A review by jordanian_reads_
The Crane Husband by Kelly Barnhill

5.0

I could not put down this gorgeous, unsettling novella. The Crane Husband combines magical realism and a touch of dystopia in a very loose retelling of the folktale “The Crane Wife.” Kelly Barnhill’s novella is narrated by a 15 year old girl, who is older than her years after taking care of her young brother and artist mother following the death of her father. She is used to men coming through their house, but one day her mother brings home a crane, who unlike previous boyfriends, is there to stay.

The storytelling is extremely dark and compelling, but for me the setting is the true star. Barnhill set this book in a Midwest farm town and somehow created a place that feels slightly futuristic and yet absolutely timeless. It’s the perfect setting for a grim fairytale about art, family, abuse and freedom.

BRB, I gotta go read Barnhill’s When Women Were Dragons.

Thanks to Macmillan-Tor/Forge and Netgalley for an advance copy. This book will be published on February 28, 2023.