeys. The non-linear chapter timeline was disorienting at first but I got used to it and tried to float on the wave of whatever chapter I was reading. I wished I had taken a few notes while reading because for me, it is tricky to hold on to the different characters at different times and trying to remember what was going on just before this time of the current chapter. That said, I was able to get such a good feel for the realness of each of the characters that I didn't need the names to recognize the person when the narration point of view changed, which it did. The women were not perfect people but I loved that they all seemed to have deeper, bigger goals than just personal success. They all wanted to do good in the world, to help those ill and less advantaged and make connections and meaning in relationships and work. My favorite thing in fiction is to discover new pockets of empathy in myself for people. This book brought me into the lives of people that previously, I only had surface understanding of. It makes me a little jealous of the family that they have crafted. They did not just coast in their relationships with each other, they said the hard things, they questioned each other, all the while showing an unshakable love. The parts of the novel that went into the future were the most terrifying to me. The use of robots or remote control surveillance methods was chilling. (That was the most unexpected part.)The life of these women during this time period in which I also have lived, gave me a new perspective for which I am grateful. I loved the author's previous work (The Turner House) and can see that her character development skills still reign supreme. I cared deeply for the women in their messy, imperfect yet admirable lives. I feel they will live in my head for a long while after I put the book down.

Sonia F. (Freehold, NJ)

Coming Into Midlife
I was compelled to read The Wilderness after reading The Turner House. From family dynamics to friendships puts Angela Flournoy examination of relationships in full display.

Told in a non linear time period , the lives and evolving friendships of four women in America and a look into each other protagonists thoughts as they navigate romantic entanglements, jobs, values and how to support each other. Add to all that is also personal and political discomfort, jealousy, sexual orientation, socioeconomic statuses and mental health.

I liked how Flournoy invited the reader into each of the protagonists lives. Even though the time line was non linear, it was crafted surprisingly well. I loved how the characters developed and matured . I especially loved the complex entangled relationship of sisters Desiree and Danielle. The family secrets and dynamics was very relatable.

The author clearly believes in the power of of family and friendships. If you like The Turner House, you are bound to love this. This is a reflective read of the disorientation of early adulthood and the slow painful process of becoming. It is emotionally rich and relatable. It is character driven balanced with melancholy and hope. It explores identity, friendship and facing modern life. And it reveals contemporary American life. A generational masterpiece that is humorous and devastating but in the end triumphant.

Janine_S

Community and caring can save the future
I listened to this nicely narrated book thanks to NetGalley and the publishers. This is a book about four women, Nakia, Monique, Desiree (and her sister, Danielle, who appears as part of Desiree's story) and January, some of whom knew each as children but all of whom's lives come together in the 20s, 30s, and 40s. Told in alternating time lines, the book almost reads as separate stories but the sense of friendship, connection, and what one owes to another comes through. The book starts in 2008 but ends in the future. The world is chaotic; harsh political realities abound; their lives are complicated. One reviewer noted that setting the novel's climatic ending in the future, the author seems to want to say only community and caring for others can save the future.

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