Book Summary and Reviews of The Bog Wife by Kay Chronister

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Patricia G. (Washington, DC)

A haunting family story
The Bog Wife is a haunting, twisted, modern-day Gothic novel set in a cranberry bog in West Virginia, owned by the Haddesly family. The five siblings, now adults, have been indoctrinated by their father with the legend of their patriarchal family which has owned the bog for longer than memory. Each generation must end the life of the patriarch to generate a "bog wife" from the land for the eldest surviving son to marry and create the next generation of Haddeslys. The novel opens as this ritual is about to take place.

Kay Chronister masterfully reveals, bit by bit, the dreadful toll this mania has had on the sibling's lives. As the book opens, it seems as if the narrative takes place sometime in the mid-nineteenth century. Only the sons are educated beyond simple basics and three of the adult children have never been beyond the family property line. They all wear clothing that "have been worn and re-worn by countless Haddesly's before them". Chronister subtly reveals that the family owns a car and subsists on canned soups during lean times purchased by oldest son Charlie on his infrequent trips to a very modern town. Suddenly everything the reader has begun to piece together is upended, as is everything the siblings think they know about themselves and their family history.

The book is disturbing at times as the childhoods of the five siblings is gradually revealed. Middle daughter Wenna escaped from the family ten years earlier but can barely exist in society. She is called back for the death of their father, but finds a crumbling and barely habitable house, a physically damaged oldest brother, and close ties to her siblings that she thought she had escaped. A sudden twist involving their long-lost mother throws the story spinning in a completely new direction.

I often have high praise for authors whose characters are "fully developed". This is not the case with this book—and it works perfectly. Like an ancient mosaic, Chronister reveals just information about each family member for the reader to piece the story together. I have been thinking about this novel for weeks after finishing. Recommended for anyone who likes subtle, twisty well-written mysteries featuring families with ties that cannot be unbroken.

Jolene B. (Sioux Falls, SD)

The Bog Wife
Family dynamics and occult manipulation of the natural world are cornerstones of this eco-horror novel. As a family steeped in traditions tries to dominate its environment, the environment fights back in the only way it can. Like an onion, the layers of lies and secrets that bind a family to each other and to a place are revealed with consequences for all. I loved the intricate plotting. I was so impressed I read the author's debut novel which was just as intriguing as I expected.

Jo S. (Tonganoxie, KS)

Weird Story... but in a Good way
The Bog Wife drew me in with its atmospheric story about a crumbling ruin that is home to five waring siblings and a bog whom their family has an ancient bond with. Part eco gothic thriller and part coming of age, this story is very weird, but in a good way!
I loved the story, the characters are interesting and the writing was well done, especially the visceral descriptions about the harmonious nature of bogs, and the not so harmonious relationships between humans among themselves and with nature. For those who like to discuss books there is a lot to ponder here. I enjoyed this storyline, it put me in mind of Andrew Krivak's book The Bear and Lauren Groff's The Vaster Wilds.

Lorraine D. (Lacey, WA)

Roots – family roots; Stories – family stories; Heritage, family heritage – How Deep Do They Go?
Roots – family roots; Stories – family stories; Heritage, family heritage – the substance and glue of perpetuation of family tradition. How deep and how valid are those ties that bind? The Haddesley family were about to experience the shock and awe of discovery. Their homesite was in a West Virginia blueberry bog, secluded and distanced from the rest of society. They were the "guardians" of the bog. Their time was consumed with its nurturing, preservation, and their own self-tended survival. The bog had a mysterious and supernatural influence of its own. For centuries the Haddessley family, as bog custodians, ensured bog health and continuity to perpetuate the arrangement that the bog evolved a wife for the generation's eldest male. The Patriarch of the Haddessley family was Charles; the siblings were Charles (the eldest), Eda, Wenna, Percy and Nora. All, except Wenna, were dedicated to honoring the family custodial pact. Bereft after her mother's death, Wenna ventured out to discover the real world. When the father gets increasingly ill, the family calls Wenna back to be a part of their required ritual. Numerous demands and odysseys are immediately encountered. The siblings become aware of their individual differences. They discover secrets and discrepancies in what and who they thought they were. Chaos ensues. It is a page turner and hard to put down. From the curious beginning to the mystical end, you are totally captivated.

Charla W. (Biloxi, MS)

Strangely Appealing
This book is as good as it is strange, and it is really strange! It is about the Haddesley family and their most unusual family traditions centered around the family cranberry bog. The patriarch dies and the oldest son is supposed to mate with the wife that is produced by the bog in order to carry on the Haddesley blood line. But, things do not go quite like the kids have been taught to believe in. The oldest child, Charlie discovers a family secret that causes all of them to question everything they have been raised to believe in and it causes each of them to struggle with what and who they really are.

Kay D. (Strongsville, OH)

The Bog Wife - A Great Read
One of the best books I have had a chance to read recently. Well written. Engaging storyline. Borderlines reality and mystical. Pacing is good. I didn't want to put it down once I started. The relationships among the five siblings was well done. Each character had a unique personality. I liked the rotating method of chapters focusing on a different sibling. Storyline had a few surprise turns towards the end of the book. Well worth reading. Now I want to read other offerings by this author. Would recommend this for book clubs. Would generate discussions.

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