The Crane Husband
"If I had to nominate a worthy successor to Angela Carter, I would nominate Kelly Barnhill. "--Laura Ruby, two-time National Book Award finalist and author of Bone Gap
"A slim little novella that packs a narrative punch more intense than that of many books ten times its length."--NPR Award-winning author Kelly Barnhill brings her singular talents to The Crane Husband, a raw, powerful story of love, sacrifice, and family. "Mothers fly away like migrating birds. This is why farmers have daughters." 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.BUY THE BOOK
Community Reviews
I was really excited to read this retelling of the folktale "The Crane Wife" as it was one of my favorite stories as a child. I really wanted to like this book, but it was sort of just mediocre. I understand that this was magical realism, however what was "normal" within the world presented was really unclear and even seemed to change several times to further the story which felt forced at times, especially in the beginning which really struggled to define the world and set a tone for the reader and kind of just abruptly started.
This book had potential, kind of. The beginning was a bit slow and confusing, but hopeful. The middle, well the author makes you think is just full of metaphors and a misguided plot- that you’re trying to figure out. But then you come to the end and think..huh?? What was even the point of X, or Y or ABC. Oh, yeah there was no point. I
t passed the time, but seriously- only recommend if you don’t need a story that has a any kind of wrap up or an ending with any sort of reason or rhyme.
t passed the time, but seriously- only recommend if you don’t need a story that has a any kind of wrap up or an ending with any sort of reason or rhyme.
I can definitely tell Barnhill was gearing up for Dragons with this story or vice versa given how similar certain elements in each story garnered. While Dragons touched me, Cranes scared me. This short was incredibly unsettling and just odd. Not my favorite per se but I respect what was being said here.
The search for meaning has complicated so many lives in the Americas. In this fable, a child watches her mother self destruct in the name of art. And yet, the story is sweet and the writing is beautiful.
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