by Byddi Lee
Available for preorder NOW!
Irish author Byddi Lee's BARREN (US link, UK link) is a wonderful mix between Jean M. Auel’s classic “Clan of the Cave Bear” and “Ghost,” the movie about a man who becomes a ghost and returns to his wife to help her through grief. Except in this case the ghost is the spirit of an unborn baby, nicknamed “Poppy Seed,” after being miscarried by her mother, Aisling, an Irish immigrant in current-day California.
Unusual stories are, by definition, not of common style and plot, and this book is true to that expectation! The story immediately takes off when an unusual event occurs that allows a gap between life and death, and contemporary times and the Neolithic era in Ireland, creates a bond between Poppy, her mother and a childless huntress, named Zosime, in a quest to save one another, each in her own way.
Ultimately the book is about women coming to terms with their infertility, while at the same time absorbing and growing their own spirits and power through mutual love and protection.
Besides rendering the full range of emotions women experience regarding children, childbirth and infertility, the author seamlessly delivers excellent research about the Neolithic period in Ireland. Learning about Zosime’s tribe was fascinating. The story flips between a chapter with her, and one with Aisling and Poppy, until the three finally intertwine.
Wonderful!
You can also find a review on Buy the Book.
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