The Bone Mother

 

By David Demchuk

Published by ChiZine Publications

August 15, 2017
240 pages

ISBN13: 9781771484213

For the first time in our over five years of reading together, several members of Rozmova dropped out of participating in the discussion of The Bone Mother. Although we vote on titles to read, when it came time to discuss this book, members were uncomfortable and stated that the genre was challenging for them – too creepy, disturbing and unsettling. Those who participated had a rich conversation about belonging, prejudice and acceptance; disability and aging; folk tales within our modern context; what we fear today and how we confront it; bringing superstitions, struggle and prejudice to a new land; among other related themes.

Demchuk’s literary mosaic of supernatural stories reflects all of these themes. His imagination was fueled by stories of his paternal roots in Ukraine and in rural Manitoba. The horrors of the Holodomor, the treatment of Ukrainians in the war, the marauding of the night police – all of which are more horrific than even our imaginations can muster. His selection of unusual images from the archive of Romanian war photographer Costică Acsinte from World War 1 and after adds to the chilling nature of the stories.

Takeaways from our discussion:

• People can be worse than monsters – we must consider the monster in all of us
• The brutality of the war and hunger that our ancestors survived, and today's citizen's living with war around our world is scarier than any horror novel
• We must find an outlet to confront any darkness and fears within ourselves, and to process the anxiety in the world around us

The Bone Mother was the first horror-theme novel ever to be nominated for a Giller Prize. It was also shortlisted for the 2018 amazon.ca Novel Award. It’s an interesting read even for readers who normally don’t choose the horror genre. Demchuk’s interviews and background on the book provide a context that expands the themes beyond just creepy stories.

If you’re still not sure about reading The Bone Mother, take a look at these links:

CBC Radio Book Journalist Shelagh Rogers' interview with David Demchuk about The Bone Mother

Media about the book and author

David Demchuk's motivations and meaning

Goodreads Reader Reviews