Madwoman by Chelsea Bieker

It seems that every bookstore, grocery, and pharmacy has a copy of Chelsea Bieker’s latest on display. After spotting it just about everywhere for a few days, and despite having three books on the go at once (major reading slump), I gave in and picked up a copy.

Advanced praise includes the New York Times, Cheryl Strayed, and Ashley Audrain, who said this is the “rare kind of book that lives in your bones.” 

We follow Clove, a young mother in Portland living a picture perfect existence. Life hasn’t always been pretty for Clove, who, as a survivor of unspeakable domestic violence, has gone to extremes to reinvent herself. Her loving husband and children believe her parents died tragically in a car accident, and not the truth — which is that her mother is serving time for killing her father. 

When Clove receives a letter from her mother asking for help, her thoughts become flooded with memories of a past she thought she'd long escaped. In an attempt to maintain her peaceful life, she entrusts a new friend with the story of what really happened to her as a child, unknowing that this will only bring her closer to the truth she's been running from. 

If you haven’t picked up your copy yet, take this as your sign. Madwoman is an absolute must-read that shook me to my core. 

Photo by Wondra

Chelsea Bieker is the author of the debut novel Godshot, which was longlisted for The Center for Fiction’s First Novel Prize and named a Barnes & Noble Pick of the Month. Her story collection, Heartbroke won the California Book Award and was a New York Times “Best California Book of 2022.” She is the recipient of a Rona Jaffe Writers’ Award, as well as residencies at MacDowell and Tin House. Raised in Hawaii and California, she now lives in Portland, Oregon with her husband and two children.

Madwoman is available for purchase in paperback, e-book, and audiobook formats. Check Bookshop.org or Libro.fm to support an indie near you.

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