I tend to avoid novels which retell or continue classic stories (why do so many people want to rewrite Pride and Prejudice?), but something about A.C. Wise’s Wendy, Darling caught my attention. Peter Pan is already a book that speaks to children and adults in different ways: reading it, as a grown-up, provokes a sense of discomfort that simmers beneath the sheer joy of its nostalgic anarchy. Wise has grasped that sense of ‘somehow wrong-ness’ and anchored it at the heart of her book, a fierce story of female autonomy, courage and memory. It begins, of course, on a dark night in London, in a nursery, where a small girl sleeps in a bed. A slight, lean shape appears at the nursery window: it’s Peter, come to carry Wendy back to Neverland. But Peter has left it too long. The child in the bed is not Wendy. It’s 1931 and Wendy, now a married woman, is in her room when she feels the warning sense of danger. She runs to the nursery, but she’s too late: Peter has spirited away her daughter, Jane. Outraged by the theft, Wendy can do only one thing: she must gather her courage and go to bring her daughter home.

Wendy has spent her adult life learning to conform: to put Neverland behind her and shape her spirit as society demands. In the aftermath of their own childhood adventure, her brothers John and Michael have forgotten too easily, too quickly. Wendy is the only one who remembered, who clung to her bright memories of Peter and Neverland. She can’t quite remember the point when her brothers began to find her embarrassing. Was it when they lost their parents? Or later, when the world went up in flame and Michael went off to be broken on the fields of Flanders? Throughout, she has tried to remind them about Peter, the mermaids and the delicious freedom of Neverland, but her fervent insistence brought her in the end to St Bernadette’s. Here, among cruel warders and petty deprivations, she’s regarded as a dangerously deluded woman. But Wendy won’t give up. And, when she finds a friend in the heart of that awful place, she begins to hope that she can survive without giving up her self entirely. Given the choice, she would still fly back to Neverland. Peter promised he would come for her. But it has been so long now, so many years. Where is he? How can he have forgotten her?

And then, years later, Jane is taken, instead of her. Wendy has left St Bernadette’s behind her, having managed to convince her brothers that she is well, but now she knows exactly what she must do: go back to Neverland alone. But her return is muted: this magical island of her childhood is marred by flashes of foreboding. She remembers a great secret that Peter once showed her, but the memory shape-shifts, hidden behind a door in her mind that she can’t reopen. What did she see there? It was something horrible, something that she was never meant to see. And now, on the island that she once loved more than anything else, Wendy realises that boys may not grow up, but time passes nevertheless, and all is not well in this place of dreams. Meanwhile, Jane is trying to understand what has brought her to this strange island, where she’s expected to play host to a ragged band of boys, and where her captor, Peter, insists on calling her Wendy. There are games, but all are played to Peter’s rules, and Jane finds that it’s growing more and more difficult not to join in. Something keeps tugging her, inviting her to throw herself into the gleeful game, to give herself up to the sheer pleasure of play. How can she keep a grip on her memory of who she is and the sheer wrongness of her being here at all? In Neverland, it’s all too easy to forget – and who can really trust a boy without a shadow?

Wise brings out the darkness implicit in the story, probing into this world where the games, the food and the very shape of the island are dependent on one sparkling intellect: Peter’s own. And they can change, quickly and without warning, if he is crossed. Here Peter is far from the crowing innocent of Victorian imagination: Wise creates something more coercive and threatening, something positively primal in its antiquity and wilfulness. Hints of this were evident in J.M. Barrie’s original, of course – not for nothing is Peter called ‘Pan’, the god of wild, unconstrained revels. But Wise goes deeper, creating a leader who keeps an iron grip on his creations, who plays out the same story again and again, trapping his Lost Boys, or the pirates, or the Indians, into a cruel cycle where they are nothing but pawns. Halfway through the book, in fact, I realised with a start that Wise is channelling the same unsettling sensation that I’ve felt while reading Robert Holdstock‘s books. Peter, here at least, is surely a kind of mythago – not a boy, but something far more primitive and ancient. It gave me a delicious shiver, and at some points I wished that Wise had pushed even further along that line of thought.

This is also a firmly feminist book. I’d like to think that, even as a child, I thought it unfair that Wendy had to stay behind to cook and clean while all the boys were off having adventures (like poor old Anne in The Famous Five), but I don’t know whether I had the self-awareness to be annoyed – perhaps I assumed that, if I ever ended up in Neverland, I’d become an honorary Lost Boy and romp around with the rest of them. But Wise is acutely interested in the way that women are, even at a young age, expected to become mother-figures, expected to fulfil a certain place in society, and pilloried when they dare to behave in a way that breaches those expectations. Wendy, of course, is institutionalised when her narrative of the world doesn’t fit with what her more conventional brothers want her to say. She is forced to become a wife, although she and her husband find unexpected wellsprings of support in one another. Even in Neverland, Jane – a self-proclaimed scientist – finds herself trapped or lured back whenever she tries to break Peter’s spell and act independently. Women are expected to be caring mother-figures for men, but at the same time they are expected to be meek, submissive to the will of those very same men, preferably infantilised so that they are little better than children.

But there are compensations: Wise doesn’t care for society’s imposition of roles on women, but she is alive to the magic of motherhood. She writes beautifully about the strong, fierce relationship between mothers and daughters, and the way that a woman can dare unimaginable things when she is called upon to protect those she loves. Here, at last, the women learn to save themselves.

For the review, please see my blog:
https://theidlewoman.net/2021/05/16/wendy-darling-2021-a-c-wise/

*Thank you to Titian Books,A.C. Wise and Netgalley, for giving me an E-ARC of "Wendy,Darling" in exchange for an honest review*

Wendy, Darling was just the feminist Peter Pan retelling I've been craving. It puts Wendy front and center, where she should be. We follow three different threads in this story : Peter kidnaps Jane, Wendy's daughter, and takes her to Neverland to become their new Wendy. We follow Jane in Neverland, Wendy in present time, trying to rescue her daughter, as well as Wendy shortly after she returns home from Neverland after her original adventure. A.C. Wise breathes fresh, diverse, life into this retelling.

Wendy, Darling is an adult fantasy and feminist retelling of what truly happened to Wendy Darling when Peter Pan swept her off to Neverland, and more importantly, what happened in the aftermath.

When adult Wendy's daughter Jane is taken from her window by Peter Pan in front of Wendy's eyes, she is forced to return to Neverland and confront for the first time the darkness behind the place and Peter in order to save her daughter.

This story alternates between perspectives and timelines. We get glimpses into what Wendy, John and Michael's original adventure in Neverland was like, we spend time with an adult Wendy whose brothers have committed her to a psychiatric institution for refusing to let go of the idea of Peter and Neverland and the abuses she suffered there, and we see present day Wendy's journey to save her daughter as well as Jane's present day experiences with Peter and the lost boys in Neverland.

This book is incredibly dark, particularly the parts of Wendy's abuse at the hands of the psychiatric institution, and the abuse suffered by everyone surrounding Peter. It is ultimately a story about a woman finding her own happiness and fighting back against oppression, attempting to make her daughter grow up less traumatized than she did. It was a compelling read.

'𝑭𝒐𝒓 𝒕𝒉𝒐𝒔𝒆 𝒘𝒉𝒐 𝒉𝒂𝒗𝒆 𝒂𝒍𝒘𝒂𝒚𝒔 𝒘𝒂𝒏𝒕𝒆𝒅 𝒕𝒐 𝒇𝒍𝒚'

What a book this was!

This was a truly beautiful, darkly gothic reimagining of Peter Pan & Neverland. 🧚

The story was retold from Wendy's present view as she ventures back to Neverland to rescue daughter Jane & from the past where she spent time in an asylum when she refused to forget Neverland.

Extremely well crafted, with recognition to J.M. Barries original story, this is the fairy tale retelling that you will never forget!

Wendy Darling is now married & has her own daughter Jane, but has never forgotten Peter & Neverland. Peter returns for Wendy, but doesn't understand that she's grown up now, so takes her daughter Jane thinking she's his Wendy. Now it's down to Wendy to return to Neverland to reclaim her daughter.

Many thanks to Netgalley for my ARC in return for my honest review.

𝗜 𝗴𝗮𝘃𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗯𝗼𝗼𝗸 𝗮 5 ⭐ 𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴

Jean Rhys gave me the story of Bertha, Rochester's first wife, in Wide Sargasso Sea. Seanan McGuire made me consider what happens to children when they come home from their otherworld adventures. AC Wise gives me the story of Wendy, and what happens after Neverland, and the reality about Peter Pan.

Peter Pan is an awful person.

(I should note that it's well more than 20 years since I read Peter Pan, so it's possible that I've missed some of the more subtle and clever nuances that Wise brings to the story. (And to be honest when Hook was mentioned, my brain immediately went to Dustin Hoffman...). Clearly, though, this is not a problem for appreciating the novel, Whether it would be as thoroughly appreciated with zero knowledge of the original is unclear; I suspect it would be fine, given the depth of story about Wendy as a human, but some of the references might be a bit weird.)

_Wendy, Darling_ presents its story over a few different timelines: Wendy in Neverland. Wendy after World War 1, when she is committed - by her brothers - to an asylum. Wendy married, and a mother. And the story of Jane, Wendy's daughter... I think you can guess what happens to Jane.

This book is amazing. This book is compulsive reading (I read it in 24 hours, and it only took that long because ugh, life). This book is sharp and piercing and reflects on a whole lot of the issues that the (white, patriarchal) world has come aware of since Barrie wrote his original. (Uh, hi there Tiger Lily....) And this book balances being well-paced and driven by action in some parts, with being deeply reflective and thoughtful in other parts. You know how sometimes you get to a different timeline in a story and you're all "get on with it! get back to the other bit!"? That never happened here.

It's about memory, and family, and loss, and compromise, and fidelity. The pain and the joy of growing up, the complexity of relationships, how much we can hurt the ones we love and how we can make our own families. And the fierce, wonderful, difficulty of life.

I just love it. Everyone should read it. It should be nominated for all the awards.

I was skeptical about reading this Peter Pan retelling. Not only am I a huge fan of fairytale retellings, but I also know how easy it can be to ruin the classics! I really enjoyed this story, it was a unique take that I never have seen before and it was really enjoyable!

A beautiful feminist re-imagining on what happened to Wendy after Neverland. When the Darlings returned from Neverland... nothing was the same. Wendy is forced into a mental asylum by her brothers after they forget Neverland but she continues to remember it... and years later... Peter is back and this time he is here to steal her daughter Jane.. and now it is up to Wendy to get her daughter back and finally face the true monster in Neverland.

This is a gorgeous and harsh retelling of Peter Pan. It takes a look at what happens to a woman, particularly in the time period Peter Pan is set in, when no one believes her and how she is silenced through it all. Wendy remembers, and she never forgets. She is forced to endure so much and her rage just simmers over time, and it is brutal. The things she had to endure and the one boy who destroyed her life. Peter Pan is depicted as the villain and you can definitely see it. A boy who never grows up, who never earns anything and takes everything he wants. The consequences of being in Neverland, of having the knowledge of it... Another interesting depiction in this story is the aspect of family and love. Wendy is definitely giving me asexual vibes, while her husband is gay, and we get to see how their relationship is depicted, as per the time period and how that works. This is a story about pain and endurance, about memory, and about knowing something to be true even when everyone else refuses to believe you.

*Thanks Netgalley and Titan Books for sending me an arc in exchange for an honest review*

Thank you to Titan Books and NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review!

When I saw 'feminist retelling of Peter Pan," I was 100% in. Peter Pan is one of my favorite children's books, and I love dark retellings of children's books. It's one of my favorite genres. To be honest, I had already added this book to my TBR list when I got notified that I was approved to review this ARC. Thank you again to the publisher for this opportunity!

Wendy, Darling by A. C. Wise is an adult fantasy retelling in the vein of Wicked or The Shadow in the Glass. The author takes a beloved children's book and spins it in a new way. In this case, the retelling really shines light on the misogyny in the original tale by J. M. Barrie and the darker aspects of what we originally saw as innocent: a boy comes by in the night to take children away from their homes? Looking back on it now, Peter Pan has a lot in common with The Pied Piper, which I'm pretty sure was meant to be a cautionary tale to children.

The story revolves around a grown-up Wendy. She's back from Neverland and has a daughter named Jane. Peter Pan returns one day, but instead of taking Wendy, he takes Jane instead. Now, I know this seems similar to the movie Peter Pan:2: Return to Neverland, but in the movie, Wendy is happy for Jane to experience adventure, and there's a nice scene at the end where Wendy and Peter reunited outside of her window. As you might have expected, this is not the case with this book! In this book, Wendy goes to Neverland to rescue Jane and bring her back to England.

Here is an excerpt from Chapter 1, when Wendy first realizes Peter is back:

"There is a boy outside her daughter’s window.
Wendy feels it, like a trickle of starlight whispering in through a gap, a change in the very pressure and composition of the air. She knows, as sure as her own blood and bones, and the knowledge sends her running. Her hairbrush clatters to the floor in her wake; her bare feet fly over carpeted runners and slap wooden floorboards, past her husband’s room and to her daughter’s door.
It is not just any boy, it’s the boy. Peter.
Every inch of her skin wakes and crawls; the fine hairs all along the back of her neck stand on end—the storm secreted between her bones for years finally breaking wide. Peter. Here. Now. After so long."

Overall, Wendy, Darling is a stunning, dark feminist retelling of Peter Pan that will appeal to fans of Wicked and Circe. It was everything I wanted in a dark retelling and more! I couldn't put this book down. I had to keep reading to discover the changes or revisions that the author made to Neverland, and to find out if Wendy succeeds in her mission of rescuing Jane. If you're intrigued by the excerpt above or if you're a fan of the fantasy genre, you won't regret checking out this book when it comes out in June!

I adore and love to read anything to do with Peter Pan and neverland, I will never get tired of the many takes that everyone writes about and this one was no exception. Its more of a dark fantasy angle, focused around what Wendy went through after coming back from neverland and then having her daughter kidnapped by Peter.
The writing was well done and it felt like I could have been there. Really loved it. Thanks for the opportunity to read it.

Will have the full review on my blog.