Carrion Crow
A gothic exploration of control and identity
Format:Hardback
Publisher:Transworld Publishers Ltd
Publishing:27th Feb '25
£16.99
This title is due to be published on 27th February, and will be despatched as soon as possible.
This hardback is available in another edition too:
- Hardback - Signed & Dedicated Edition£16.99(9781529938685-S)
We're hosting an event related to this title! Find out more below:
In Carrion Crow, a mother’s protective instincts lead to her daughter’s confinement, igniting a complex struggle between love, control, and the yearning for freedom.
In Carrion Crow, the story unfolds within the confines of a Chelsea attic, where Marguerite Périgord is held captive by her mother, Cécile. Marguerite's existence is defined by the walls around her, her only companions being a sewing machine, a copy of Mrs Beeton’s Book of Household Management, and a nesting carrion crow. As she grapples with her isolation, she becomes increasingly aware of her own desires and the suffocating grip of her mother’s control. The attic becomes a prison, but also a space for introspection and rebellion as Marguerite's mind begins to fray under the weight of her confinement.
Cécile, on the other hand, believes she is acting for her daughter’s own good, fearing that Marguerite’s engagement to an older, financially unstable solicitor could tarnish their family’s reputation. Having clawed her way up from a lower status, Cécile is determined to protect what she has built, even if it means sacrificing her daughter’s freedom. The tension between the two women escalates as secrets and hidden intentions come to light, revealing the complexities of their relationship and the societal pressures they face.
As Marguerite's patience wears thin, the barriers of their understanding begin to collapse. Carrion Crow intricately weaves themes of motherhood, sexuality, and class, painting a haunting portrait of two women struggling against their own demons and each other. The narrative challenges readers to reflect on the lengths to which individuals go to protect their loved ones, even at the cost of their freedom and identity.
Haunting and vivid, creating that palpable sense of isolation so hard to create. Parry's atmospheric storytelling leaps off the page * Glamour *
A surreal and abject little monster of a novel, artful in its exploration of women’s unspoken and unfulfilled ambitions, and the transformations they make to try and achieve them * The Skinny *
One of the most important new voices in fiction, with Carrion Crow Heather Parry deduces an unutterable Gothic horror of class and gender from the pages of Mrs Beeton’s Book of Household Management. A festering Edwardian nightmare dressed in exquisitely tailored language, Parry’s vision is magnificent and devastating. * Alan Moore, author of Watchmen *
Sublime, wretched, harrowing, glorious. * Kirsty Logan *
Carrion Crow picks at the scabs of class, sexual liberty and body autonomy in Victorian London and chews them over with grotesque attention to detail. Sharp, claustrophobic and undeniably gross, it revels in the repulsive and positions Heather Parry as both a punk Sarah Waters and the baddest bitch in the business. I can’t wait to see this strange bird fly to dizzying heights. * Alice Slater, author of Death of a Bookseller *
A gruesome, provocative, stylish fairytale about confinement and consumption, Carrion Crow’s takes the “mad woman in the attic” trope and turns the dial up to 100. Heather Parry’s layered novel is both terrifying and thoughtful – a true Gothic gem. * Kaliane Bradley, author of The Ministry of Time *
Carrion Crow is a book to marvel at. Beautifully written with such dark, claustrophobic precision, exploring the devastating control we assert upon one another. Such an achievement. * Rachelle Atalla, author of The Pharmacist *
An incredibly powerful writer * Edward Carey, author of Little *
As mesmerizing as it is surreal, Carrion Crow is a haunting gothic tapestry. It’s unapologetically strange and grotesque, and I don’t think I’ve ever felt so breathless getting lost in the pages of a book before now. * Lucy Rose, author of The Lamb *
Grizzly, compelling, and utterly claustrophobic * Heather Darwent, author of The Things We Do To Our Friends *
ISBN: 9781529938685
Dimensions: 224mm x 145mm x 25mm
Weight: 361g
256 pages