The Bog Wife

A Novel

By: Kay Chronister

Narrated by: Shannon McManus

A “haunting, brilliant” Appalachian folktale evoking the Southern gothic suspense of Sharp Objects and the eco spine-tinglers of Jeff Vandermeer (Paul Tremblay, author of A Head Full of Ghosts)

Five siblings in West Virginia unearth long-buried secrets when the supernatural bargain entwining their fate with their ancestral land is suddenly ruptured

Since time immemorial, the Haddesley family has tended the cranberry bog. In exchange, the bog sustains them. The staunch seasons of their lives are governed by a strict covenant that is renewed each generation with the ritual sacrifice of their patriarch, and in return, the bog produces a “bog-wife.” Brought to life from vegetation, this woman is meant to carry on the family line. But when the bog fails—or refuses—to honor the bargain, the Haddesleys, a group of discordant siblings still grieving the mother who mysteriously disappeared years earlier, face an unknown future.

Middle child Wenna, summoned back to the dilapidated family manor just as her marriage is collapsing, believes the Haddesleys must abandon their patrimony. Her siblings are not so easily persuaded. Eldest daughter Eda, de facto head of the household, seeks to salvage the compact by desecrating it. Younger son Percy retreats into the wilderness in a dangerous bid to summon his own bog-wife. And as youngest daughter Nora takes desperate measures to keep her warring siblings together, fledgling patriarch Charlie uncovers a disturbing secret that casts doubt over everything the family has ever believed about itself.

At once a gothic eco-horror, a psychological drama, and a family saga, The Bog Wife is a propulsive read for fans of Shirley Jackson, Karen Russell, and Matt Bell that speaks to what is knowable and unknowable within a family history and how to know when it is time to move forward.

©2024 by Kay Chronister. (P)2024 Brilliance Publishing, Inc., all rights reserved.

Critic reviews

“This Gothic family tale will give you the spooky story you've been waiting for all year. Set in the Appalachian mountains of West Virginia, the novel centers around the Haddesley family and their cranberry bog. Weaving in elements of the paranormal, Chronister gives us the long history of the family and their dark relationship with the land, complete with family secrets laid bare, and complicated sibling dynamics. It's full of tales of family sacrifices, a missing mother, and deadly rituals.”—Bernadette Roe, Women.com

"An immersive, haunting, and compelling tale of a family being crushed by the weight of their secrets and held hostage by their traditions. It's a lush and uneasy tale that leaves both characters and readers at the mercy of the land itself."—Booklist

"The Bog Wife is a creeping, Appalachian folktale, an astute allegory for a decaying America, and a haunting, brilliant novel. This one is going to stay with me for a while."—Paul Tremblay, author of The Cabin at the End of the World and A Head Full of Ghosts

3.75 stars

This was the story of the ultimate dysfunctional family. It was good but sad, and beyond odd but cool.

So great!

Loved the twists and turns and immersion into this family! Such a great experience from beginning to end.

incredible book.

the reader was so captivating and the story so vivid emotional and just vague enough in its mystery that you never feel it's juvenile. it's like a black diamond

Interesting read

This book was intriguing and I couldn’t tell if I loved it or I didn’t believe it. The characters are great and the story is definitely unique. It’s a good listen. Give it a try.

Gothic Fairy Tale

THE BOG WIFE by Kay Chronister

Shannon McManus does a fine narration of this gothic Appalachian fairy tale horror story. The West Virginia messed-up family dynamic is told from the perspective of each of the children; all having different views on life in the bog. The bog will sustain their survival, if they sacrifice their patriarch to it in exchange for a bog wife who will bear the successor’s child.

If you enjoy complex family dynamics leaning towards cultish tendencies, folklore, and mild horror, this book is for you. In this strange and imaginative world that Kay Chronister penned, I found myself thinking at times, I was listening to a bizarre memoir of a bizarre family. I was completely drawn in by the description of the land and bog and its powerful hold on this family. I look forward to what Kay Chronister does next.

A really good story about the struggle with old family cycles

Folks who come from highly dysfunctional families should go in warned, because it's very well depicted, but I found it cathartic and satisfying.

Do not waste a credit or $$

Terribly lame story. Audible would not let me return this book. I knew after 2 chapters it was going to be a tedious listen & I wasn't wrong.