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I recently read The Crane Husband by Kelly Barnhill, a stunning contemporary retelling of “The Crane Wife”, and enjoyed it immensely...

This novella is about a fifteen-year-old teenager who is the backbone of her small Midwestern family. She budgets the household finances and raises her younger brother while her mom, a talented artist, weaves beautiful tapestries. Things take an unusual turn when the girl’s mom brings home a six-foot tall crane with a menacing air. Despite her daughter’s apprehension, the mother falls in love with the bird and abandons everything around her to weave the masterpiece that the crane demands. The story is beautifully written with metaphors and magical realism woven together seamlessly.

The cover on this book is just gorgeous, as are all of Barnhill’s books that I’ve seen. This was such a melancholy novella but also very powerful. Barnhill tackles heavy subjects such as domestic violence and child neglect through this reimagining of “The Crane Wife”. My only real niggle about the novella is that it is unrelentingly sad. Throughout reading it I wished there had been just a glimpse of happiness for the young lady and her brother. Especially in the end, when we get a glimpse of their future.

Overall, I highly recommend The Crane Husband to anyone looking for a quick but deeply impactful read.

**ARC Via NetGalley**