This is an intelligent and literary novel and a damned good story. The author’s skill in changing the pace and direction of the narrative was a joy to read and the interleaved sections cleverly supported the narrative as well as telling a story of their own even though they interrupted the story at rather dramatic moments.

A cracking start on a stormy night with murder, mayhem, love and betrayal sets the scene for a tale of smuggling, revenue men and a pursuit both for justice and revenge. The characters and setting are convincing, the detail of the period, especially the dialogue, specific and obviously well researched. I loved Molly, torn from her roots, protected by Tom and loved by Benedict. Her coming to terms with the life she was leading and the future that was coming was at times heartbreaking but also inspiring. Dick English proved a worthy adversary and nemesis not to be thwarted. The atmosphere is frequently charged with high emotion particularly between Tom and Molly and while early hints suggest an ending, the ongoing path is gripping and compulsive.
The ending is satisfying, bringing to a close Molly’s story and justifying the interleaved homage to women’s writing. If I read the book again though I would omit these sections for a more fluid reading experience. The contrasting writing style of' the 'notes for a speech' particularly jarred with the main narrative.

A wonderful story and I look forward to reading more from this author.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for an advanced reader copy.

A sublime book with a rich, emotional plot. I loved the historical setting, the details in the writing, the depth of every character. It moved me.

This is an interesting immersive read primarily it is the story of Pirates in Devon in the 1700s .I was quickly caught up in this swashbuckling pirate tale of a pirate who after the violent death of his woman takes her young girl child on board his ship and hides her in plain sight as a boy .i found the fight scenes to be exciting and the story progressed in a fast interesting fashion as the boy/girl grows to inevitable adulthood and the challenges that causes . the story does tend to switch quite quickly between different time periods which I did find quite hard to follow but which may well be helped by formatting when the book is published

Interleaved with this story Is the other element of the book which looks at the way that women authors work over the centuries has been appropriated by men who choose often to present the woman’s writing as their own .Authors such as George Elliot also chose to hide behind a male name in order to get more sales and interest in their books which might have been overlooked if their own married names were used instead .This adds another element to the novel which I personally struggled to enjoy as much as the pirate story which I was very glad to return to when possible .I remain firmly on the fence as to how satisfactory this duality of the book was ,I shall certainly remember the book

The book is firmly routed in maritime areas of Devon and is evocative of some of Thomas Hardy’s novels in this way

I loved A Wild and True Relation. On the surface, it is a richly imagined adventure yarn set in 18th century Devon. Smuggler Tom West adopts his lover Grace’s daughter Molly, after he accuses Grace of betraying him to the authorities and leaves her cottage in flames. Molly grows up on his ship disguised as Orlando, sailing between England and France, always questioning what happened to her mother and seeking revenge for her death. As she comes of age, Molly must also come to terms with her own identity and create a future for herself. Over the course of 18th and 19th centuries, her story, A Wild and True Relation intrigues and inspires other female writers looking for a room of their own.

I loved the way in which Sherwood’s novel subverts boys’ own genre of adventure yarns popularised by the likes of RL Stevenson by creating something unique, a literary girls’ own. Interspersed with Molly’s tale are chapters featuring long neglected female writers – Robert Louis Stevenson’s own sister, Celia Fiennes and Hester Thrale as well as George Elliot whose imaginary conversation with a fame-bloated Charles Dickens was a particular highlight.

A thrilling read but also deeply felt and beautifully written with memorable characters. In so many respects, it is also my perfect read. No surprise that it is published by Virago – thank you! I’m calling it in early for ‘best of 2023’.

My thanks to Virago, Little Brown and Netgalley for the opportunity to read A Wild and True Relation.

The premise of this book sounded fascinating so I couldn't wait to dive in and ride the storm. However, the style of writing wasn't for me. I felt it tried too hard to be shocking with crass language and dialogue. Disappointed.

I could barely put this book down. A deeply felt mediation on identity, family and women's voices, A Wild And True Relation is cinematic in vision and style, a true story for the ages. Kim Sherwood's writing is ambitious, thrilling and, above all, beautiful. Every word, every image is so vivid and luminous it rises off the pages. Literary historical fiction at its finest.

Thank you to both NetGalley and the author for the chance to read this book.

The book lays out the story of Tom West and Molly West/ Tucker. Tom’s character is one that you will love, pity, empathise with and sometimes hate. I very much enjoyed reading about him and Molly’s unconventional father/ son/ daughter relationship. I found this book took me quite a while to read as I did not enjoy the flashing forward and back. Whilst I did come to understand what the author was achieving with this. It made me lose interest in the book.

Unfortunately I don’t think this was the book for me. I was invested in hearing about Tom and Molly’s lives but the flashing back and forward to different times and people made the book feel like a chore to get through.

An epic adventure worthy of Du Maurier or Defoe.

I'd just finished Kim Sherwood's James Bond triumph, "Double or Nothing" when I saw that her next book would be something a bit different. It is, and in a good way.

"A Wild & True Relation" opens on the south coast of England, during the Great Storm of November 1703, and free-trader Tom West is confronting his lover Grace, accusing her of betraying him to the Revenue. A fight ensues, people die, and Tom ends up taking her daughter Molly with him. With no option but to take her to his ship, he decides to disguise her as a boy and renames her Orlando. As the years pass, she rises through the company of sailors and sets out to revenge her mother and forge a life of her own.

As the story progresses, we learn through flashbacks, flash-forwards and other cut scenes, how Molly's story piques the interest of writers such as Celia Fiennes (introduced in a fine scene with Defore over their travelogues), Hester Thrale and George Eliot, all of whom try to piece together her story.

It's a glorious tale of loss, family, trials and tribulations. Molly is a feisty character, Tom is hard, deep, kind and angry. The story moves along nicely, although I have to admit to a bit of a jarring feeling as we cut to the scenes with Fiennes et al, but it all rounds off well. I'm sure there are other tales to be told of Molly / Orlando growing up.

Devon and the south coast of England are presented in a palette of sights, sounds and smells, that instantly transport you back in time. I hesitate to use words like "swashbuckling" but with Tom West and his ship, the smuggling, and the adventure, how can you not picture an Errol Flynn or Burt Lancaster film?

This book will appeal to so many readers - fans of Du Maurier, Stevenson, Diane Setterfield and more. I was delighted to receive a Netgalley ARC, but this is another book I can't wait to hold in my hand for a second read. Definitely recommended.