Carrion Crow, Heather Parry
If you’re on the lookout for a gothic masterpiece, look no further than Carrion Crow by Heather Parry.
Set in Edwardian London, Carrion Crow tells the story of the once notable Périgord family. Marguerite has been locked in the attic of a three-storey house on Cheyne Row overlooking the Thames by her mother Cécile. Cécile has taken this decision because Marguerite has ideas about leaving the home to marry a much older man of a lower social standing. Cécile believes that Marguerite needs to be sequestered away with just a copy of Mrs Beeton’s Book of Household Management and a crow in the rafters for company in order to learn how to become a good wife.
As time goes on, Marguerite is unsure of just how long she has been in the attic, watching the passage of the seasons through the small attic window. She is wholly neglected and almost starved by Cécile, and we witness her deterioration both physically and mentally during her confinement. We witness a disturbing decline in her state through the body horror, which is written in all its glorious gross detail. Through Marguerite’s unreliable narration, we learn of her life and loves before her confinement and a deep connection she has with a woman named Alouette. We also see her mother Cécile’s perspective which, in some ways, explains her motivations for locking her daughter away.
This is a beautifully evocative story told in such detail, be it depictions of the deterioration of a starved and neglected body or descriptions of the sumptuous food of the day.
It is a thought-provoking and bold exploration of a toxic mother/daughter relationship set against a darkly gothic backdrop, which shines a light on societal constraints of the time and deals with the expectations laid at the feet of women. I was drawn into the closeted world of Marguerite, and I loved every grim minute of it.
Editorial Picks
