The Bog Wife

So fun and creepy...a blend of magical realism, horror, gothic, and mystery. The characters are all painfully real: sometimes loveable and sad, sometimes deeply unlikable, but very well-developed, which made this novel stand out amongst other contemporary horror/fantasy/magical realism books I've read in recent years.

Five siblings live in a crumbling manor house on the edge of a bog, to which they have an ancestral (and biological/spiritual) connection. They are all adults, with adult problems and personalities, but this story has echoes of middle-grade fiction adventures where orphans have to survive strange circumstances after the death or disappearance of their parents (i.e. Narnia, Series of Unfortunate Events, The Boxcar Children, etc etc). The story is told from the (third person) perspectives of the five main characters, as they process being thrust into the unknown after the death of their father, the patriarch, who previously kept a tight control on information and ritual. Their mother emerged from the bog before they were born, and returned there at some point when they were children, never to be seen since (like a kind of bog-selkie). The rituals that are supposed to keep the relationship between the bog and the family functioning have failed...and the siblings start to discover that the rituals, and their whole family history, might not be exactly as their father led them to believe.

I finished this novel in 2 days. It's not long, and I never felt like it dragged. This is one of those books that seems like it is the exact right length for the story being told. Some questions are answered, but not all.

Although I read this in July, it is definitely an autumnal read (which is perfect since its release date is October 1st). Thanks to Netgalley and Counterpoint for the advanced copy in exchange for a review.