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Brenda W. (Wilkes Barre, PA)
A creepy good read
I really enjoyed this book. The plot of the book was interesting . The writing was smooth and well done. I will definitely read more from this author. I liked that the chapters were titled, with the name of the characters alternating. I like getting their POV.
The story is gothic , magical realism . It reminds me of The Inheritance of Orchidea Divina .I would recommend this for anyone who enjoys magical realism, gothic stories, family saga, YA
Portia A. (Monroe Township, NJ)
A Different Genre
I'm an avid reader..at age 92 I've read a lot of books…mystery, history, fiction, non fiction. When I read "The Bog Wife" I realized this book was different. I really enjoyed a change of genre to the gothic or maybe supernatural.
I hope you like it. I did.
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Beverly D. (Palm Harbor, FL)
Haunting
WOW. Compulsively readable if this is your genre... supernatural, gothic, family relationships/sacrifices and an "unbreakable "compact. Each character has a unique vision of what family means and pursues this strange life as best they can. Our ties and responsibilities to mother earth couldn't be clearer. Highly recommend.
H L Toban
Laudable
For those who appreciate an author going outside convention. This is a book that does that in venturing into the oneness of being and our human connection to nature.
I found the last third of the book to be imaginative and quite enjoyable. The first two thirds, while setting the stage for the later unfolding of the story, was just more dysfunctional family dynamic and of little dramatic interest.
I applaud the authors imagination and innovation but on the whole found the story only came together too late to erase the boring overdone early parts.
Rutheh
Bog Wife Fantasy
Enjoyed this story of a rather querky family who is loyal to a pond of water!?! The relationships between the siblings is sad, each having a different view of their bog mother. And each having such different interpretations of the "compact" that dictates their loyalty to the land and bog. I actually felt sorry for the kids, but was also intrigued with each person. This is a well written story and it keeps nudging one along to find out what happens next. Was a very different read for me and I did enjoy it. Thanks Book Browse for this ARC.
Nicole G. (Andover, MA)
Mother Nature as Gothic Family Tale
The Bog Wife is a story of family. Of parents and siblings and the burden of generational trauma. It is also a story about the stewardship of nature and the necessity of reviewing and renewing our relationship to and with the very land that sustains us. Kay Chronister's prose is excellent and the story thought provoking. Worth the read.
Marie M. (Rochester, MN)
The Bog Wife
Normally I don't care for books that deal with the supernatural, ritual sacrifice, the weird, but this particular book drew me in in spite of its strangeness. I thought the characters of the Haddesley family were very well developed and provided a solid background for the plot. I was haunted by the relationship of the family, through the years, to the cranberry bog. I was intrigued by the way Chronister revealed the family secrets. Because of my own squimishness and leftover feelings, I can only rate this book a 4, but I'm guessing many will find it a great read.
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!