Nightbitch: A Novel *[ePub]
In this blazingly smart and voracious debut novel, an artist turned stay-at-home mom becomes convinced she's turning into a dog. • "A must-read for anyone who can’t get enough of the ever-blurring line between the psychological and supernatural that Yellowjackets exemplifies." —Vulture One day, the mother was a mother, but then one night, she was quite suddenly something else... An ambitious mother puts her art career on hold to stay at home with her newborn son, but the experience does not match her imagination. Two years later, she steps into the bathroom for a break from her toddler's demands, only to discover a dense patch of hair on the back of her neck. In the mirror, her canines suddenly look sharper than she remembers. Her husband, who travels for work five days a week, casually dismisses her fears from faraway hotel rooms. As the mother's symptoms intensify, and her temptation to give in to her new dog impulses peak, she struggles to keep her alter-canine-identity secret. Seeking a cure at the library, she discovers the mysterious academic tome which becomes her bible, A Field Guide to Magical Women: A Mythical Ethnography, and meets a group of mommies involved in a multilevel-marketing scheme who may also be more than what they seem. An outrageously original novel of ideas about art, power, and womanhood wrapped in a satirical fairy tale, Nightbitch will make you want to howl in laughter and recognition. And you should. You should howl as much as you want. Read more
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Why Must Read Nightbitch: A Novel?
I'm still processing what I've experienced reading this novel. It's dark and angry but also funny and relatable. Yoder walks the tightrope of reeling readers in with accessible, contemporary prose and wowing with her literary allusions and tightly structured tale. I stopped reading numerous times to read passages to friends and family or to stop and think about a scene. Moms should read this book. It's filled with poignant insights and biting realities about what women are expected to give up and what's assumed that they'll sit down and take. Women should read this book. Yoder weaves in the mother's ancestral history of women who sacrifice for their families, which helps frame the novel in a larger context (It's not just a book for new moms!). Artists should read this book. It's just as much about creation in the artist sense. The mother's evolution toward rawness and impulse is the story of being an artist, whether you're a parent or not. I will say that as a stay-at-home dad I also related to the book immensely. I felt like the mother was reading my inner thoughts, my conflicting emotions about what it means to be a parent, to sacrifice for one's family. So I hope Nightbitch gets the larger audience that it deserves. It's real. It's angry, raw, funny, touching, and revealing. I can see Nightbitch sparking another women's movement, one where we finally start making strides toward gender equity at home. Yoder knows what the hell she's doing, and I hope everyone picks this book up and lets it spark a long overdue conversation about what it means to be a woman, mom, dad, parent, husband, wife, artist, human. I've bought 6 copies already and recommended it to at least 10 other people, and I hope this review convinces you that it's a must-read.
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