Epeolatry Book Review: Withered Hill by David Barnett

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Title: Withered Hill
Author: David Barnett
Genre: Folk horror
Publisher: Canelo Horror
Publication date: September 26, 2024

Synopsis: A year ago, Sophie Wickham stumbled into the isolated Lancaster village of Withered Hill, naked, alone and with no memory of who she is.

Surrounded by a thick ring of woodland, its inhabitants seem to be of another world, drenched in pagan, folklorish traditions

As Sophie struggles to regain the memories from her life before, she quickly realizes she is a prisoner after multiple failed escape attempts. But is it the locals who keep her trapped, with smiles on their faces, or something else, lurking in the woods?

Anyone who enjoyed The Wickerman will enjoy this novel. David Barnett is a master weaver of tales! He gives just enough story from beginning to end to keep you running through the pages. 

Meet Sophie Wickam, a twenty something from London. She bemoans that everyone in her life seems to be leaving her. All her friends are moving on in life: relationships, marriages, travels, kids, leaving Sophie with herself and her wine. As we learn more about Sophie, we find that she’s not a very likeable person. She’s one of those people you might like at first but then seems to become more self-centered the longer you know her. 

And then we find Sophie naked, running through the woods with no memory of who she is or how she got there. She has arrived at Withered Hill. From here on, Barnett bounces back and forth between Sophie’s life in London and the one in Withered Hill.

This beautifully woven tale lets the reader experience a person changing to become a better version of themself. But at what cost? Sophie must let bits and pieces of her past life die so she can move on. She must learn to let go and be willing to embrace change. To learn the old ways.

For me, it has been such a long time since something that seemingly bounces between two story lines so seemingly erratically made so much sense. Like Sophie, I learned to trust the process. Anyone that enjoyed the movie Midsommer will also be a fan of this novel. Like the movie, it pulls you in and you are curious. Then the door slams shut behind you and, like Sophie, you know that you can never go back.

There is also an added bit of fun with an audio walk-through of Withered Hill. You merely download the audio and as you walk (wherever and however you choose, treadmill, forest, track…) you walk through Withered Hill. It is an amazing companion piece to this great novel.

/5

Available from Amazon and Bookshop.

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