The Edge of the Woods

The Edge of the Woods
By Ceinwen Langley

Ceinwen Langley is someone I will never forget. From the moment we met I found her an energetic, interesting young woman (with an eye for good-looking men with long hair), who I instantly felt a connection with. I was absolutely delighted when Ceinwen finished her first novel- The Edge of the Woods. I couldn’t wait to read it. And I wasn’t disappointed. For the first time in a long, long time, I had found a book that refused to be put down- I ended up reading it in one day, finishing in the early hours of the morning!

Ceinwen weaves the story of a world that at first seems a little ridiculous and very unlike our own- the stupid rules that everyone has to abide by even though they make no sense; women who are not married being ridiculed and shunned because ‘the numbers didn’t work out’ (i.e there were not enough men to go round); the atmosphere of depression and pressure leading some girls to be led astray in search of a better life.

But as I got to know the characters a little better, and understood how the society worked, I realised that this invented world is sadly similar to many societies in our world today.

How women must constantly look their best for fear of being laughed at; how women’s education is stunted because apparently all they really need to know is how to be a wife and mother; how marriages are arranged between people that don’t love each other because of some crazy sense of ‘what is right’; how people are so petrified of change that they refuse to even contemplate speaking up against authority.

The little subtleties in the story make it a great one, like the imagery of the iron bracelets the women may be forced to wear- like shackles imprisoning them from their basic rights. 

I absolutely recommend this book by a fantastic new author- and I look forward to reading many more.
​All that remains to be said is: Well done Ceinwen, until we meet again!

To read more about the Ceinwen go to her website: http://ceinwenlangley.com/

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