Madwoman
by Chelsea Bieker
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Pub Date Sep 03 2024 | Archive Date Sep 03 2024
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Description
“The rare kind of book that lives in your bones” (Ashley Audrain), this novel tells a gripping story of motherhood and motherloss and the brutal, mighty things women do to keep themselves and each other alive, marking Chelsea Bieker as a major fiction talent. Clove has gone to extremes to keep her past a secret. Thanks to her lies, she’s landed the life of her dreams, complete with a safe husband and two adoring children who will never know the terror that was routine in her own childhood. If her buried anxiety threatens to breach the surface, Clove (if that is really her name) focuses on finding the right supplement, the right gratitude meditation.
But when she receives a letter from a women’s prison in California, her past comes screeching into the present, entangling her in a dangerous game with memory and the people she thought she had outrun. As we race between her precarious present-day life in Portland, Oregon and her childhood in a Waikiki high-rise with her mother and father, Clove is forced to finally unravel the defining day of her life. How did she survive that day, and what will it take to end the cycle of violence? Will the truth undo her, or could it ultimately save her?
“[Bieker’s] writing is raw, breathlessly confessional, brilliant in its depiction of the long shadows cast by domestic violence, the constant tension carried by survivors.” – The New York Times Book Review
Available Editions
| EDITION | Other Format |
| ISBN | 9780316573290 |
| PRICE | $29.00 (USD) |
| PAGES | 336 |
Available on NetGalley
Featured Reviews
Tess C, Educator
Holy moly this book!!! What an absolute ride. I loved GOD SHOT, Bieker's debut, but I was not expecting this thrilling page-turner as her novel follow-up. Filled with mystery and adrenaline, this book is going to be huge this fall.
Clove is a mother of two, and has a secret past to hide (even from her adoring yet somewhat bland husband). Her new life begins to unravel, though, when she receives a letter from her mother who is in prison. One wrinkle - Clove believes her mother thinks she is dead. It is so fun going into this book not knowing much more because the twists and turns are brutal and unexpected.
There is not much better than a thriller written by a literary fiction writer. Both the plot and the writing are so clear and concise, cutting and sharp. Bieker does a fantastic job getting her point across, creating believable characters (both empathetic and not), and creating such a gripping story. I can't wait for everyone to read this.
Danielle F, Reviewer
This will be one of my top reads of the year. Newly postpartum I deeply identified with Clove and her intense feelings about being a mother…pack on the commentary about the patriarchy and you have a perfect novel. I will be thinking about it for the days and months to come.
Bookseller 1132458
Madwoman is a meditation on motherhood, memory, healing, and cycle breaking. I was enthralled the entire time. Bieker manages to tell a story that is both compelling and real.
Tina M, Reviewer
I was so so excited to read Madwoman by Chelsea Bieker because I loved her first two books and I loved this book too!! It’s about a mother of two, Clove, who receives a letter from her mother in prison and becomes obsessed to maintain her life from her secret past. This is the perfect literary thriller featuring a compelling female main character who pulls you thoroughly into her world of health food stores, mania and conviction to herself. Bieker has proven herself to be a master at writing women and exploring the mother and daughter relationship. I couldn’t help but read this book right away as soon as I got it and devoured it in three days. It’s one of my faves of this year!
Reviewer 783358
Chelsea Bieker has become one of my favorite authors! A thriller, mystery from her was a wonderful surprise. This was extremely captivating and I can’t wait to see what she writes next.
Julia P, Reviewer
Chelsea Bieker has done it again. MADWOMAN is a propulsive, heart-pounding thriller with high stakes and intense twists. It's about motherhood, secrets, revenge, rage, grief... It is a DEEP thriller, which seems to be so rare these days. Fantastic writing + a thrilling story = I'm hooked. Highly recommend! Full review to come closer to pub day!
Alina A, Bookseller
A riveting story of motherhood, womanhood, complexities of domestic violence, survival and reclaiming your life in the face of trauma.
A gut punching, heart wrenching, suspenseful page turner that I couldn't help but race through with my heart pumping and my blood boiling.
There hasn't been a female rage book this propulsive and hard hitting since Lisa Taddeo's " Animal ".
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