Trigger warning: Depictions of bloody deaths, mentions of suicide, mentions of near sexual assault.
The Chapel sisters:
first they get married
then they get buried
This fictional children's rhyme already explains the heart of this novel. It is a tragic tale that follows the Chapel family and the subsequent deaths of five of the six children.
Told in the form of a memoir, readers are immediately immersed into the world of Sylvia Wren and the ghost of her former self that comes knocking. I loved the dynamic between her two selves- one filled with innocence before the destruction of her family, and the other a recluse that wants no part of her past.
How this curse upon her family shaped each member of the family is haunting. Some of them feel like it's a poison meant to keep them tethered to their family, some just don't believe it. But then there's Iris, a young girl that believes her mother's cursed words and tries to save each member. Her guilt at being the only survivor is palpable as her memoir draws to a close.
This story is sad but beautiful in its depiction of 1950s familial culture, as well how a woman's intuition and health are not valued. The exploration of femininity, sexuality, and more is integral to this novel.
Sarai Walker's writing has placed this book in my favorites of 2022 list.
The Chapel sisters:
first they get married
then they get buried
This fictional children's rhyme already explains the heart of this novel. It is a tragic tale that follows the Chapel family and the subsequent deaths of five of the six children.
Told in the form of a memoir, readers are immediately immersed into the world of Sylvia Wren and the ghost of her former self that comes knocking. I loved the dynamic between her two selves- one filled with innocence before the destruction of her family, and the other a recluse that wants no part of her past.
How this curse upon her family shaped each member of the family is haunting. Some of them feel like it's a poison meant to keep them tethered to their family, some just don't believe it. But then there's Iris, a young girl that believes her mother's cursed words and tries to save each member. Her guilt at being the only survivor is palpable as her memoir draws to a close.
This story is sad but beautiful in its depiction of 1950s familial culture, as well how a woman's intuition and health are not valued. The exploration of femininity, sexuality, and more is integral to this novel.
Sarai Walker's writing has placed this book in my favorites of 2022 list.