Set in Anglesey, with the Welsh hills as the backdrop, Wren lives with her Pa, her brother, Tudur and her Aunty Efa in a castle that has been in the family for generations. Wren is a spirited girl who loves to be outdoors with nature; however, she fears the her life will change forever when her Pa announces that he intends to send her to the Anglesey Institution for the Re-educaton of Young Women (AIREYW) to calm her down. She is determined not to be sent there and tries to enlist the support of her Aunty Efa. However, Wren can't help her curiosity and is determined to discover why their home sighs and why she feels it move. She knows something is going on and is determined to discover exactly what it is.
Wren is strong character who isn't afraid to be who she wants to be. It would appear that she gets this from her Ma who died in an accident whilst trying to create a flying machine; an accident that left her sister, Wren's Anty Efa, in a wheel-chair. Her drive (and quite possibly her grief) leads her to want to follow in her Ma's footsteps and create a flying machine. It is clear that she misses her Ma and this is a way for her to still feel connected to her. She fights against the constraints of her father and brother who want her to be nothing more that a good Victorian girl. I also love her curiosity as well as her determination to discover what is actually going on with her home. I don't want to spoil anything but the revelations will make the book unputdownable.
As with Fledgling, Wren is an atmospheric tale that weaves wonderful characters with a very gothic feel to the setting, in particular the house. I found myself with questions I needed answering which compelled me to keep reading (I love it when a book does that!). Wren is a book that shows you the power of curiosity and that you should never underestimate anybody.
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