Wandering Wild
Written by Jessica Taylor
Reviewed by Linda Boyden
“Good night, you thief, you vagabond…” is the way narrator Talia and younger brother, Wen, have always said good night. Not Gypsies, the two belong to a caravan of Wanderers who follow the sound of turning wheels on the open road, camp in secluded places, make their own forms of ID, and do not use surnames. To make ends meet, though, Wanderers are master con artists, dividing the world up between themselves and markies, those who remain planted in one place, easy prey for their scams.
Governed by their aging leader, Boss, and his tyrannical son, Lando, Talia’s caravan of eleven families travels from one small town to the next, according to her decision as their Compass: after her father died and mother ended up in prison, Rona, another Wanderer, cared for the two young siblings. When Talia was seven and still grieving, Rona slowed down for a turn and Talia bolted from the car and into a forest. The caravan searched until Lando found her and dragged her back. He expected her to be punished, but Boss disagreed: he believed The Spirit of the Falconer, their mythic icon, had guided her to behave this way so to reveal Talia’s talent: ”From now on we won’t find our luck…our luck will find you,” he told her.
Fast forward to present day where Talia still leads them from one place to the next, letting her “talent” decide the way. The trick is Talia has scammed the Wanderers: she has no special “talent.” She has lied and continues to fake it.
Camped now near the town of Cedar Falls, she and Wen head out to work one of their smoothest scams, a poolroom hustle. For the first time, it blows up in her face when a markie, Spencer Sway, beats her at her own game. When Talia and Wen return to camp with empty pockets, Wen must fist fight according to the Wanderers’ code.
Worse, Talia’s “fiancé” from another caravan, Felix, arrives to claim her as his bride. Years before his family paid the $20, 000 bride price so the two could be married. Though she is not yet eighteen, he insists they marry now. Talia refuses and intends to earn enough to pay back Felix’s family and avoid the trap of an arranged marriage. If she can’t do so, but still reneges on the marriage, Wen will be forced to fight again and again to settle the score.
Taylor’s debut novel crafts an innovative story that captures the wandering spirit and a way of life foreign to most readers. Without preaching, it wrestles with conscience, loyalty, and redemption, as Talia must decide what is the best way of life for herself and Wen. Taylor’s skillful phrasing and unique characters will leave readers wishing for a sequel.