The Wild Girl is a fictionalized narrative of the life-long relationship between Dortchen Wild and the Brothers Grimm. Kate Forsyth has pieced together her version of events from the actual documents of the Grimms and the Wilds, filling in the blanks with inspiration from the Brothers Grimm collection of fairy tales. We know that the Wilds and the Grimms were neighbors, that Dortchen was the source for many of the Grimm’s most famous fairy tales, and that she and Wilhelm married, but unconventionally late in their lives.
In Forsyth’s version of events, Dortchen’s family of six young women is struggling to survive the oppressive hand of their father as Napoleon’s army brings increasing famine, recession, and tragedy upon the Germanic states. Dortchen has had a crush on the younger Grimm brother Wilhelm as long as she can remember. When Wilhelm and Jakob begin collecting old folk stories to preserve German history, Dortchen finally has a chance to grow closer to her beloved. Dortchen is a natural storyteller, and has a well of folk knowledge that Wilhelm is eager to document. But the Wild patriarch wants his daughters to marry well, and the Grimms have been impoverished as long as anyone can remember. An agreeable marriage between the families seems impossible, especially as Dortchen’s father becomes increasingly tyrannical and abusive as his daughters blossom into young womenhood. Happily Ever After does eventually arrive, but not with the swiftness of a fairy tale. Dortchen and Wilhelm were both well into their 30s by the time they are finally able to find happiness with each other.
This book is catnip for me – revolutionary era Europe, the history of the Grimm fairy tales from a female perspective, with allusions to those fairy tales woven in. Forsyth manages all of this very well, despite some difficult subject matter. Like the heroines of her fairy tales, Dortchen is put through the wringer – trigger warning for some very upsetting instances of domestic abuse, both physical and sexual. Forsyth discusses her reasoning for painting such a dark past for her heroine, as a way to puzzle out why Dortchen Wild and Wilhelm Grimm took so long in committing to one another, despite early evidence from both of their letters that they were fond of each other at an early age. Forsyth imagines the difficulties of war, the trauma of sexual abuse, and the pressures of family to be obstacles to knock down before her OTP can finally unite.
The story was a little slow for me in the beginning, but picked up once Dortchen and Wilhelm begin courting each other secretly. I loved the fairy tale allusions and the juxtaposition of the Grimms trying to preserve their history while Napoleon was trying to mow it all down for French victory. Dortchen and Wilhem have a couple of hot and heavy scenes, which are breathlessly written and keep you wanting more for the two young lovers. This is an adult fiction piece, but it may find readers among older teens who enjoy historical fiction and fairy tales.
