This Wild, Wild Country takes us to a small town in the New Mexico desert, with three protagonists telling the story in a dual timeline. In 1933, Cornelia is no spring chicken but she’s plucky and tenacious and no man (or woman for that matter) will tell her what to do. Almost forty years later, everyone in town still talks of mad Cornelia, the Indian she associated with, her mysterious disappearance. Her granddaughter Glitter is just as scrappy as she was. Tired of conformity and capitalism, Glitter is a flower power girl, looking for peace, love and freedom, but lately she’s been having this funky feeling, like things are not as groovy as she first thought. Our third protagonist is Joanna, an outsider who inadvertently ends up in the thick of things but is perhaps best suited to see things clearly in this dusty little town.

This Wild, Wild Country takes its reader to two very interesting time periods in American history. From the aftermath of the gold rush to the hippie movement, I can’t say I was very familiar with either and I felt that I learnt quite a few things along the way. For example, I had never considered that the idea of free love might be harmful to women in the hippie community, but Glitter’s story made me reconsider. Abuse and domestic violence are definitely a theme, as well patriarchal condescension, but the manner in which our female main characters deal with it all is admirable and despite the heavy themes, This Wild, Wild Country did not feel like a heavy read.

Let’s not beat about the bush further: I bloody loved everything about this novel! I had pretty high expectations but they were exceeded. The atmospheric small town setting, the Zeitgeist that was rendered so well, the well-rounded characters, the intriguing mystery, the satisfying ending, the evocative writing, … I could go on and on, but why don’t you just find out for yourself? Need I say it? Highly recommended!