Young adult
It’s spring 2020 and fifteen-year-old Molly McFlynn is uprooted from town life by her mam to live with her bohemian grandparents in rural Northumberland. Molly is furious – her friends abandon her, the food is inedible and her grandmother is doing strange things in the garden at night.
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It’s spring 2020 and fifteen-year-old Molly McFlynn is uprooted from town life by her mam to live with her bohemian grandparents in rural Northumberland. Molly is furious – her friends abandon her, the food is inedible and her grandmother is doing strange things in the garden at night.
Life takes a new direction when she meets a girl in the woods who appears to be on the run. Martha is from the seventeenth century, and a life lived on the edge of society. She is fleeing from the witch finder and the men who have hurled her mother, Ann Watson, into the dungeons in Newcastle. As Molly’s friendship with Martha grows, Molly reconciles with her true self, develops a love of nature and moves away from her consumerist lifestyle.
However, as Covid strikes, and a local witch hunt takes place, Martha’s is not the only life that is in danger. Molly must stand up for what is right, help heal family rifts and come to the rescue in a moment of peril.
'We all need a Molly in our lives. Brave and impetuous, with an honest, distinctive and timely voice, this girl is the real thing. I loved getting to know her.' Ann Coburn, author of Glint
Here's what readers have to say about this book....
A really good read, with several important messages woven seamlessly into the story. I’m usually a very slow reader, so expected to take weeks to read this. I was totally hooked from the start, intrigued to find out how Molly’s stay with her grandparents and her new found friendship developed. I finished it in a few days, a record for me! A touching, well written story about not having to conform and being true to yourself, an important message for all, not just young adults. I loved the setting and could picture the countryside of Northumberland, as well as learning about various potions concocted by Nan and historical information on witchcraft, of which I knew very little. Definitely a recommended read for both young people and adults.
Good books for older children are hard to find, my teenage daughters wanted neither stories about ponies nor romance books about falling in love! ‘The Rewilding of Molly McFlynn’ however comes in at just the right pitch with its reaffirming messages about friendship and finding ‘your tribe’, a little bit of magic, feminism and a balanced, grown up message about the environment. I loved the characters and felt nostalgic for a ‘Nan’ I never even had, we could all do with hugs like those. The story is skilfully woven with beautiful imagery and fascinating historical fact and I found myself wishing there was an accompanying ‘recipe’ book of all Nan’s tinctures and cures. There is lots going on in this captivating story that will appeal to many, I enjoyed it a lot and I’m almost 50.
Molly’s world is one of mystery, magic and love. This book made me want to go back and tell my younger self it’s ok to be different and that friendship comes in many forms. Perfect for younger and older readers alike!
