Lauren Groff
The Vaster Wilds: A Novel (Hardcover)
The Vaster Wilds: A Novel (Hardcover)
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AN INSTANT NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER
"Lauren Groff just reinvented the adventure novel."—Los Angeles Times
"Glorious…surroundings come alive in prose that lives and breathes upon the page." —Boston Globe
“I know of few other writers whose sentences are so beautiful and so propulsive." —New York Times Book Review
A taut and electrifying novel from celebrated bestselling author Lauren Groff, about one spirited girl alone in the wilderness, trying to survive
A servant girl escapes from a colonial settlement in the wilderness. She carries nothing with her but her wits, a few possessions, and the spark of god that burns hot within her. What she finds in this terra incognita is beyond the limits of her imagination and will bend her belief in everything that her own civilization has taught her.
Lauren Groff’s new novel is at once a thrilling adventure story and a penetrating fable about trying to find a new way of living in a world succumbing to the churn of colonialism. The Vaster Wilds is a work of raw and prophetic power that tells the story of America in miniature, through one girl at a hinge point in history, to ask how—and if—we can adapt quickly enough to save ourselves.
Editorial Reviews
AN INSTANTNEW YORK TIMESBESTSELLER"Lauren Groff just reinvented the adventure novel."—Los Angeles Times"Glorious…surroundings come alive in prose that lives and breathes upon the page." —Boston Globe“I know of few other writers whose sentences are so beautiful and so propulsive." —New York Times Book Review. Praise for The Vaster Wilds:“I know of few other writers whose sentences are so beautiful and so propulsive. The girl embodies a furious onward motion, as does the prose.”— New York Times Book Review“[A] thrilling historical adventure. . .the existential themes at the heart of Lauren Groff’s fifth novel—the rawness of life, the precious inner-workings of nature, the drive to continue on in the face of challenges—are as timely as they come.”—TIME“Holds tension and sows mystery on every page.”—Vulture“Transcendent. Mesmerizing. Dazzling. Incandescent. Audacious….All of those descriptors are accurate and none of them are sufficient to describe just how spectacular [Groff’s] new book is.”—Atlanta Journal-Constitution“Lauren Groff just reinvented the adventure novel… Groff’s world is Darwinian, but she doesn’t chronicle the survival of the fittest; she convinces us instead that even the unluckiest among us can find a way to the blessings of peace, quiet and freedom.”—Los Angeles Times“Glorious…Groff imagines a natural world where humans adapt to its contours rather than conquer them… We don’t need a hero’s tale of domination and plunder to fix the environment. We need more stories of how becoming part of the natural systems that surround us may help us survive.The Vaster Wildsis a terrific addition to a developing canon of our continued existence.”—The Boston Globe“Lilting, whispered…poetic”—Wall Street Journal“Groff’s fiction is usually identified as ecological and feminist, which it certainly is, but it is theological too…Nature is Groff’s muse as well as her deity. Her prose, always alive and sensuous, is hit by an extra electrical charge…Groff has written the gospel.”—The Atlantic"A rollicking adventure story, quick-paced and snappy and frequently funny…impossible to put down...This book is exquisitely attuned to the experience of being a human body within nature...Stark, vicious, and transcendent,The Vaster Wildsis the best book I’ve read all year. It’s a triumph.”—Vox“Magnificent…a cosmic adventure story in which the state of the main character’s soul is just as important as the fate of her body.”—Slate“Groff’s depictions of the untrammeled natural world, in all its beauty and brutality, are gorgeously rendered, as is the psychological portrait of her indefatigable protagonist, whose light blazes and then dims as her fortunes change… [I] found myself transfixed, and awestruck by the end.”—Literary Hub“Groff skillfully weaves the girl’s past into her forward flight... As she travels farther and farther from the fort, Groff draws the reader ever closer to naming the reason for her flight. It’s a stunning revelation, followed by an even more stunning ending. Full of wonder and heartbreak,The Vaster Wildsis a dazzling journey.”—Tampa Bay Times“Groff creates a thrilling journey.”—Minneapolis Star Tribune“Mesmerizing. . .a stupendous imagining of early colonial America, and about the resilience of one young girl to survive despite all odds.”—Town & Country"Engrossing. . .The Vaster Wildsexplores themes that are mainstays of Groff's work: faith, nature, what it means to be a woman in the world— and the ingenuity it takes to survive there."—San Francisco Chronicle“Anytime there’s a new book by Lauren Groff, it’s reason to rejoice. . .[The Vaster Wilds] may be the one that puts her over the top. . .Groff has an incomparable gift for making historical fiction feel visceral and relevant.”—The Atlanta Journal-Constitution “Breathtaking… It is impossible to overstate how spellbindingly she renders the grim reality of wilderness survival… It is not a story for the faint of heart, but it is also not without its softness, its triumphs, its aching moments of benediction and sheer beauty.”—Chapter 16“Suspenseful and sweeping.”– Southern Living"Part-adventure, part-fable, classic Groff."—The Millions“[A] page-turner with a built-in engine. . .once you slip into its rich rhythms, it’s an engrossing and rewarding journey.”—Vogue“Illustrate[s] a fluid, almost cyclical understanding of history, and faith’s sticky place within it.” —Elle"[An] absorbing, visceral study of survival."—Vanity Fair“Extraordinary. . .Groff builds and maintains suspense on multiple levels, while offering an unflinching portrayal of her heroine’s desperation and will to survive. This is a triumph.” —Publishers Weekly, Starred Review“Groff's seventh book, a captivating survival story, starts off running. . . .this wholly enveloping book has. . . deep examinations of faith, dominion, and human nature; Groff's seemingly joyfully related, seamless period prose; and the time-collapsing sense of reading a text channeled directly from the mind of a long-ago-living, breathing woman facing extraordinary circumstances.”—Booklist, Starred Review“Groff’s imaginative journey into a distant time and place is powered by a thrumming engine. . . Immersion in the girl’s experience provides a virtual vacation from civilization. . . The writing is inspired, the imaginative power near mystic.”—Kirkus Reviews“Combines visceral detail and magisterial sweep. . . Lauren Groff's fifth novel, set in Virginia in the early 17th century, is a classic study of solitude and survival that stars a teenage girl fleeing starvation—and the scene of a crime.” —Shelf Awareness
About the Author
Lauren Groff is the author of five novels: THE VASTER WILDS, forthcoming in September 2023, and two National Book Award Finalists, MATRIX and FATES AND FURIES; as well as ARCADIA and THE MONSTERS OF TEMPLETON. Her story collections include FLORIDA, winner of The Story Prize and a finalist for the National Book Award, and DELICATE EDIBLE BIRDS. She has been twice been a finalist for the Kirkus Prize, as well as for the National Book Critics Circle Award, the LA Times Book Prize, and the Orange Prize for New Writers. She was a Guggenheim Fellow, a Radcliffe Fellow, a Fellow at the American Academy in Berlin, and was named one of Granta's 2017 Best Young American Novelists. Her work has been featured in The New Yorker, The Atlantic, and Harper's, in seven Best American Short Stories anthologies. Her books have been published in over 30 languages. She lives in Gainesville, Florida, with her husband and sons.
Product details
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Publication
Riverhead Books
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Genre
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Author
Lauren Groff
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Language
English
Lexile:
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Pages
272
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ISBN-13
978-0593418390
As an adventure stories enthusiast, 'The Vaster Wilds' by Lauren Groff is a breathtaking journey back in time. It chronicles a brave woman's escape from a colonial settlement into the untamed wilderness, where she confronts the unknown, challenging her beliefs and instincts. Groff's vivid descriptions of the natural world, suspenseful twists, and the protagonist's unwavering spirit make this novel a thrilling page-turner. It's an adventure that transports readers to a different era, where survival and the exploration of human resilience take center stage.
"Lauren Groff's 'The Vaster Wilds' took me on an exhilarating journey through the heart of early 17th century Virginia, and I couldn't get enough of the gripping suspense that coursed through this novel. As a devoted lover of suspense thrillers, I was completely engrossed in the story's enthralling narrative.
Groff's writing is nothing short of exceptional, seamlessly weaving together the beauty of prose with a relentless momentum that kept me on the edge of my seat. The tale follows a servant girl who escapes from a colonial settlement with just her wits, a handful of possessions, and an unwavering inner fire. Her encounters in the untamed wilderness challenged her beliefs and upended everything she thought she knew about the world.
The vivid portrayal of the unspoiled natural world was a feast for my senses, setting the stage for the girl's intense psychological journey. As she ventured deeper into the wilderness, Groff tantalizingly unraveled the mystery behind her escape, leading to a revelation that left me breathless and an ending that had my heart racing.
Groff's ability to infuse historical fiction with a contemporary flair is truly masterful. 'The Vaster Wilds' delves into themes of faith, survival, and the indomitable spirit of women facing perilous challenges. It's a heart-pounding survival story and an exploration of human nature, all delivered in prose that transported me back in time.
'The Vaster Wilds' is the kind of book I couldn't put down, as it provided both thrilling suspense and a profound, thought-provoking narrative. It allowed me to escape into the girl's experiences, immersing me in her world and providing a thrilling getaway from modern life. Groff's writing was not only inspired but also held a mystical quality that made me feel like I was living through the story.
"Lauren Groff's 'The Vaster Wilds' took me on an exhilarating journey through the heart of early 17th century Virginia, and I couldn't get enough of the gripping suspense that coursed through this novel. As a devoted lover of suspense thrillers, I was completely engrossed in the story's enthralling narrative.
Groff's writing is nothing short of exceptional, seamlessly weaving together the beauty of prose with a relentless momentum that kept me on the edge of my seat. The tale follows a servant girl who escapes from a colonial settlement with just her wits, a handful of possessions, and an unwavering inner fire. Her encounters in the untamed wilderness challenged her beliefs and upended everything she thought she knew about the world.
The vivid portrayal of the unspoiled natural world was a feast for my senses, setting the stage for the girl's intense psychological journey. As she ventured deeper into the wilderness, Groff tantalizingly unraveled the mystery behind her escape, leading to a revelation that left me breathless and an ending that had my heart racing.
Groff's ability to infuse historical fiction with a contemporary flair is truly masterful. 'The Vaster Wilds' delves into themes of faith, survival, and the indomitable spirit of women facing perilous challenges. It's a heart-pounding survival story and an exploration of human nature, all delivered in prose that transported me back in time.
'The Vaster Wilds' is the kind of book I couldn't put down, as it provided both thrilling suspense and a profound, thought-provoking narrative. It allowed me to escape into the girl's experiences, immersing me in her world and providing a thrilling getaway from modern life. Groff's writing was not only inspired but also held a mystical quality that made me feel like I was living through the story.
As an adventure stories enthusiast, 'The Vaster Wilds' by Lauren Groff is a breathtaking journey back in time. It chronicles a brave woman's escape from a colonial settlement into the untamed wilderness, where she confronts the unknown, challenging her beliefs and instincts. Groff's vivid descriptions of the natural world, suspenseful twists, and the protagonist's unwavering spirit make this novel a thrilling page-turner. It's an adventure that transports readers to a different era, where survival and the exploration of human resilience take center stage.
I was completely absorbed in Lauren Groff's 'The Vaster Wilds,' and I'd confidently give it a solid 4.5 stars. This novel took me on a thrilling journey to early 17th century Virginia, and it's a suspenseful masterpiece that held me in its grip from start to finish.
Groff's writing is, quite simply, exceptional. It effortlessly combines exquisite prose with an unrelenting momentum that had me eagerly flipping the pages, hungry for more. The story revolves around a servant girl who escapes from a colonial settlement with nothing but her wits, a few belongings, and a fierce determination burning within. Her journey into the untamed wilderness is an exploration of her beliefs and a complete transformation of her understanding of the world.
The vivid descriptions of the natural world in 'The Vaster Wilds' were a sensory feast, transporting me to a time and place where nature was both beautiful and unforgiving. As the girl ventured deeper into the wilderness, Groff tantalizingly unraveled the mystery behind her escape, leading to a revelation that left me breathless and an ending that was both surprising and heart-pounding.
What struck me most was Groff's remarkable ability to breathe life into historical fiction, making it resonate with contemporary relevance. 'The Vaster Wilds' dives into themes of faith, survival, and the indomitable spirit of women facing formidable challenges. It's a heart-pounding survival story, and the exploration of human nature within the pages was as captivating as it was thought-provoking.
'The Vaster Wilds' is a book that's challenging to put down; it offered me thrilling suspense alongside a profound, contemplative narrative. I felt like I was right there with the girl, experiencing her journey and immersing myself in her world—a thrilling escape from modern life. Groff's writing not only left me inspired but also had a mystical quality that transported me back in time.