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In The Wilderness
In The Wilderness
Dec 30, 2025 3:17 AM

Author:Manuel Rivas,Jonathan Dunne

In The Wilderness

A glorious cast of animals and birds, as well as humans, relate the magical stories that form the plot of Manuel Rivas's extraordinary novel. An old lady, Misia, tells how the 300 ravens of Xallas are the warrior-poets of the last King of Galicia. A priest, Don Xil, explains to a peasant girl, Rosa, that the beautifully carved women in the local church are not saints, but represent the seven deadly sins. A mouse, Matac-ns, a poacher in his previous life, is chased by a cat, the bagpiper and anarchist, Arturo of Lousame. A bat, Gaspar, relates his own death to a lizard. In a nearby cellar, half the parish are found to have transmigrated into spiders, snails, toads-Manuel Rivas's story emerges like spirals of smoke, in a series of memorably poetic images. His characters have their roots deep in the traditions, legends and history of his beloved Galicia. Few contemporary storytellers share his power of vision and sense of cultural identity, or can narrate their tales with such tenderness and humour.

Reviews

Scandal, backstabbing, illicit affairs...a fab, girlie read!

—— New Woman

Mums will be able to see the truth behind this fun novel

—— In The Know

A real laugh-out-loud tale

—— OK! Magazine

An entertaining insight into school politics. You'll laugh and cringe at how cliquey and competitive mums can be.

—— Babyexpert.com

Gripping . . . splendidly conjures up the sounds, sights, and smells of Dark Age Britain

—— HARRY SIDEBOTTOM, author of the "Warrior of Rome" series

A magnificent portrayal of how a beautiful young girl might become the first woman ever to win the Grand National

—— Spectator

Classic Cooper: either the perfect beach read or else something to curl up on the sofa with to keep out the encroaching autumn chill

—— Sunday Express

Jilly has given more pleasure to more girls and women than anyone else alive today... Cooper's familiar warmth and irrepressible humour

—— The Lady

Warmed by the tender characterisation that has made Jilly Cooper a national treasure

—— Countrylife

Just the thing for a wet winter weekend

—— Independent

Unrivalled joy

—— Tatler

A classic romp through the world of horse racing. Guilty pleasures rarely come as delicious as this

—— Elle

Jilly's descriptions of the glorious Cotswold countryside are some of the most lyrical ever written and her comedies of manners rival Nancy Mitford, if not Jane Austen

—— Daily Mail

As plots go you can't get more charming than this

—— Daily Express

The narrative zips along, pierced with her characteristically brilliant ear for dialogue and empathy for human relationships of all kinds... You won't be able to put it down once you get going

—— Daily Mail

A rollicking fantasy

—— Horse and Hound

I loved it

—— Rosie Boycott

Sit back and enjoy the ride as the queen of the bonkbuster, Jilly Cooper, delivers another fabulously entertaining saga

—— Good Housekeeping

Sharp, funny and touching

—— Times Literary Supplement

The Spoiler - set in the halcyon days before phone hacking - was one of the funniest and sharpest fleet street novels in years.

—— David Robson , Sunday Telegraph Seven

McAfee - herself a former journalist - evokes two distinct eras and styles of journalism, that of fearless frontline reportage and that of its successor: style-oriented, celebrity-obsessed features coverage... This is a pacy read that leaves little doubt in the reader's mind that one school of journalism deserves more mourning than the other

—— Alex Clark , Guardian

Marvellous satire...the novel is cunningly plotted and satisfyingly nuanced

—— Independent on Sunday

If the peek into the world of newspaper journalism afforded by the Leveson inquiry has you gasping for more, then this timely paperback release is perfect...a fiendishly funny (and frighteningly plausible) world of fiddled expenses and suspect tactics

—— Shortlist

Thoroughly enjoyable behind-the-scenes expose of an ambitious celebrity journalist's attempt to nail the scoop of her life

—— Metro

This is the paperback edition. The hardback appeared before the News Corporation bosses were dragged into the Commons. McAfee was either very prescient or close to the action, holding her fictional hacks to account for printing false stories gleaned from disreputable sources

—— Julia Fernandez , Time Out
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