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There are currently 32 member reviews
for The Bog Wife
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Jennie R. (Plymouth, MN)
Unusual story, in a good way!
I quite enjoyed this novel. It was such a departure from my typical reads…the author created this story about an eccentric family living in West Virginia, but almost totally isolated from the rest of the world. It was part fantasy, part supernatural, hard to fit into any genre that I'm aware of! I couldn't help thinking of Cousin Marilyn on the Munsters tv show as I read because one of the sisters, Wenna, left the Bog (a cranberry field), and went on to live a somewhat normal life. When the patriarch of the family is dying, Wenna feels the pull of familial responsibility to return and carry out the ritual they've been told has been ongoing in their bloodline for generations. This was the strangest story I've read in quite some time, but I was utterly drawn into the lives of this family…and liking some of them while disliking others. The author did a great job developing these odd characters. I can't wait to see what she writes next!
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Becky S. (Springfield, MO)
Strange times in the Bog
This is definitely not my normal genre, but I found this book very intriguing and creepy and strange. The story of the Haddesley family and their relationship with the bog they live on is filled with oddities and traditions that kept things very entertaining and thought provoking. This would be a great book club book because there are so many things to discuss! Each member of the family is outlined and developed very thoroughly, the book is well written and engaging. It was hard for me to imagine that this could be a real family, but there are some pretty strange things happening out there, and who knows? I definitely would like to read more by this author.
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Shellie N. (Napa, CA)
Review of THE BOG WIFE
THE BOG WIFE delves into family mythologies, interconnectedness of siblings, and the trauma and drama that these mythologies create. It has elements of magical realism, horror, and the supernatural.
The chapters are titled with the name of the five sibling characters and divided into sections for each season that the novel passes through. This makes reading this book an easy pleasure, which was perfect for me as I was in a bit of a reader's rut.
I enjoyed this book and would rate it 4 out 5 stars. I would recommend it for reading clubs, since there is ample opportunity for delving into the psychology of the brothers' and sisters' trauma, as well as the meanings behind the bog wife and the bog itself.
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Nina S. (Miami, FL)
Weirdly enthralling !
I was immediately hooked into this book by the setting, the bog, and the characters. The writing is beautiful . I would love to know how the author chose the setting. Her description of the bog and the surroundings, at least to me, was one of the best part of the novel.
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Tami H
We Are All Connected
The Bog Wife was a mystical book that shows that we are all connected to one another and to the earth in special ways. The story was very slow to start, but ended well. Each of the five members of the Haddesley family by the end understands their own place in not only the family, but in relation to the world around them and to the earth itself. The mysticism is used to convey those connections. The five protagonists, who evidently look alike, have very different temperaments and needs. The book slowly reveals the desires of each individual.
While an unusual book, and at times a bit slow, I would definitely recommend The Bog Wife to readers of literary mysticism.
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Beth B. (New Wilmington, PA)
The Bog -- one of the novel's characters
This might well be the strangest book I have ever read. The Haddesley family, living in deplorable conditions, lead a joyless life with shallow and perilous "connection" with their siblings, Indoctrination, intimidation, isolation, and control all figure in their featureless days, one right after the other as custodians of the bog on their property. Five generations of liars whose portraits line the walls of their home are killing them through the power of a compact made and scrupulously followed. The author portrays characters who are literally burying themselves alive.
I would recommend this as a book club selection as it definitely would produce lively discussions such as what caused readers to be aghast and shocked.
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Susan P. (Mount Vernon, WA)
Eerie, Gothic, Mythical, and so much more
The Bog Wife is a combination story of mythologies, gothic settings, family dysfunction, loneliness, eco-horror, and strong women. The author's writing of this story is impressive with a fullness to character development and the stories of five adult children raised in isolation with familial obligations taught them from the early days of their lives. The family compact with the eco-environment in which they live, a bog in the West Virginia Appalachians, is central to their self awareness and purpose...until it isn't. The story follows the adult children as they cope or do not cope with the consequences of their father's death and the truths they seek about themselves, their father, their mother, and the land they live upon. An excellent read with a glass of good red wine, a fire going and perhaps even some rain falling. Try it; you just may enjoy it!
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