Really enjoyable book since I love gothic and southern gothic novels. Creative plot about Polish immigrants. It’s a suspenseful and dark book but well written. I enjoyed it and it held my attention. I liked the setting as well.

'A searing Southern Gothic saga unfolds in the Texas Hill Country, where history’s silenced voices rise amidst an astonishing tale.' This made me want to read this book and so I did. What an interesting and intriguing book it is too. Civil War, Polish immigrants, freedom and a new life.

This is not a book for everyone as it is a bit dark and bleak but it is engaging and enthralling and I found it an interesting mix of characters, styles and stories. In some ways i liked it and in other ways I found it a bit to dark for my liking. But I am glad I read it as it is something different and the author and they way it was written made it in some ways an easy read. 3 1/2 stars from me for this one.

Thank you NetGalley and HTF Publishing | Independent Book Publishers Association for giving me the opportunity to read and review this book.

Bandera! Good goddle mitey, y'all, that's just down the road a piece from my home town, Austin. What a surprise to find it in a novel of a cursèd family of Polish immigrants who are purported to be based on real people.

Dunno about all that, but it's cool to read about people I actually know. Or knew...most of the ones I met are bound to be dead by now, they all smoked like chimneys. But a thing most people don't seem to know is just how much the aftermath of the 1848 revolutions affected inbound migration into Texas. The repressions that followed the PTB returning to uncontested power in the Prussian, Austrian, and Russian Empires led to many, many people making their way to Galveston and Indianola to escape repression and reprisals from Bohemia, Poland, and Silesia...most especially Catholics from Poland and Bohemia, Anabaptists from Silesia.

So here's a superstitious Polish family arriving to start a freer, better life in Texas...they'd be so ashamed of their thrice-great grands and the awfulness they're inflicting on those who are seeking the same...and they get tangled up in a curse that travels the generations. Is that because "The Shadow" is supernatural, or because the family's passed it down like a blood feud with the world?

So yes indeed, it's dark, and violent, and misogynistic abuse is rife. Is it a cheery way to wile away a weekend? No. Is it fun? hmmm not all the way sure I'd call it "fun" but I was not about to put it down. Any family as haunted and afflicted as the Anderwalds that somehow staggers from the Civil War of 1860 all the way to the present is, well, tough, stubborn and full of that intangible thing I call "grit." It made me feel invested in the succeeding generations as they succumbed to...whatever "The Shadow" really is.

I'll only give it four stars because I found it so curiously compelling and oddly propulsive. I think many of y'all won't be so tolerant. If historical fiction about the ugly life challenges od immigrant clans that quite literally pull no punches don't send you sprinting for the exit, this read will scratch your dark fiction need. It's borderline supernatural horror without feeling silly to me. That tells you a lot about how deftly Author Weiner handles "The Shadow."

I liked the experience of reading about my old homeplace as well. It's funny...I don't want to live there now, but it's still a weird unwelcoming home to me. Definitely a spooky one to read.

J.E. Weiner’s The Wretched and the Undone is a haunting Southern Gothic epic that captures the raw beauty and unforgiving darkness of the Texas Hill Country. Through a layered narrative of family, faith, and the long shadows of vengeance, Weiner masterfully weaves historical fiction with elements of supernatural horror, delivering a story as unsettling as it is unforgettable.

At its heart, the novel follows Marcin and Agnieszka Anderwald, Polish immigrants seeking a fresh start in the tumultuous years leading up to the Civil War. Their arrival in Bandera, Texas, offers fleeting hope, but the couple soon becomes entangled in a chilling battle with a spectral force bent on their destruction. The supernatural tension is heightened by Weiner’s richly detailed portrayal of the era, immersing readers in the stark realities of frontier life.

Weiner’s characters are strikingly authentic, their inner struggles laid bare against the novel’s vast historical backdrop. From Arab camel wranglers to war-ravaged soldiers and a songstress slipping into madness, each voice contributes to a collective portrait of resilience and ruin. As generations of the Anderwald family confront the sins and traumas of the past, the novel explores the cyclical nature of fear, guilt, and the relentless pursuit of redemption.

What makes The Wretched and the Undone particularly compelling is its seamless blending of genres. While the ghostly presence of the vengeful specter evokes the hallmarks of classic Gothic horror, the novel also serves as a poignant reflection on the immigrant experience and the moral complexities of the American South. The prose is lyrical and immersive, painting the Hill Country landscape with an almost cinematic vividness.

For readers drawn to stories of historical depth, ghostly hauntings, and the enduring power of family bonds, The Wretched and the Undone is an unforgettable journey. With its expertly crafted suspense and profound emotional resonance, it is no surprise that the novel has earned accolades as a Killer Nashville Top Pick and a Claymore Award Finalist. J.E. Weiner has delivered a powerful and deeply affecting tale that lingers long after the final page.

Thank you so much to NetGalley and the Publisher for the chance to read and review this title!!

Southern Gothic The Wretched and Undone is a multigenerational look at a family throughout the years, and what it is to be an outsider living in a place like Texas - somewhere that hasn’t garnered its stereotypes lightly. It is deeply personal and a story of much struggle, and one that moves at a breakneck speed through the years of the Anderwald Anderwalds was drawn to this story at first living in the same area the story is set, and the depth to which Weiner went to research and accurately portray the area is intensely impressive. Especially with a good portion of the story spanning WWI, WWII, and some spanning the Civil War - although a good deal less than other critics I’ve seen - the author does an impressive job at bringing in real world happenings to factor in around the lives of the Anderwalds. I loved the attention to detail played around the heritage of the Anderwalds, but I do wish that more attention had been payed to the curse that follows them through generations. It felt almost like an afterthought at times, just something to explain the misfortunes they’d occasionally face.

I appreciated that the family relationships and dynamics were so complex. Often when reading books about multigenerational families, you see the main family being perfect, with strife and the like only coming from outside; it takes a writer with real skill to deftly manage a family with such ups and downs within it.

Overall this is a complex, rich story that truly defines life over generations, and I would absolutely recommend it to anyone looking for such a saga.

Well, that was bleak.

THE WRETCHED AND UNDONE follows four generations of a cursed Texan family, beginning shortly before the Civil War. Setting and atmosphere are this book’s strength.

Initially, I was intrigued by the hint of the supernatural “evil,” and I cared about what happened to the family. But as the story continued, I wasn’t as invested in the subsequent generations. Everyone was drowning in misery, without much hope or purpose.

The supernatural aspect was thin and not adequately explored. I needed more substance and development.

I’m not sure I ever grasped the point of it all. We explored love and tragedy and grief, but it all felt circular.

Follow along as a successive generations of this family have bad turn after bad turn. Is it bad luck? The devil? Mere coincidence? Texas?
Based in bit of truth and expanded to somewhere between a tall-tale and a Jerry Springer episode, this book is set between Civil War era and post WWII. The blurbs suggest there will be a supernatural element and a Polish heritage connection. Both are tangential at best. The action all hinges around the women in the story and yet, the only characters that are ever developed are the men. I don't know if this was intentional, but it left me wanting to know a lot more about the women that held the farms and families together while the men went off on their war games.
Overall, an okay read. The writing could have been a bit more descriptive and succinct - it's like it tried to be flowery and overly dramatic at times but ended being verbose for no reason. I personally would have liked to have had a bit more context for the historical "fiction" portions of the story rather than the family drama.

Marcin is described as a quiet, God-fearing man who is forcibly enlisted by the Confederate army to build supply carts and transports. Marcin loses his patience with the racist, bullying Private Brewer and prays for his demise. After Brewer is found dead of an exceptionally violent attack, a "grudge" - or onryō essentially - manifests. The smell of rot seeps into the floorboards, refusing to move on until each Anderwald suffers.

However, by the third generation of Anderwalds, the novel fully embraces the dysfunctionality of the family rather than the horror of all. What began as a supernatural, physical threat to the family's well-being becomes more like a cat and mouse game, slowly losing its edge. In the second half, I was so absorbed by the familial conflict that I forgot about the sinister curse/ghost that is supposedly lurking in the shadows. It has an incredibly strong start so that the ending is a bit of a let down by comparison.

But luckily for readers, "The Wretched and Undone" has all the hallmarks of an engaging Southern Gothic novel. I cannot stress enough how well written the characters are. I'll admit, the only women in the story are overtly tragic and sometimes passive, but not in an insulting way. They are written with purpose and these characterizations are necessary in order for the narrative to make sense. Instead, the curse consistently feeds off of masculine pride and foolishness. It is the women who hold fast or escape entirely, while the patriarchs are seemingly bound to the land. I will definitely be checking out Weiner's future works!

Rated: 3 1/2 out of 5 on Instagram!

On the positive side, I think this has a very interesting setting. I’ve never read a book about polish immigrants in Civil War Texas before. The author also has a style that makes it easy to read.

However, there are some issues with characters and characterization. Almost all of the characters are flat, with little understandable motivations. This especially applies for the women.

A captivating Southern Gothic novel set in 19th century Texas Hill County. I appreciated the author's vivid descriptions of life in Texas, immigration communities, and historical events over the decades. Generations of guilt, hurt, and misfortune plagued a family seemingly cursed. The writing was engaging, and I highly recommend this book.

Thank you so much to NetGalley for this Arc for my honest review

J.E. Weiner’s, The Wretched and Undone is a hauntingly tragic story that follows the Polish immigrant family, the Anderwalds, and their struggles in Texas during the Civil War. It follows the Anderwalds through the generations as the family hops from one tragedy to the next.

This author truly has a knack for painting the atmosphere in the boom and I was excited to embark on the journey since I have never read a historical, southern gothic, horror novel. I can’t say it was downright heart stopping but the phantom aspect could be spooky at times.

Unfortunately the characters fell flat for me, which is a shame because I loved the band of misfits staying at Peacock bend. I would have really enjoyed more depth and life given to the outcasts to really have this story shine.

Thank you to NeGalley, J. E. Weiner, and HTF Publishing for an e-ARC in exchange for my honest review.

The Wretched and Undone is a documentary-style historical fiction that illustrates the love and loss experienced through multiple generations of the Anderwald family. We open with Marcin, the patriarch of the family who has been summoned to help as a carpenter for the Civil War. While at his station, a man whom Marcin is not particularly fond of is brutally murdered. Thus begins the curse of the Anderwald family. The reader follows Marcin's misfortune for a period until the point of view switches to his eldest son, Zacharias. We learn of Zacharias' great love, Liza, and we watch as they struggle with child loss and marital issues. Eventually, Liza falls pregnant and births a son, John Marcin. The story then continues from John Marcin's point of view, where we are introduced to the troubled Anna whom John Marcin loves. They bear two children, of which the story focuses on Luke, a kind, smart boy who would do anything for his parents. Unfortunately, Luke inherited his mother's troubled mind, turning to alcohol after she abandons them.
The reader meets four generations of Anderwald's and watches as the curse that started with Marcin in the very beginning haunts them all throughout the story. This book was not bad by any means, but there were times where I wondered what the point of it all was. I think, after finishing it, I realize that the point was just to tell a story about a family with a ghostly story painted over the top.
I give The Wretched and Undone three out of five stars because the characters (for the most part) were likable and easy to root for. I felt that the "curse" aspect could've been played into a bit more, there was only one point at the very end in which I felt a little spooked by the happenings of Peacock Bend. I also completely forgot that this story was being told from the point of view of a museum curator and felt a little whiplash at the end when the perspective shifted. But overall, I think that the story was enjoyable and kept me interested.
This is an honest review in exchange for an advanced reader's copy. Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers of this book for the opportunity to read and review this work.

It is clear that author J.E. Weiner has an affinity for period accuracy. Throughout the entirety of this novel, you are bathed in richly researched worlds. The writing is vivid, the characters are fully fleshed out, all combined to make a story that feels like a historical epic told in a mere 300 pages. But, with the period accuracy and attention to detail, you lose a bit of the storytelling magic, which I think was what made this novel falter some.

It felt like I was transported to these worlds, but it felt like I was reading something along the lines of a family biography, rather than a fictionalized novel. Now, there’s nothing wrong with that, since it shows the strength of Weiner’s writing, but it made for a book that felt more like a chore to read, rather than an enjoyable experience. The pacing of the novel took some time to get used to, which would speed up, and then move at a glacial pace for some time before picking up steam again. I was invested in the characters, but that didn’t seem to be enough to make me want to continue reading this, rather dreading having to continue on at times.

That being said, I didn’t dislike this novel by any means. I thought Weiner’s writing made for a smooth reading experience, and I thought that the characters were really well-written. It just took me forever to actually sit down and finish this book, which I normally would have consumed in a single session, rather than take two weeks to finish it. I am very excited to see what else Weiner does in the future, since they really have a talent for writing, I just hope to see something a little more streamlined and faster-paced than this. Still, it’s a historically accurate, at times spooky, novel that is worth checking out in the end.

I am a firm believer in the idea that nothing in a novel should just be “doing” one thing. Beyond a narrative I’m expecting themes and foreshadowing and hopefully something I don’t see coming but once it’s revealed I can look back and see it was coming all along.

The Wretched and Undone fails on this level. A multi-generational Southern Gothic story that is, I suppose, about the haunting effect of vengeance; there’s not much here above the surface level. If you are interested in this time period, this may be for you! However, not much is earned in this book. The supposed vengeance that starts the haunting? Wishing bad (VERY bad) people ill and honestly describing their crimes WHEN asked. To my mind, that’s not enough to warrant generations of discord and made me roll my eyes more than once.

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for my honest review

3.5 Stars

The Wretched and Undone is a tragic historical fiction story, that spans multiple generations, starting at the brink of the Civil War. The Anderwald’s are Polish immigrants, who find themselves in Bandera, Texas. When Marcin, the family’s patriarch, is conscripted to build wagons for the confederacy, unfolding events cause him to be haunted by a vengeful ghost. When Marcin returns home, the spirit follows and continues to haunt his family, leaving a legacy of good versus evil, generation after generation.

If I had to use one word to describe The Wretched and Undone, it would be “tragic”. I would compare the feel of the story to Kristin Hannah books, which are some of my favorites. If you are looking for a happy go lucky type story, this does not fall into that category. But, I loved it for that exact reason.

The story has a lengthy time frame, that follows so many historical events, starting with the Civil War. Even though there are so many historical moments touched on during the story, the focus remains on the family and the tragedies they are facing. I really loved the drama of the story and seeing how the curse affected each new generation.

I struggled with the supernatural aspect of the book. The reason for the appearance of the vengeful ghost felt awkward to me, under the circumstances that initiated it. I also felt like the appearance of the spirits throughout the rest of the book didn’t bring any kind of horror to the story. Their presence was sporadic and seemed to be an afterthought to the rest of the story. I believe the story of the family on its own would have been just as successful, if the supernatural element would have been left out, and I would not have missed it.

I found The Wretched and Undone to be an intriguing historical fiction read, with a focus on family drama that kept me absorbed in the lives of the different characters and the struggles they faced in daily life, relationships, tragedy after tragedy, world events, and addictions.

This gothic thriller with a Texas twang covers generations and genres, and features two different spectres-a sweet sad lady in white, and an odiferous malignant dark presence foretelling death.
This overstuffed story is an enthralling read

This was a brutal yet gripping read that had me absolutely hooked from the start with some parts that were truly gut wrenching and left me feeling heartbroken. I loved the supernatural elements too but also loved that it didn't take over the whole story

DNF’ed at the end of part one because I got extremely tired of the book’s treatment of the Confederate army, race, and women. I will not be leaving a star rating because I did not complete the book, but let it be known that I would not leave a high one.

At this point, there have been two lynchings. The first serves to make the white confederate sergeant feel bad about not sticking up for the group of Mexicans that were lynched, and the second also makes all the white people feel sad. For the second, the non-white friend of the lynched man is sad, but he is not the focus of the scene. The lynchings act as motivation for the white men; it’s fridging but with more horrifying racist overtones.

Black people seemingly don’t exist in this world. When previously mentioned confederate sergeant is asked why the Civil War is happening, he gives some vague answer about “principles” being “complicated”. Interesting! Why wouldn’t our good supporting character give a more detailed reason about why he was fighting for the confederacy! I’m sure it has nothing to do with slavery.

The Arab men feel oddly infantilized, and the narrative does nothing to differentiate them, until one of them is lynched.

The daughters act as set dressing or further ways for Marcin to be hurt. Not one of them has a personality beyond “small child”. Zacharias is the only one of his children given any character. We hear nothing about the work they presumably are doing to keep the farm going after their mother’s death. Agnieszka is fine, I guess, if almost completely unexplored. Would have loved to learn even a little about her interiority, but alas, none of that.

Other than my gripes about all of that, the story leans heavily on telling, not showing, which works ok considering that the frame story is an old man telling the history of this family to a woman, but it doesn’t leave a lot of space for the characters to breathe and feel like real people. The supernatural elements are made painfully obvious, to the point where it’s far too clear what is going on.

Positives? It reads easy, I guess, since I banged through a quarter of it in like half an hour. Would not recommend though.

4 🌟

A winding family drama with haunting supernatural elements. I truly enjoyed this look into Texas' history and the people who settled its Hill Country. I really love an intergenerational saga, and this scratched that itch perfectly for me - the Anderwalds, along with their tragedies and triumphs, felt like my own family by the end.

My only wish for the novel would have been more of an exploration of the dark force haunting Peacock Bend - after its initial introduction, it felt like it fell to the wayside.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC!

This is so gripping to read that it's hard to stop reading. I love the plot and the setting, it's creepy and still written beautifully. Thank you to NetGalley andthe publisher for this ARC!