Crane Husband | 
#bookreport and #weeklyforecast can both be summed up with: more Nebula reading!
I finished the novelettes and one novella, Mammoth at the Gates, and I'm about 40% into both another novella and one of the novels. This week I want to finish the novellas and the novel I've started, and at least start another, ideally finish it too. But we'll see.
pickThis was a strange and haunted and mesmerizing story. I have that hollow feeling, like I‘m still inhabiting its world, although time has passed since I finished it. It‘s was bloody and angry, gentle and beautiful, harsh and unforgiving, all at once. Loss ran as an undercurrent, with the struggle to stay alive pulling in the other direction. I know it will sit with me for a long time.
Picking up a short read for a blustery Saturday — perfect for curling up with a book! I seem to be leaning toward creepy fairy tales these days…
pickTW: domestic abuse. Child neglect & abuse
Barnhill has an incredible way with words. This is a feat here, with so many few words she conveys a young teens pain at being left to care for her brother alone after the father dies. Mother neglects them for a new all consuming “love”. Heartbreaking more than uplifting. Anger more than happy. So much going on so that the family that needs her stays together. Didn‘t sit right, but maybe that was the point
“In Ireland,” he continued, “the goddess Brigantia sat at her loom and wove the whole land into being, stitch by beautiful stitch. And broken stitch.” Another cough. “In China, the goddess Zhinu stitched each of the stars into the heavens, and wove the silver river streaking across the sky. In ancient Egypt, the goddess Neith wove two kingdoms together, and the Vikings sang sagas about the valkyries who wove on looms fitted with severed heads for
“I had nightmares after that. I dreamed of my mother standing in the endless fields beyond our yard, where no one was allowed to go, wings erupted from her bloody back, feathers piercing and rustling their way out of her skin, her beaking mouth open in a scream at first, then a sigh, then a bright keen as she lifted skyward and flew away. My father died a month later. And I was terrified of being alone. “
“and even though I knew enough about birds to know that they‘re not much for facial expressions, there was no mistaking the bird‘s randy, jubilant smirk. He puffed his feathers and preened. I slurped down my soup and excused myself from the table, saying I had homework to do- which was true, but I had no intention of actually doing it. He won‘t last. I told myself. Of course he won‘t. My mother wasn‘t one to keep anything around, save for me and
pickI thought this had an underlying theme that matched When Women Were Dragons. It was less complex, but the weaving reminded me of the knots, not to mention the transformations. The farm seemed futuristic and contemporary at the same time, and that gave me the creeps. I wasn't expecting it to be so short.
pickTW: domestic abuse, physical abuse, child abuse, neglect
This story brought me to tears. It devastated me. I don‘t think I could bear reading it again. But the story itself is written beautifully. The main character has suspicions of the crane that her mother brings home. But his appearance brings uncertainty, misery, and love.
#family #abuse #magic #twistedlove
pickA must read. Tragic. Magnificently written. Will definitely be seeking out other books by Barnhill.
June #bookspin @thearomaofbooks
pickI think novellas are super tricky to do well; this one was excellent.
pickKelly Barnhill follows up When Women Were Dragons with another female driven story of domestic abuse and symbolic messages. A mother meets a man who appears like a beautiful crane but disguises something evil underneath. Only her eldest child sees through the facade and is determined not to be manipulated as magical realism and metaphorical imagery tells a story of family dysfunction, denial and manipulation.
pickThis book is a great example why I love novellas. ♥️
Economy of writing means each word is thoughtfully chosen, there are no meaningless plot diversions, it strongly imprints a snapshot of the MC, and it leaves the reader with ideas to think about long after turning the final page.
If I find this in print, I‘m going to add it to my shelves. It‘s worth a second read.
P.S. We in northern climes dream of days like this 10 months out a year. 🌞
pickI thought this was an excellent novella and am increasingly becoming a big Kelly Barnhill fan. This was really great at a sentence level and full of things I enjoyed - rural Midwest setting; bits of sci-fi-ish technology; a smart, empathetic, and gutsy young heroine; and lots of humor poking through the deep darkness.
pickAn interesting, well-written, weird, and sad little book 📕 Good stuff!
pickI love fairytales. What I sometimes don‘t love as much is retellings—same-old, same-old, reheated over and over—unless the take is truly fresh. And it is fresh, this time. A magical realism horror story from the point of view of a teenager grasping at straws to keep her family together. It portrays the dynamic inside a dysfunctional, abusive household, throwing in some extra magic to make the things both more—and, in a way, less—scary.
4.5/5
Kelly Barnhill is quickly becoming a favorite author for me! This feminist, brutal, and brilliant retelling of the Japanese story will stay with me for quite a while. I only wish it had been longer! It's waaaaay too short! 😭
pickI was not familiar with the Japanese folktale 'The Crane Wife' before reading this modern retelling, but it did not affect my enjoyment of this wonderful fantasy novella. It features a teenage girl who is determined to protect her young brother from the neglect and abuse that occurs in her house, especially after her mom brings home a six foot crane as her lover. It was an easy read and will have me thinking about the tale for a long while. 4/5 !
