The Bone Mother

October 6, 2022 6:02 PM

Three neighbouring villages on the Ukrainian/Romanian border are the final refuge for the last of the mythical creatures of Eastern Europe. Now, on the eve of the war that may eradicate their kind—and with the ruthless Night Police descending upon their sanctuary—they tell their stories and confront their destinies.

The debut novel by Canadian playwright David Demchuk; it was longlisted for the prestigious Giller Prize in 2017, a rarity for what is essentially a horror/dark fantasy novel. The book was also a finalist for the 2017 Shirley Jackson Award.

Drawn from Eastern European folk tales and mythology from the author's own background, The Bone Mother is a story about the gods and monsters we bring with us even when we flee.

posted by Kitteh (1 comment total)

This was one of the best horror/folklore/dark fantasy whatever you want to call it books I've read in a long long time. It's so lean, so compact, and yet so full of depth. I was going to post about the creatures you find in the novel--it's part of the back blurb--but I hope you find out for yourself.
posted by Kitteh at 6:03 PM on October 6, 2022