The story kicks off in the Vaster Wild, where we meet a “base and childish little” servant girl fleeing from a fever-stricken British settlement in Jamestown, Virginia. The exact reason for her escape isn’t immediately clear, but her bloody nails hint at a desperate situation. Equipped with a knife, a thick cloak pilfered from her mistress, and leather boots taken from a deceased child, she ventures into the harsh winter wilderness. Confronted by an icy storm, a potentially hostile village of Powhatan, and soldiers on a mission that may end in death, she must muster all her courage and resourcefulness to survive.
This gripping survival narrative by Lauren Groff—think a mix of *Man vs. Wild* meets *The Revenant*—is set in the early 17th century, a time when nature and hunger present the greatest dangers. Our protagonist, the offspring of a prostitute who once lived in a poorhouse in London, was given a sorrowful name as an infant, but for the majority of her life, she was simply known as the “girl.” She learns to build fires, skin animals, forage for food, traverse frozen rivers, and carve out an identity that confronts the harsh realities of the so-called New World along with its patriarchal oppression.
The story is narrated by the seasoned voice actor January Lavoy, whose engaging reading radiates the dark poetry of Groff’s prose. As the girl battles through the cold and her own physical suffering, she notices the shards of sunlight piercing the frozen forest and marvels at the “perfect beauty” surrounding her. In turn, we find ourselves in awe as well.
Penguin Audio available in 7 hours and 5 minutes
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