Reviews
"Haunting and brilliant." -San Francisco Chronicle "Incandescent. . . . An eerie chiaroscuro of blinding sunlight and tenebrous bush, rendered in language so naturalistic and sensual it seems more felt than read. . . .After the Firehas the kind of dark shimmer that mesmerizes as it disturbs. . . . What distinguishes Wyld is her incandescent empathy for her male characters and the things they are unable to say, the assurance with which she reaches for a rough-edged authenticity over the easy pleasures of lyricism." -Vogue "This surefooted and even-handed multi-layered tale is fiction writing at its best with characters so vividly drawn, they seem to literally leap off of the printed pages." -Tucson Citizen "An astonishingly assured debut. . . . A stunning work from a brilliant new voice." -Esquire(UK) "Mesmerising. . . . A novel both taut and otherworldly. This adroit examination of loss, lostness and trauma is the beginning of great things [for Wyld]." -TheIndependent(London) "A gritty novel. . . . Rough and beautiful. . . . It speaks to the muscle in Wyld's writing, which in richly telling detail describes the experiences 40 years apart of two Australian men. . . . Wyld distinguishes herself as another fine Australian novelist." -Minneapolis Star-Tribune "Written in pithy, crystal-sharp prose, this is a compelling read that uses the Australian landscape to mirror its characters' equally unforgiving emotional terrain." -Financial Times "Wyld has a feel both for beauty and for the ugliness of inherited pain. The mood is creepy-strange creatures in the sugar cane, grieving neighbors, a missing local girl-and the sentiment is plain: 'Sometimes people aren't all right and that's just how it is.'" -The New Yorker "A terrifically self-assured debut. . . . It's a cauterising, cleansing tale, told with muscular writing." -The Guardian(London) "A searching study of the way war-induced damage passes from fathers to sons. . . . Uniting the disparate narratives is Wyld's brisk, atmospheric style and her fascination with men who commit appalling acts, but are not appalling people." -Times Literary Supplement(London) "Passionate. . . .After the Fireis not a book of simple feelings. . . . One must admire Wyld for her courage." -Bookpage "Just sometimes, a book is so complete, so compelling and potent, that you are fearful of breaking its hold. This is one. . . . With awesome skill and whiplash wit, Evie Wyld knits together past and present, with tension building all the time. In Peter Carey and Tim Winton, Australia has produced two of the finest storytellers working today. On this evidence, Wyld can match them both." -Daily Mail(London) "Ravishingly atmospheric and wisely compassionate. . . . There's no doubt that Wyld is a writer of immense abilities and depth." -Booklist "A triumph of subtle, original and unsentimental writing . . . Wyld explores the restrictions and distortions in the lives of men who won't or can't talk through whatever is eating away at them [with] great restraint and poignancy." -The Australian, “Haunting and brilliant.� - San Francisco Chronicle “Incandescent. . . . An eerie chiaroscuro of blinding sunlight and tenebrous bush, rendered in language so naturalistic and sensual it seems more felt than read. . . . After the Fire has the kind of dark shimmer that mesmerizes as it disturbs. . . . What distinguishes Wyld is her incandescent empathy for her male characters and the things they are unable to say, the assurance with which she reaches for a rough-edged authenticity over the easy pleasures of lyricism.� - Vogue “This surefooted and even-handed multi-layered tale is fiction writing at its best with characters so vividly drawn, they seem to literally leap off of the printed pages.� - Tucson Citizen “An astonishingly assured debut. . . . A stunning work from a brilliant new voice.� - Esquire (UK) “Mesmerising. . . . A novel both taut and otherworldly. This adroit examination of loss, lostness and trauma is the beginning of great things [for Wyld].� - The Independent (London) “A gritty novel. . . . Rough and beautiful. . . . It speaks to the muscle in Wyld’s writing, which in richly telling detail describes the experiences 40 years apart of two Australian men. . . . Wyld distinguishes herself as another fine Australian novelist.� - Minneapolis Star-Tribune “Written in pithy, crystal-sharp prose, this is a compelling read that uses the Australian landscape to mirror its characters’ equally unforgiving emotional terrain.� - Financial Times “Wyld has a feel both for beauty and for the ugliness of inherited pain. The mood is creepy-strange creatures in the sugar cane, grieving neighbors, a missing local girl-and the sentiment is plain: ‘Sometimes people aren’t all right and that’s just how it is.’� - The New Yorker “A terrifically self-assured debut. . . . It’s a cauterising, cleansing tale, told with muscular writing.� - The Guardian (London) “A searching study of the way war-induced damage passes from fathers to sons. . . . Uniting the disparate narratives is Wyld’s brisk, atmospheric style and her fascination with men who commit appalling acts, but are not appalling people.� - Times Literary Supplement (London) “Passionate. . . . After the Fire is not a book of simple feelings. . . . One must admire Wyld for her courage.� - Bookpage “Just sometimes, a book is so complete, so compelling and potent, that you are fearful of breaking its hold. This is one. . . . With awesome skill and whiplash wit, Evie Wyld knits together past and present, with tension building all the time. In Peter Carey and Tim Winton, Australia has produced two of the finest storytellers working today. On this evidence, Wyld can match them both.� - Daily Mail (London) “Ravishingly atmospheric and wisely compassionate. . . . There’s no doubt that Wyld is a writer of immense abilities and depth.� -Booklist “A triumph of subtle, original and unsentimental writing . . . Wyld explores the restrictions and distortions in the lives of men who won’t or can’t talk through whatever is eating away at them [with] great restraint and poignancy.� - The Australian, "Haunting and brilliant." - San Francisco Chronicle "Incandescent. . . . An eerie chiaroscuro of blinding sunlight and tenebrous bush, rendered in language so naturalistic and sensual it seems more felt than read. . . . After the Fire has the kind of dark shimmer that mesmerizes as it disturbs. . . . What distinguishes Wyld is her incandescent empathy for her male characters and the things they are unable to say, the assurance with which she reaches for a rough-edged authenticity over the easy pleasures of lyricism." - Vogue "This surefooted and even-handed multi-layered tale is fiction writing at its best with characters so vividly drawn, they seem to literally leap off of the printed pages." - Tucson Citizen "An astonishingly assured debut. . . . A stunning work from a brilliant new voice." - Esquire (UK) "Mesmerising. . . . A novel both taut and otherworldly. This adroit examination of loss, lostness and trauma is the beginning of great things [for Wyld]." - The Independent (London) "A gritty novel. . . . Rough and beautiful. . . . It speaks to the muscle in Wyld's writing, which in richly telling detail describes the experiences 40 years apart of two Australian men. . . . Wyld distinguishes herself as another fine Australian novelist." - Minneapolis Star-Tribune "Written in pithy, crystal-sharp prose, this is a compelling read that uses the Australian landscape to mirror its characters' equally unforgiving emotional terrain." - Financial Times "Wyld has a feel both for beauty and for the ugliness of inherited pain. The mood is creepy-strange creatures in the sugar cane, grieving neighbors, a missing local girl-and the sentiment is plain: 'Sometimes people aren't all right and that's just how it is.'" - The New Yorker "A terrifically self-assured debut. . . . It's a cauterising, cleansing tale, told with muscular writing." - The Guardian (London) "A searching study of the way war-induced damage passes from fathers to sons. . . . Uniting the disparate narratives is Wyld's brisk, atmospheric style and her fascination with men who commit appalling acts, but are not appalling people." - Times Literary Supplement (London) "Passionate. . . . After the Fire is not a book of simple feelings. . . . One must admire Wyld for her courage." - Bookpage "Just sometimes, a book is so complete, so compelling and potent, that you are fearful of breaking its hold. This is one. . . . With awesome skill and whiplash wit, Evie Wyld knits together past and present, with tension building all the time. In Peter Carey and Tim Winton, Australia has produced two of the finest storytellers working today. On this evidence, Wyld can match them both." - Daily Mail (London) "Ravishingly atmospheric and wisely compassionate. . . . There's no doubt that Wyld is a writer of immense abilities and depth." -Booklist "A triumph of subtle, original and unsentimental writing . . . Wyld explores the restrictions and distortions in the lives of men who won't or can't talk through whatever is eating away at them [with] great restraint and poignancy." - The Australian, "Haunting and brilliant." -San Francisco Chronicle(recommended reading) "A superb first novel." -Times(London) "Just sometimes, a book is so complete, so compelling and potent, that you are fearful of breaking its hold. This is one . . . With awesome skill and whiplash wit, Evie Wyld knits together past and present, with tension building all the time. In Peter Carey and Tim Winton, Australia has produced two of the finest storytellers working today. On this evidence, Wyld can match them both." -Daily Mail "After the Fire, a Still Small Voicehas the kind of dark shimmer that mesmerizes as it disturbs . . . What distinguishes Wyld is her incandescent empathy for her male characters and the things they are unable to say, the assurance with which she reaches for a rough-edged authenticity over the easy pleasures of lyricism." -Vogue "At last, in a world that shouts, a novel that doesn't need to. A revelation and a joy-wild, wise and wonderful." -Chris Cleave, author ofLittle Bee "A mesmerising novel . . . This adroit examination of loss, lostness and trauma is the beginning of great things." -Independent "An astonishingly assured debut . . . A stunning work from a brilliant new voice." -Esquire(UK) "A jewel of a book . . . Will keep you reading past bedtime." -Grazia "A terrifically self-assured debut . . . It's a cauterising, cleansing tale, told with muscular writing." -Guardian "Fiction writing at its best with characters so vividly drawn, they seem to literally leap off of the printed pages . . . An enticing debut novel." -Tucson Citizen "It's not often that I fall for a novel from the very first page, but the controlled and expressive opening toAfter the Fire, a Still Small Voiceis utterly irresistible . . . It is a superb novel." -Guardian.co.uk "The searing descriptions of the changeable land and seascapes make this gritty, passionate novel stand out." -Bookpage "I loved it. Just stunningly good . . . It has a whole dark and brilliant life of its own. And Jesus, there's not a single false note in the whole book: it's totally convincing, and written with incredible toughness, sureness and maturity. A terrifyingly good debut." -Peter Hobbs, author ofThe Short Day Dying "A sensational debut, rich in literary fireworks and human drama. There are moments here that still the breath-all you can hear is your own heart beating." -Christopher Kremmer, author ofThe Carpet Wars "Evie Wyld has dual nationality [British and Australian] and with the publication of her first novel it is likely both countries will want to claim her as their own . . . A fine debut." -Bookseller and Publisher(Australia) "Ravishingly atmospheric and wisely compassionate . . . There's no doubt that Wyld is a writer of immense abilities and depth." -Booklist "At times startling, Wyld's book is ruminative and dramatic, with deep reserves of empathy colored by masculine rage and repression . . . The two narrative threads stay separate until the final pages, and, refreshingly, their connection isn't overplayed." -Publishers Weekly(starred) "A brilliant, transporting novel of such warmth and stunning evocative language that I wanted to read it all over again. Evie Wyld has a deft way of capturing the light, the nature
