The Crane Husband

 

 I received a copy of this release from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

Title: The Crane Husband 

Author: Kelly Barnhill 

Publisher: Tordotcom

Release Date: 2.28.23

Publisher’s Summary 

A fifteen-year-old teenager is the backbone of her small Midwestern family, budgeting the household finances and raising her younger brother while her mom, a talented artist, weaves beautiful tapestries. For six years, it’s been just the three of them—her mom has brought home guests at times, but none have ever stayed.

Yet when her mom brings home a six-foot tall crane with a menacing air, the girl is powerless to prevent her mom letting the intruder into her heart, and her children’s lives. Utterly enchanted and numb to his sharp edges, her mom abandons the world around her to weave the masterpiece the crane demands.

In this stunning contemporary retelling of “The Crane Wife” by the Newbery Medal-winning author of The Girl Who Drank the Moon, one fiercely pragmatic teen forced to grow up faster than was fair will do whatever it takes to protect her family—and change the story.

My Review

Another slim (118 pages) novel to add to your reading list. The mother of the story brings home a crane and despite the fact that he is a giant bird, it isn't difficult to understand the symbolism of an otherworldly interloper changing the family's dynamic. I'm not sure how to categorize this one. Is it magical realism? Is it horror? Well, the daughter is dealing with the demands of high school, so definitely horror.