Left on her own to care for a child who seems more predatory bird than baby, Tiny vows to raise Chouette to be her authentic self. When Chouette is born small and broken-winged, Tiny works around the clock to meet her daughter’s needs. “You think this baby is going to be like you, but it’s not like you at all,” she warns him. 'Claire Oshetsky’s novel is a marvel: its language a joy, its imagination dizzying.' -Rumaan Alam, New York Times bestselling author of Leave the World BehindĪn exhilarating, provocative novel of motherhood in extremis Either way, this is an unforgettable novel.LONGLISTED FOR THE 2022 PEN/FAULKNER AWARD FOR FICTION Like that book, Chouette balances moments of ugliness with beautiful ones. One her Goodreads page, Claire Oshetsky, under her Lark Benobi alias states that Han Kang’s The Vegetarian was an influence. Also, like the many works of contemporary/experimental music mentioned (as Tiny is a cellist) the book moves and shifts in the same way. At times this book does feel highly personal. By this I mean Claire Oshetsky, not only includes pregnancy and birth but psychological effects and the husband’s involvement in mother.

Some are brutal, some with gory results but the fine line between reality and fantasy are crossed quite a few times.īy the end of Chouette the owl occurs as a metaphor for trauma and the narrator describes an event which provides a sort of closure for the reader.Ĭhouette is surreal at times but it’s also an expansive novel.

once again the husband tries to normalise the situation but these plans backfire due to the child’s problems. When the actual birth happens, we discover that the child may have some sort of problem. He dismisses his wife for fussing and ignores her pleas for help. Here he is presented as the antithesis to his partner. Unlike most motherhood narratives, the father is included in the narrative. Thus the owl also represents a potential problem. During an ultrasound Tiny notices that her foetus is birdlike.

At this stage Tiny is worried about her pregnancy and is reflecting on what it means to be carrying a baby. As the book proceeds the owl metaphor becomes stronger and takes on different meanings. The main protagonist, Tiny is pregnant and, as stated in the beginning, she thinks it’s a female owl who impregnated her. Claire Oshetsky’s Chouette is another novel which takes motherhood and gives it a fresh (and occasionally fearsome) perspective. Over the past few years I have been reading some excellent books on motherhood from the multi generational aspect used in Burnt Sugar to the more visceral The Bitch.

Chouette novel