Wildflower by Australian author Monique Mulligan is a deep heart-rending, moving fictional
drama novel.
In 1979, ten-year-old Jane Kelly the youngest, lives with her mum, dad, brother Jim and sister Sal.
She lacks confidence and self-esteem from being bullied at school by Mary Evans and her
friends, who exclude her from a conversations and activities.
Jane was thankful school holidays were approaching and was excited new neighbours were moving in next door, hopeful there would be a girl her age she could become best friends with.
Acacia Miller and her mother Rose are the Kelly’s new neighbour, Jane is delighted to find out
Acacia is the same age as her and they fast become best friends. Jane would share secrets and
tell her about her family situation.
When it came to Acacia discussing her family, she was not forthcoming. All Jane knew was Rose had a boyfriend named Daryl who did not treat her right and most nights Acacia did not want to go home which worried Jane.
In 1999, a woman arrives at a women’s shelter after leaving her abusive husband. Ending a
significant relationship and walking away was not easy, she is feeling confused, uncertain,
frightened, and torn.
She recognizes a volunteer from her childhood and feels weak and embarrassed because she remained in her marriage not breaking the cycle of abuse. The woman remains at the shelter gaining tangible resources to help her create a new life and find a sense of empowerment to be on her own.
Author Monique Mulligan tells an absorbing tale told in a dual timeline. the narrative sets its
hooks on you from the first page and refuses to let go until the end. The characters are well
developed that make them thoroughly compelling to read, the plot will keep you hooked and
guessing until the end who the mystery woman is.
Wildflower is gripping, heart-wrenching, and realistic, and shows that sometimes you can find
strength in a much greater power than your own. The story is an important one, showing the
true struggle that battered women fight every single day. Although victims never think they will
make it, the ones that do become survivors, determined to help other victims live through their
ordeal and restore peace and hope where there had been none for so long.
Being in the same circumstances I found myself walking in her shoes. I felt her fear and
frustrations. I cheered her wins and her courage, and I grieved over her deep disappointments.
Whilst this book may be sensitive to some readers, it is a story that screams to be read. I highly
recommend.
Thank you, Beauty and Lace and Pilyara Press for the opportunity to read and review.
Author: Monique Mulligan
ISBN: 9781925827484
Copy courtesy of publisher: Pilyara Press
A selection of our Beauty and Lace Club Members are reading Wildflower by Monique Mulligan. You can read their comments below, or add your own review.
My love of books started at a very young age. My mum has always been a reader and encouraged me to read, buying me endless book from classic fairy tales advancing to the world of Enid Blyton, CS Lewis, Louisa May Alcott, Kathryn Kenny, Carolyn Keene, Francine Pascal. In my adult years the list of authors is endless and every room in my house is filled with books.
One of my favourite novels is Narnia which has always has a special place in my heart. I was diagnosed with Type 1 Diabetes in 1978 and when I was given this book to read it let me escape to another world where I felt like I was in the book with all the characters, it wasfun and exciting to escape from reality and eased the ups and downs of the disease at such a young age.
In books nothing is impossible and there is endless potential and hundreds of places to explore or being taken to places that are only made up from the authors’ great minds, the past and future to navigate, characters lives you step into taking you on an emotional rollercoaster ride or being scared out of your wits. I can experience things that I can’t in real life because they’re not possible or real. It challenges my perspective and mindset expanding my worldview.
I find joy, comfort and peace with books, many people may not get it, but I know bookworms like me truly understand. Reading makes my heart happy.
Wow! Just wow! I finished this book within 3days which is unheard of for me! It may need a trigger warning for some (Bullying and Domestic Violence)
The book is mainly set in 1979-1980 the best and worse summer for Jane Kelly an almost 11yr old girl who’s severely bullied at school and has a new set of neighbours move in next door. Acacia Miller the same age as Jane. The girls soon become good friends and embark on some new adventures together.
As the Kelly family is battling their own family secrets and troubles it becomes clear something is not right next door at the Millers house. Jane and her mum start to wonder when is the right time to speak up? The mentality of her dad well known for this era is that what happens in another house is private and their own business.
Fast Forward 20years to 1999 and an abused women flees her home to a woman’s refuge where she needs to rebuild her life and crosses someone form her past. Will she face her darkest secrets and move forward with her life?
This book is a 5 star for me. I did find some events confronting and it definitely makes you think about When is it time to Speak up!
Wildflower by Monique Mulligan is a powerful story of family relationships, friendships, bullying and domestic abuse.
1979.Jane Kelly is nearly 11. She lives with her Mum, a stay at home mum who would like to get a job. Her Dad ,a Vietnam Veteran who has “dark days”. Her 16 year old sister ,Sal, is obsessed with her boyfriend. Her 13 year old brother Jim has started to hang out with the wrong crowd.
Jane is being bullied at school. She dreams of having a best friend, someone to share secrets with.
Her wish comes true…Acacia Miller moves in next door.
Acacia lives with her single mum, and the current boyfriend is often there.
Acacia’s life is complicated.
Jane and Alicia’s friendship develops. Alicia always comes to Jane’s house to play. Jane is never asked to Alicia’s house. Jane senses something isn’t right.
Growing up for Jane is confusing. She has so many questions about life!
She finds her parents answers lead to confusing double standard answers!
1979 is a time where you don’t get involved with your neighbours business…..what happens in their house, stays in their house!
It is a time where ,things are explained as “well, boys will be boys!”
A parallel time line tells another story of 20 years later.
It is 1999 an abused woman flees from a violent marriage to a refuge centre. She bumps into someone from her childhood. Past memories return, her past life comes back to haunt her.
The story is told over a 6 week period. A lot happens for all the characters in that time.
It is hard to put this book down!
The twist at the end brings it all together!
Really enjoyed this thought provoking story and would certainly recommend this book.
I really liked how this book was written, the aussie ways and sayings that we would hear in my childhood, the twist at the end and how it really was back in those days.
I felt so sad for Acacia as a little girl should not have to have more common sense than the adults and at the same time see and put up with trauma that was beyond her control.
I felt Jane was so sensitive and it all resonated well with me as I used to have a lot of questions but I was different to Jane as in, we weren`t game enough to ask.
A reality check as domestic violence still goes on today and is something that we can speak up about more now than years ago and while we will never stamp it out completely, there is more help and awareness in place and it is not tolerated.
The scenes felt like pieces from my childhood (not exactly the same) but I could easily imagine the house, the next door neighbours, their profiles and feelings.
I loved this book and feel like I can`t say its fantastic because of the violence and abuse but it was wonderfully written because it had me right there beside Jane.
Thankyou for this one
Thank you Beauty and Lace and Monique Mulligan for the opportunity to read Wildflowers.
Told from the perspective of a 10/11 year old over thr Christmas holidays in 1979/1980, the story centres around Jane and her new friend Acacia. The author was able to capture the feelings and understanding of the world from a child’s perspective and captured how society saw domestic violence in that period of time. The complexities of relationships and family dynamics as well as pre-teen angst provides a gripping story and really getting a feel for family life.
Jumping forward to modern times where a woman finds herself at a women’s shelter for domestic violence and the struggles that she undergoes while trying to reestablish herself.
Monique Mulligan writrs beautifully. Despite the subject matter, she was able to capture the emotions and trauma in an accessible way without being overly graphic. For those who may be experiencing or have experienced domestic violence, this story is about the inner strength and ability to come through situations with support and hard work.
I dove into this book blind, as blind as I am now attempting to read the last chapter, after several goes I finally managed to decipher the words through my tears.
I knew as much about this book as what’s written on the stunningly beautiful cover, and what unfolded was a frighteningly all too common story told with such compassion and the warmth of a crocheted blanket.
I immediately fell in love with Jane and Acacia, their blossoming friendship, my mind wistfully drawn back to simpler times, and gorging on 20 cent bags of cobbers and musk sticks.
Trigger warning, this story deals with bullying and domestic violence, and the life changing impact it has on everyone.
This book should be encouraged by all grandmothers, mothers, aunts, as a must read by all the teens in their lives.
Thank you Beauty and Lace and Pilyara Press for the opportunity to review ‘Wildflower’ by Monique Mulligan.
This is my second book by Monique Mulligan and I loved this book as much as the last! Monique’s style of writing is easy to read, descriptive and wonderful. It brought back so many memories of growing up in the 80’s!
The story of friendship, bullying, and domestic violence should be read by all girls.
I thoroughly recommend this book, and all books by this author.
This story is set in a time when I was a young adult, and would repeatedly hear ‘boys will be boys’, and domestic violence was never discussed, as it was another old saying, ‘what goes on behind closed doors is nobody elses business’.
The descriptions of the heat, swimming in the dam, making necklaces from what are basically weeds, from riding the streets freely on our bikes, brought back memories for me.
It tells the tale of the ‘perfect’ family with 3 kids, and the not so perfect ‘living in sin’ neighbours, from the eyes of the 11 yr old Jane, and her new school holiday bestie, Acacia.
Both families have secrets, some kept quiet, and others are for all to hear, but do nothing about, until one fateful night.
The story time hops back and forth to ’79 & ’80, and forward to a more current day.
Current day sees how times have changed, and that there is help and refuge available for abused women and children. Back in the 70’s, the woman was quite often blamed, could not escape as she had no money and no where to go. Marriage vows were sacred, and love would see a woman keep going back to her remorseful partner.
Jump ahead to current day, and we discover the story is being told by a different set of eyes to what we expect, but shows incredibly well the changes which have come into place with domestic violence.
It could have many triggers for some readers, but I found it an absolute page turner, as it really holds your interest, as you can feel the thought processes changing within the characters, when it comes to what is so wrong within some peoples lives. It becomes a time for change, a time to speak up and no feel ashamed. A time for onlookers to step forward and take action.
This is very evident in the closing chapters, when we see how much times have changed, that women do have a voice, and a choice, and help is available
It is an incredibly proud family, and people from that long 20 yrs prior, standing united, in the final pages of this so well written book.
I have read other Monique Mulligan books, and they never disappoint. This one is absolutely no exception.
Thank you Monique Mulligan for such a well researched and written story, and to Pilyara Press and Beauty & Lace for the opportunity to read and review
Wildflower by Monique Mulligan was an amazing read! I could not put it down.
Not going to lie, I cried while reading this! It made me reminisce about my childhood with zooper doopers, the Mr Whippy Van and curling up under my chrocheted “Oma” blanket.
Thank you to Beauty & Lace and Monique Mulligan for the opportunity to read and review Wildflower. I will definitely re-read this one.
P.S. I made my kids frog-in-a-pond for dessert after reading this! They loved it 🙂
There are some books that will stay with you always and Wildflower by Monique Mulligan is one of them. The theme of bullying and domestic violence feature in this story so it was heavy reading at times but I think that is because you know the statistics and you know that the dual timelines in this book are hauntingly realistic.
I read this book in a day, it engaged me and I was invested in the characters immediately, The story is mainly told by 11-year-old Jane Kelly who is relentlessly bullied at school and feels so very alone. The 1979-1980’s summer holidays are starting and Jane is excited to hear that new neighbours are moving in, she has her fingers crossed that there will be a girl she can befriend for the holidays. Acacia Miller moves in next door and she is everything Jane could imagine in a best friend but as they spend every waking moment together Jane wonders why she is never allowed to go to Acacia’s place and why she remains so guarded when asked questions about her home life.
It is through Jane eye’s we are reminded of this era, domestic violence occurred but was not talked about, and what went on between a husband and wife was private. The neighbours may have heard the fights but looked the other way and wives did not leave. Jane has an older Brother, Jim who had a friend who was a bad influence, the line ‘boys will be boys’ was often used and Jane calls her Father on the double standard that existed many times. Throughout Jane’s story, we get a glimpse into these times and the escalation in what she sees and hears from the house next door.
The other dual storyline is through the eyes of a woman fleeing domestic violence in 1999. She escapes to a refuge and is constantly torn between wanting to move forward alone and wanting to go back to him.
This book gathers momentum and leaves you breathless by the end, it is told in a powerful but sensitive way and I think is a must-read for all. So much more I want to say but I think the book does it all – pick it up and read it.
Thank you to Beauty and Lace and Monique Mulligan for sharing this very special book.
Thank you for the opportunity to read and review Wildflower.
This was an extremely well researched story which focuses on some very important topics for me. While confronting for some, including myself I feel that the way Domestic Violence was written about was very well thought out and done so in a sensitive way.
A brilliant book that I would recommend to all