Join me for what is sure to be a wonderful conversation with Holly Ringland, international bestselling author of The Lost Flowers of Alice Hart, as we launch her epic new novel The Seven Skins of Esther Wilding, published by HarperCollins.
Bookings for the event are essential and can be made through Avid Reader Bookshop who are hosting the event on the night.
Venue: Queensland Multicultural Centre
Address: 102 Main Street, Kangaroo Point, QLD 4169
Date: Tuesday 4 October 2022
Time: 7:00pm - 8:00pm
My thoughts about the book
The Seven Skins of Esther Wilding is so many things. It is an epic family saga but it is also an epic quest for the truth.
It is about fairytales, legends and myths, which become a touchstone to truth and wisdom for its characters in the modern world.
It is about kinship and sacrifice and the legacies left by each. And it is an elegy to love, loss and grief; and a clarion call against misplaced shame.
It is also an elegant and mesmerising tribute to the places that hold our stories, our heart and our memories.
In true Holly Ringland style the book has a glorious cast of unforgettable characters as seen through the eyes of its main protagonist Esther.
Esther’s greatest quest as she tries to understand what led to her much-loved sister Aura’s disappearance is getting past the dragon that is herself. She must find self-belief and courage. But even that is not enough: Esther must dig even deeper and find self-forgiveness for all of her perceived wrongs.
Which is to say that The Seven Skins of Esther Wilding, just like Holly’s first novel, The Lost Flowers of Alice Hart, is a story of transformation: from child to adult, from dependence to independence; from fear to courage; denial to acceptance, pain to healed.
Alice Hart transformed her life through wildflowers and the desert. Esther Wilding does it through fairytales, tattoos and the sea. And for each, female friendships are their guiding light.