Erica Spinks

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Book review: The seven skins of Esther Wilding

6 March 2023

The seven skins of Esther Wilding is an astonishing novel; a novel of grief and self-discovery underpinned with shimmering layers of stories from Indigenous Australia and Scandinavia.

After Esther’s sister Aura disappears in the sea near their hometown in Lutruwita Tasmania, Esther eventually realises she needs to embark on a journey to understand what had happened. This is as much a journey of discovery as it is self-discovery, as Esther seeks to understand herself and her actions.

She takes her cues from entries in Aura’s journal and travels to Copenhagen and the Faroe Islands, seeking facts about her sister’s time there. Soon, Esther begins to find solace and better understand herself.

In essence it’s a story about loss, grief, family, and wearing your heart on your sleeve. In the hands of Holly Ringland, these themes in The seven skins of Esther Wilding are much more than that. They are the quintessential stories of being human.

Five stars from me.

Read more about The seven skins of Esther Wilding on Goodreads.

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