Chouette

Today’s going to be a short review for a short book that’s absolutely…bonkers? In a good way…I think? But honestly, I’m still not sure. Today, I’m talking about Chouette by Claire Oshetsky.

Chouette is the frenetic, bonkers tale of a woman who becomes pregnant with an owl baby. Is this book fantasy? No. Is it totally rooted in the real world? To be determined. Anyway, the woman becomes pregnant with an owl baby, and that changes everything, because an owl baby is a very different creature, and she and her husband become consumed with the owl baby, with the mother trying to protect and raise her to her best owl baby life, the father trying to fix her with medical interventions, etc. This book is only 256 pages, and it’s a truly frenetic read, you can’t put it down, but when you eventually do, you’re going to stare into the distance for a few minutes and contemplate everything.

Is this a rumination on raising a medically complicated child? A disabled child? A note on human sexuality? Maybe all of the above? It’s definitely about motherhood and the lengths mothers will go to for their child. Or is the baby actually an Owl? Honestly, I cannot say with 100% certainty, but still think this book was REALLY interesting. The writing was good, frenetic, as I’ve said, and engaging, and compelling, but wow…weird.

Anyway, a 3.5 star read for me, and I kind of want more people to read this just so I can figure out what other people think this was about.

Chouette is on sale everywhere November 15, 2021.