What Wild Women Do

A Novel

By: Karma Brown

Narrated by: Karissa Vacker, Hillary Huber

Length: 8 hrs and 56 mins

Publisher's summary

"Karma Brown keeps delivering knockout after knockout. She is an auto-buy author for me!"—Taylor Jenkins Reid

If you want to transform, you can’t be tentative.—Eddie Callaway, Wild Women Handbook (1975)

An aspiring contemporary screenwriter, a 1970s socialite-turned-feminist, and the camp in the woods that ties their stories together forever, in #1 internationally bestselling author Karma Brown’s new novel about ambition, betrayal, and the wildness that exists in all of us.

Rowan is stuck. Her dream of becoming a Hollywood screenwriter is stalled, and so she and her novelist fiancé, Seth, retreat to an isolated cabin in the Adirondacks to hopefully get out of their creative ruts. There, Rowan finds herself drawn into a mysterious and unsettling story—that of socialite-turned-feminist-crusader Eddie Callaway, who vanished in these same woods the summer of 1975 and was never heard from again. A handbook found in the abandoned ruins of the Callaway camp gives Rowan glimpses into who Eddie was, and then a fateful discovery offers clues about what might have happened to her. Soon, Rowan finds herself with a story potentially more shocking than Eddie’s notes about sun salutations and pineapple upside-down cake would indicate.

As Rowan learns more about the enigmatic Eddie, who got a second chance at life after a profound loss, she discovers the camp leader’s greatest wish: to help other women unlock their true, though long-repressed, “wildness.” However, Eddie’s methods and wild ways weren’t welcomed by all, and rifts between the camp owners threatened her mission, perhaps perilously. As Rowan draws closer to the truth of Eddie’s unsolved disappearance, she realizes that the past may hold two keys: one that reveals what really happened to Eddie Callaway, and another that unlocks a future beyond her wildest imagination.

©2023 Karma Brown (P)2023 Penguin Audio

Critic reviews

“Brown cleverly converges the two storylines…and the descriptions of the natural beauty and peace of the forest will have readers longing for an escape of their own. Readers who enjoy dual-time-period novels featuring strong women characters will be delighted.”—Booklist

“Both Eddie's and Rowan's timelines expose remarkable moments of self-discovery, women's empowerment, and suspense.... Both narratives capture the challenges and greatness of womanhood and the courage it takes to become your authentic self.”—Shelf Awareness

“A story of self-discovery in a gorgeously-drawn setting, What Wild Women Do isn’t afraid to confront the bold choices women must make sometimes, and its dual-timeline heroines are both perfectly suited for the job. Karma Brown’s latest is a heartfelt exploration into the importance of honesty, legacy, and being true to one’s self.”—Shelby Van Pelt, New York Times bestselling author of Remarkably Bright Creatures

Thirsty for more

This was such a great story. Really good narration. I found myself telling Rowan what to do at times like it would change the script. lol

Loved it!

I wasn’t sure in the beginning but once I got to know Eddie and followed Rowan’s growth, I was hooked. What a great message and I look forward to enjoying more of Karma Brown’s books!

Love the 70’s vibe!

Love the concept.
Didn’t always like the 2021 gal, Rowen. The narrators did a great job, but there were just a few cringy-not-cool moments. I guess we needed the drama? Drama is good, of course, but I didn’t agree with Rowen even though she was proud of herself. Still… I’m happy I went on the journey.☺️

Not what I expected at all

Never judge a book by its cover
I was expecting a lot more female studies and real experience not a couples story

In memory of Eddie Calloway…

This is the kind of book that sticks with you even after you have finished reading it. It is a story of what it means to be a woman who loves other women. The same kind of woman who respects herself and her sisters and reunites them with their Selves. This is something that men will simply never be able to understand. Sisterhood. Motherhood. Girlhood. The debt that we feel to other women who have gone before us and the labor and life that they sacrificed to get us to where we are today. The intrinsic ability to deeply feel the struggles of other women and the love that each woman has inside her.

I will take this story with me, as I have with many others, and carry the joy of being a woman proudly. Like a little pin on my tote bag, pink and smiling, a symbol of the women who have lived before me.

Cringe

Much more basic storyline and characters than the summary suggests. Be prepared for multiple character “voices” during the reading.