It has lingered in my mind in a way that only the most original works do. an Engrossing, Surreal Portrayal of Motherhood., It would not surprise me if Chouette finds a place in the feminist literary canon. Arresting, darkly funny, and unsettling, Chouette is a brilliant exploration of ambition, sacrifice, perceptions of ability, and the ferocity of motherly love.ĭark wit, tenderness, music, enchantment - they're all part of a story that remains oddly relatable despite its dazzling strangeness., By Turns Poetic, Gory, Heartbreaking and Strange. When she discovers that her husband is on an obsessive and increasingly dangerous quest to find a 'cure' for their daughter, Tiny must decide whether Chouette should be raised to fit in or to be herself-and learn what it truly means to be a mother. Even in those times when Chouette's behaviors grow violent and strange, Tiny's loving commitment to her daughter is unwavering.

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. 'This baby is an owl-baby.' 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. LONGLISTED FOR THE 2022 PEN/FAULKNER AWARD FOR FICTION '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 Behind An exhilarating, provocative novel of motherhood in extremis Tiny is pregnant.

Chouette a novel