The Wilderness of Girls

Rhi discovers four young women living wild and guarded by wolves. The girls tell her that they are lost princesses raised by a mancalled Mother. Rhi takes them to hospital, all the while hauntedby memories of her family trauma. As media hysteria surroundingthe girls grows, Rhi comes to a decision that will change all oftheir lives forever.

A Barnes & Noble Best Book of 2024. While hiking, Rhi discovers four young women living wild and guarded by wolves. The girls tell her that they are lost princesses raised by a man called Mother. Shocked, Rhi takes them to hospital, all the while haunted by memories of her family trauma. Surely, the girls have been abducted, misled or abused? Yet she can see a bond between them that blurs fantasy and reality. As media hysteria surrounding the young women grows, Rhi comes to a decision that will change all of their lives forever.  An unflinching and ambitious novel by debut author Madeline Claire Franklin, an outstanding new talent. Perfect for fans of The Hazel Wood. A gripping exploration of trauma and the pressures placed on young women in a modern society.   PRAISE FOR THE WILDERNESS OF GIRLS: ‘A compelling, thoughtful, and original debut.’ KIRKUS ‘Tender and raw, this debut isn’t afraid to dig into the agonizing interior lives of teen girls, the ways our world tries to break them, and the bonds they create to survive it.’ BOOKLIST