The Changeling: A Novel by Kate Horsley
Here's a gripping trip to hell set in Ireland during the time of the Black Death.
The Goat-herder of a small town has four girls and says he will kill his gestating child if it turns out to be a fifth. The midwife and the mother trick him into believing it is a boy, and raise her as Grey. Grey believes that she is a deformed boy, and the whole village is fooled along with her.
Obviously this charade has an expiration date. That comes when she has her period. It's horrible horrible horrible. Everything that happens from there on out--time in the church with the priest, life at the monastery, the Black Death, life as a mother--is HORRIBLE.
General consensus: A beautifully written period piece written in a frank, coarse manner that turns out to be comforting in its honesty. An interesting reflection on how transient our identities are.
No comments:
Post a Comment