Wildwood Whispers - by Willa Reece (Paperback)

About the Book

"Mel Smith has always known life isn't easy. After all, she was abandoned as an infant and raised in foster care. But still, when the only bright spot in her life, her best friend Sarah Ross, unexpectedly dies, it's a heartbreak unlike any other. A final promise to lay Sarah to rest in the Ross wildwood garden draws Mel to Morgan's Gap, a small town nestled in the shadows of the Appalachian Mountains. Yet Morgan's Gap is more than a land of morning mists and deep forest shadows. There are secrets that call to Mel, in the gaze of the gnarled and knowing woman everyone calls "Granny," who seems to have expected her; in a salvaged remedy book filled with healing tinctures and salves; in the strange connection she feels to the Ross homestead and the wilderness around it. In fulfilling her promise, Mel might end up finding home--and remain connected to Sarah--in a way she least expected. The wildwood is whispering. It has secrets to reveal--if you're willing to listen..."--

Book Synopsis

"A witchy story full of found family, lush nature, and small-town secrets." --Hester Fox

"A magical, romantic tale about our essential connections to nature and to each other." --Sarah Addison Allen, New York Times bestselling author

Step into a world of hope, fate, and folk magic in this bewitching debut when a young woman travels to a sleepy southern town in the Appalachian Mountains to honor her best friend.

Mel Smith's life is shattered after the sudden death of her best friend, Sarah Ross. In an effort to fulfill a final promise to Sarah and find herself again, Mel travels to an idyllic small town nestled in the Appalachian Mountains. But Morgan's Gap is more than she ever expected.

There are secrets that call to Mel, from a salvaged remedy book filled with the magic of simple mountain traditions to the connection she feels to the Ross homestead and the wilderness around it.

With every taste of sweet honey and tart blackberries, the wildwood twines further into Mel's broken heart. But a threat lingers in the woods--one that may have something to do with Sarah's untimely death and has now set its sights on Mel.

The wildwood is whispering. It has secrets to reveal--if you're willing to listen . . .

For more from Willa Reece, check out Wildwood Magic.

Review Quotes

"A lovely tale of sisterly love, the power of inheritance, and the many magics of the natural world. Readers will love Reece's wonderful wisewomen and cheer for the abandoned baby who grows up to find her true home. A deeply satisfying read!"

--Louisa Morgan, author of The Age of Witches

"A beautifully-written debut spun from love, suspense, and a deep connection with nature that simply entrances. Wildwood Whispers is an unforgettable tale."--Tish Thawer, author of The Witches of BlackBrook

"A feast for the senses. Wildwood Whispers is everything I love in a book and I fell under its spell. Willa Reece has written a magical, romantic tale about our essential connections to nature and to each other."--Sarah Addison Allen, New York Times bestselling author

"A sweet tale of self-discovery, but it's also a story of the way women and marginalized communities have always been underestimated by those with power."--Culturess

"A wonderful heartfelt novel full of intuitive nature-based magic, wise women, and found family."--Luanne G. Smith, author of The Vine Witch

"Dark, tender, and thought-provoking, Wildwood Whispers is a beautifully woven tale of fantasy, feminism, and mystery set in rural Appalachia."--Constance Sayers, author of A Witch in Time

"I loved everything about Wildwood Whispers. Reece's poignant writing style truly captured the vivid setting of small-town Appalachia. Readers craving a witchy story full of found family, lush nature, and small-town secrets will find it utterly enchanting." --Hester Fox, author of The Witch of Willow Hall

"The Appalachian Mountains are alive with magic in this folksy, feminist contemporary fantasy...Mel's story is full of human compassion and animal wisdom that will charm readers. This works both as a contemporary fairy tale and a slow-burning romance--and fans of both genres will appreciate this walk through the wild woods."--Publishers Weekly

"Willa Reece has perfectly infused magic, suspense, and a love of nature deep into the pages of this novel. Ultimately filled with hope, love, and the power of growth and resilience, Wildwood Whispers is a thought-provoking, memorable debut."--Heather Webber, USA Today bestselling author of Midnight at the Blackbird Café

"Willa Reece's Wildwood Whispers will cast a spell on its readers. Rich with imagination and rooting itself in the tendrils of rural Appalachia, the story will pull you in and never let go. A glorious read."--Lydia Kang, author of Opium and Absinthe

About the Author

Willa Reece is a pseudonym for Barbara J. Hancock. She lives in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains in Virginia where stories are often told on a dark side porch in the flicker of firefly light.