What do readers think of The Bog Wife by Kay Chronister? Write your own review.

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.

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.

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!

The Bog Wife by Kay Chronister is a depressive chronicle of the twisted lives of the Haddesley family of West Virginia. After their father's death, the adult children attempt dysfunctional coping with one another and the outside world, much of it to little avail. How each deals with habit and habitation is the subject of this novel, which I believe would appeal to those who like dark, gothic fiction. The Haddesleys' sideways approaches to life and its silent terrors remind us all that we're more like them than not. The family cranberry bog seems to be a euphemism for what happens to everyone as they wend their way through life. Misunderstand or defy the bog and you risk not only your sanity but your very physical existence. This is what each family member has to endure and comprehend in his or her own way.

The Bog Wife

The Bog Wife is a unique smorgasbord of Southern Gothic, environmental horror, magical realism and family disfunction set in rural West Virginia over the course of one very wet and cold year. The isolated ancestral home which is situated on the edge of a peat bog is dirty, cluttered, and on the verge of collapse with a huge hemlock tree fallen through the roof. The family patriarch has died and the five siblings are trying to make sense of their family history and the family's compact with the bog. Through a dozen generations the bog has provided a cranberry crop, peat for heat, and a new bog wife for the eldest son when he becomes the patriarch. In return, the family has cared for the bog defending it from invasive plants and other environmental hazards. Now things are not progressing as planned for either the bog or its caretakers. Be warned, this book is a compelling read and might keep you up late into the night. It will appeal to readers who enjoy horror and mystery.

I enjoyed the book. It's not my usual genre; so, my review rating may be a little biased. I am also confused about the plot. I first thought it was supernatural. Then, as I continued reading, I thought it was more about the stories and oral history passed down through generations. To the family members, these stories become the truth even though it's not. Then, I felt it again turned supernatural. This left me a bit confused. Again, this may be to my experience this genre.

I did enjoy the book. This is a book about family and the siblings within the family. Family dynamics are complicated. I enjoyed learning about all about the siblings, their family history, and their environment. I would recommend this book, especially to someone who is a huge fan of the supernatural genre.

Kudos to Kay Chronister for crafting a storyline that is truly unlike any other I have read! Her writing style provided descriptive chapters focusing on each of the five Haddesley siblings helping this confused reader follow along with pursued interest. My senses were heightened by each account of the bog area to the point of imagining the intense smells that emanated from the damp Appalachian homestead. Truth be told, I considered giving up on the story multiple times; the family dynamics were too dysfunctional for my taste. The father of this isolated family was delusional, abusive, and deceptive creating a legacy of under-educated, dirty, misguided young adults reminiscent of a survivalist mentality. The generational storyline was just too bizarre for my liking! The manor house would easily be condemned and yet family members continued to cling to the decaying structure as their only lifeline; readers will shake their heads in disbelief. The author finally explains the mother's disappearance in the final chapters, but by then this reader was only finishing the book to be polite.

The Bog Wife is a gothic novel based around a dysfunctional family, The Haddesleys. It gives the creepiness feels, but I did not find one character that I wanted to know more about before the book ended. The children had all been raised away from the real world to believe there were certain rules and traditions that must be followed or their land and home would no longer be theirs. They were lied to all along. The story screamed "cult" to me, even though it involved only one family. The writing was very good and set off scary, underlying feelings. I am not sure I would recommend it.