CHOUETTE
BY CLAIRE OSHETSKY

In all of my years of reviewing this is the first time that after submitting an initial review to the publisher I have deleted my first review and rewritten a completely new one. I have tried hard to write this several times and either this website is not functioning properly or my computer is compromised by a virus because this is my fifth attempt at revising this and I keep losing what I have typed and had to start over losing everything that I have put my heart felt feelings down only to have the cursor jump and I lose my whole review and have to start over. I feel that I owe it to the wonderfully talented and deeply insightful author Claire Oshetsky to do this rich metaphorically written allegorical tale with several timeless and powerful themes woven into this story unlike anything that I have ever encountered before. This was recommended to me from my dear friend Elyse whom had taken the time to message me and tell me I must read this and I am so grateful that I did. I also owe a great debt of gratitude to my dear friend Cheri whose beautiful review you must read. It was a comment left by Cheri that was warm and intriguing that inspired me to pique my curiosity to make the decision to go back and give this a second read. Alas, it was a great decision as I must have been not as alert the first time that I read this superb masterpiece by Claire Oshetsky who I urge everybody to read this stunning and brilliantly crafted novel about timeless family themes. There are so many rewarding messages woven into this novel that sparkles with wisdom about humanity and I think that it speaks to anybody who has had a child and known the way you love your children with such an everlasting love that knows no limits. It also affirms the lessons of how important it is in a lasting marriage to compromise and show your spouse or partner empathy even when you strongly disagree with their ideas. Sometimes we think that our feelings are right and don't honor our spouse or partner's point of view. It is a reminder that usually both people in a marriage must always try to see our spouses viewpoint and empathize with them especially when we are raising children together.
"Chouette," is an intimately written depiction of how when we have a child how important it is to support your child's individuality and empower that child to be their authentic selves. Always see that just because a child is different than us we must respect and nurture their right to stay true to themselves. It also explores what every parent who has adult children that there will be a time when they grow up and inevitably leave and the grief we feel at first which can cripple us until we truly understand and accept that it is a fact of life that they are healthy to want to spread their wings and soar. We must all remember to rediscover the things that brought us joy and happiness before we became parents and if we are to find meaning we must learn to find peace in knowing that we have done our jobs as best that we could and be happy that our children want to live their own lives. "Chouette," resonated with me and I found it to validate decisions that I made towards loving my children and fiercely protecting them while they were young and I at least loved them exactly for who they innately were. It was bittersweet also as it illuminated for me mistakes that I made by thinking that my ideas of parenting were right and I regret not always displaying a united front to my two son's regarding honoring my husband's very different parenting style. Things are never black and white there is always a gray area. I really implore you to read "Chouette," as it has wisdom, it will make you think about the way we are all unique and I feel that I agree that we must accept our children and love exactly as they are. Even as a mother of a 23 year old and a twenty year old I have learned that even though I want to tell them my idea as a way of protecting them, it isn't my place anymore. I must let them make their own decisions and delight in the fact that if they are happy then I am happy for them. I will always love them to the moon and back and in "Chouette," I found this novel to be life affirming and enjoyable and I will never, ever forget it. It is a quick read and yet it packs a powerful emotional story about the powerful bonds of a mother's love and it is the truest depiction of our cycle of life. I will definitely buy this in hardcover when it is released for publication and the cover is undeniably perfect. I highly, highly recommend this book to readers who love literary fiction. It is worthy of more than Five stars!!!!

Publication Date: November 16, 2021

Thank you in a huge debt of gratitude to Net Galley, Claire Oshetsky, and Ecco-HarperCollins Publishing for generously sharing with me an early ARC in exchange for a fair and honest review. All opinions are my own.

#Chouette #ClaireOshetsky #EccoHarperCollinsPublishing #NetGalley

A quirky allegorical novel which, to be certain, has some delishiously dark humor elements. But, overall, it didn’t quite work for me.

’My husband’s childhood was the color of fresh laundry, and the voice of his childhood was the voice of his mother calling him to supper. My childhood was the voice of wild crepuscular things rejoicing in the dusk.’

An allegorical tale which shares the emotional journey of motherhood, from conception through the months of pregnancy, birth and the early years of parenthood.

’I begin to understand what a gift I’ve been given, to have been chosen for this task...The birds are telling me that my life’s work...will be to teach you how to be yourself -- and to honor however much of the wild world you have in you, owl-baby--rather than mold you to be what I want you to be, or what your father wants you to be.’

When Chouette is born, she is indeed different, although her father sees what he wants her to be, rather than what her mother, Tiny sees. Her baby is an owl-baby. She is insistent on loving her as she is, and as she grows her natural instincts become stronger, which her mother sees as natural, given her being an owl-baby, after all. Being caught between the two worlds of what is considered a ‘normal’ child and ‘different,’ Tiny becomes her fierce protector, eschewing all interventive methods to change her into what her father thinks is best for her. Her mother knows that Chouette only needs to be herself, and spares no effort to ensure that her daughter is loved for herself, and embraces her crepuscular, natural ways. Meanwhile, her father is determined to find a ‘cure,’ hunting down one after the other, no matter the cost or the distance, and until then he keeps his distance from his wife and daughter. He doesn’t understand why she is willing to accept their daughter’s strangeness, her aberrant ways. Decisions must be made, and as Tiny is faced with pressure from her husband as well as doctor after doctor and their varying ways they believe they can “cure” Chouette. She believes her daughter is perfect as she is, but what is in Chouette’s best interest?

In my yard where the edges give way to woods are tall trees, one which is closest to the barn-like shed where an owl likes to perch on the branch and oversee it all, and share their questioning song. I don’t think I will ever look at that owl the same way after reading Chouette.

Underneath the bewitching prose and story, there’s a dark, subtle humour throughout this, an engaging if somewhat disquieting story that is filled with both love and the dreams we have for our children, as well as the struggle to accept their inherent natures, who they really are and love them in spite of our differing views on who they should be.


Pub Date: 16 Nov 2021


Many thanks for the ARC provided by Ecco

My attention was captured within the first paragraph of this delightful, unique, somewhat weird book. It was captivating enough I could suspend disbelief through the entire novel. I loved it!

Tiny, a human, has intercourse with a female owl and becomes pregnant with an owl-baby. Tiny’s husband repeatedly tries to reassure her that their child is not an owl, but Tiny knows the fetus is. As he tries to reassure her, he’s also repelled as Tiny has started to smell—her scent becomes that of an owl. She also knows when the ultrasound machine’s noises are disturbing her baby but is unable to convince either her husband, the ultrasound tech of that fact. uniquely, alluringly strange book this is! Though the author never deals with the biology behind this bizarre union, interspersed through the book are bits of real biology, such as when Tiny follows the fetus’s development through the developmental stages of a poppy seed sized embryo at two weeks of age until it joins the phylum Chordata. 

Chouette is about motherhood, that giant leap into the unknown women face when they become pregnant. Tiny’s love for her infant (once she gets used to the idea of being an owl-mother), becomes all-consuming. Chouette is a wild thing, unconventional, and violent at time. Tiny’s husband, on the other hand, wants her to be an ordinary child, at the cost of her individuality. 

As Tiny is a cellist, music is a recurrent theme in the book. There’s a playlist on the author’s Goodread’s page. 

Written in the present tense, Chouette contains an urgency that makes the novel seem quite intimate. You’re always in Tiny’s point-of-view. This debut novel is poetic, often lyrical, yet disturbing, engaging, and absolutely unique. I haven’t read anything as unique since Her Body and Other Parties by Carmen Maria Machado.

This book was generously provided by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I was attracted to this book by the title- Chouette, French for ‘cool’- and the gorgeous cover. I will preface this review by saying I think this is a polarizing book. Readers will love it or hate it. For me, I recognize the beauty of the writing but it was too bizarre for me to really enjoy.

Chouette is told from the POV of Tiny, a professional cellist who lives in Sacramento with her husband. At the start of the book, we learn that Tiny is pregnant with an owl-baby. The owl-baby is the product of a tryst with a female owl that lives in Berlin. After Tiny gives birth to Chouette, she realizes that she does not know how to mother an owl-baby and has to figure a lot of things out on the fly.

I do feel as though the owl-baby was used to symbolize many women’s journey to motherhood. Being consumed by your baby, learning to interpret her noises, figuring out what calms her down- I recognize these events. And in that sense, I did appreciate the author’s symbolic prose to expose these parts of new motherhood.

However, I struggled to get past Chouette, the owl-baby. I kept wondering if Tiny was mentally ill. It was as though Salvador Dali had written a book on motherhood. It was just not for me.

“Chouette”, ......
by Claire Oshetsky
......is a monumental tawny tiny hooting feat — daring and remarkable —exceptionally creative, original, an affecting.,
It’s one of the most intimate novels I’ve read all year.....cutting deep into the core of motherhood.
Claire turns the implausible into entirely believable fiction ....while gracefully sticking pin cushions into our global-mothering hearts.

Tiny is a professional musician, a cellist.
Her husband is a property lawyer in the patented-seed field.
They live in Sacramento California
All sounds normal enough.....right? Perhaps...perhaps not. But what’s normal anyway?

“My husband has just stopped reading the news on his phone because just now I got the words out past my lips that I’ve been wanting to say to him all morning, which are”:
“Help me”.
“There it’s done. I’ve said it.
The word rights itself”.
“He reaches across the table and grabs my hand”.
“What is it? He says. What’s on your mind? I love you. I’m here to help”.
“You think this baby is going to be like you, but it’s not like you at all, I say. This baby is an owl-baby”.
“Oh honey, honey, honey, my husband says. That’s the jitters talking. Don’t listen. I’m here for you. I love you”.

She and her husband play gin rummy after dinner together.
She tells her husband:
“It’s an owl-baby.
“Honey, my husband says.
Don’t do this to yourself. Don’t revisit the past. You’re stronger than you know”.

“I dream I am making tender love with an owl. The next morning I see talon marks across my chest that trace the path of my owl-lovers embrace. Two weeks later I learned that I am pregnant”.
“You may wonder: How could such a thing come to pass between women and owl?”
“I, too, am astounded, because my owl-lover was a woman”.

“An owl-baby is born. The baby will never learn to speak, or love, or look after itself. It will never learn to read or toss the football. The father can see no single thing in this child that reminds him of himself. He thinks: ‘This isn’t fair to me’. And then he leaves. The mother stays”. The owl-baby bite my tongue”.

This book is so darn remarkable, — ENGAGING—- I can’t believe how much I enjoyed the oddness —that in many ways —just ‘didn’t’ feel that odd to me at all.
Perhaps, I’m the crazy one .... but this story felt more raw & real to me than many memoirs.
The storytelling provided the truest satisfactions of reading.
.....We learn about Tiny’s husband - 6 feet tall; the shortest of his six sibling brothers.
.....We learn about Tiny’s in-laws and her husbands brother - and their wives.
.....We learn about Tiny as a child - her father, mother, the town she grew up in, a painful memoir day at the zoo....
wrenching - sad - untrue, and unfair cruel abusive messages she took in from both her own family growing up and from the way her mother-in-law made her feel [an outlier, tiny, fragile, unwanted, just not good enough].
.....Once Tiny was pregnant, struggling with many concerns ... she felt as though she was getting a message from her ‘owl-baby’.....letting Tiny know that ‘she’ was in charge from now on. Tiny wondered, really wondered, was this what it means to be a mother: “to be in constant, irrational conflict with one’s on child?”
.....Tiny played some Mozart music for her unborn owl-baby-asking if she liked it .....”referring to her as a little scamp”.
Soon...mother and owl-baby were no longer at odds-and she continued playing her music.

There is a trip to Berlin museum visits, cafés, and walks along the streets. Tiny runs into her owl-lover, a woman that she was once very close. She tells her she is pregnant. Tiny also realizes she made the right choice to stay with her husband, “who is kind, strong, steady, normal, even good looking”.....
“whereas her owl-lover is a giant, musky, molting, monstrous, amoral, uncivilized, and fickle”....a creature Tiny once loved.

There was a smelling problem....( I found this a little funny)
There were concert problems...
And most...
Tiny had to think seriously about the gift she had been given —chosen—to be a mother. The responsibility was overwhelming and humbling. Tiny was picking up messages from birds telling her that her life‘s work what is the teacher baby how to be herself—rather than mold her to be what she or the father wanted to be.

Owl-baby....a girl....*Chouette* was born.
.....Tiny made lists of things she was learning about Chouette ....
Music was a shared love between them....
.....Tiny told Chouette stories about her childhood. She told her that she used to live with the ‘Bird of the Wood’....that she had shared a room together in a little woodland house....thought she would marry her owl-lover one day.
.....They rocked together....mother and Chouette were working it out.
But/and....
motherhood is intense....so much can breakdown.
I wondered how Chouette was developing- and if Tiny was able to give her baby ‘enough’ of what she needed....(given her own background)....
I was proud of Tiny. I felt that given where she came from she couldn’t have asked anymore of herself....
I found the ending incredibly moving > Loving-Tears- good!!!!

There are horrors I haven’t mentioned along the way ...but they were necessary and damn thought provoking.

This story opens up the can of worms of just how frightening it is to enter the mysteries of mothering....but it’s vitally important to examine.
The symbolism that Claire created raised questions about the brutal realities of life!
The metaphors, the prose, the emotions, the smells, and visuals, the memorable - unique gorgeous usage of words in her sentences....
I just can’t say enough about how unforgettable and magnificent this book is!

I’d love to see book clubs choosing this book to talk about. I’d like to be in one of those groups- and would gladly read this book again to join the discussion.

ABOUT OWLS....(spiritually speaking):
Owls represent wisdom, knowledge, change, transformation, intuitive development, and trusting the mystery. They are tied to the spiritual symbolism of death, which brings about new beginnings with a higher understanding and evolved perspective. Owls can show up when you were being asked to listen to your intuition.

Claire Oshetsky was very effective in delivering an interactive-experience between her characters, motherhood, and the readers.

“Chouette” is one of BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR IN MY HUMBLE OPINION!

This book was……. very strange. Perhaps I just couldn’t make sense of the conceit of the book, but either way, it definitely didn’t land with me. At times I thought the writing had a very nice and somewhat etherial quality to it, but most of the time I found it to be somewhat grating for its diction. There were choices (blending some French words and phrases) that didn’t seem to make sense to me. All in all, I’ll say that this book just wasn’t for me.

I sincerely thank NetGalley and Ecco for my ARC of Chouette by Claire Oshetsky.

Chouette is written in the first person, present tense, by Tiny a woman who is convinced she is pregnant with an owl-baby. Tiny informs the reader that she speaks in metaphor and it soon becomes obvious she is an unreliable narrator that walks a line between madness and reality.

Claire Oshetsky successfully uses metaphor, description, and music to create Tiny’s world and the world she creates for her daughter, Chouette.

This book contains disturbing scenes that portray the brutality one expects from an owl predator. Tiny does not portray the noblest characteristics of motherhood, but instead the extremes that can lead to destruction. If there is humor, it is followed by a certain sadness in how shocking and low the human condition can fall.

Chouette is a fairy tale for lovers of horror, and for those who are fascinated by journeys inside the mind of the mentally ill. This book is well written and haunting for those with the right palate. Chouette deserves 4 stars.

This book was a bit strange however the story was great. In the opening pages you discover the protagonist is pregnant with an owl-baby. Within the first 20% of the book it seemed so outlandish that I almost stopped reading however as it progressed, this story translated into that of a mother with a special needs child. This book had some elements of fantasy, humor, and also tied in music to give a soundtrack to the story which was different and I appreciated. Overall, would recommend.

I confess to being drawn to novels such as We Have to Talk About Kevin and The Fifth Child. Told in each case by the beleaguered mother, they lay out the nightmare scenario of loving/hating, fearing/protecting your own child. It's an impossible dilemma and has no satisfying solution. But, oh, the fascinating narrative that results. I'm adding Chouette to the sub genre and highly recommend that the reader enters the story with minimal knowledge beyond that basic set up.

I will guarantee that you will read no other book like this, Ever. And I mean that in a good way. Our narrator drops us immediately into a domestic scene in which she tells her husband that she is pregnant with an owl baby. Overjoyed, he brushes off the owl part and makes his way to work. We learn that the owl baby is not really his but a product of a sexual interlude with an owl friend of hers from her own childhood in the "gloaming". We gradually learn more about our narrator. Her name is Tiny and she is a talented cellist, her husband is an attorney and they live in Sacramento. As the story progresses it becomes increasingly surreal. The reader is on a runaway train of a novel with a conductor who is oddly calm and matter of fact in telling you about the oddest things yet at the same time being darkly funny. We have no clue as to whether this story is a fable, a nightmare or a hallucination. Is Tiny an unreliable narrator?

The narrative pulls us along page after strange page with increasing urgency. I nearly finished this in one sitting. The owl baby, Chouette, is born and Tiny must deal with her husband who wants to "fix" the baby's owl behavior (trying to claw and eviscerate others) and appearence (claws, yellow eyes, web-like wings )through a variety of treatments, She must also accomodate the baby's own dietary habits (rodents and other live things) and her increasingly violent behavior which Tiny accomodates by taking her hunting in the night.

We come to realize in the end that this is a wild, weird powerful parable about acceptance and the costs of parenthood. As Chouette's demented grandfather tells Tiny "You worry too much little mother. There is nothing wrong with your girl. Your girl came exactly as she was meant to be"

I was drawn to read Chouette because of the charming title (French for “owl”) and beautiful cover. The premise of the book also intrigued me, as a mother of small children myself. I always appreciate an honest portrayal of motherhood in literature. In the vein of The End We Start From, The Push, or What Kind of Woman, this novel reflects the agonizing mix of love and wreckage that often defines a mother’s (or parent’s) role and work in caring for a small child.

Once I started reading, I could not put this novel down. I read it in less than 24 hours, and if I had not been distracted by caring for my own children, I think I would likely have read it in a single sitting. This is not to say it was an easy read. It was more like reading a gruesome account of a tragic situation, while feeling extremely seen and known throughout, as if somehow the author has seen into your soul and written it all out. Not that I have ever dreamed about parenting an owl-baby. This is a very abstract story, which grew blurrier every time I tried to gain a clearer focus. What does the owl-baby actually represent? What is really happening at each turn? There was an element of horror which made me uncertain where the story might lead. So many possibilities crossed my mind as I read, and it felt like this was exactly the intention of Oshetsky’s unique writing style.

As the novel unfolds, the details only grow more abstract and uncertain. But the heartbeat of the story grows stronger and stronger as you follow Tiny (the mother) on her parent journey from conception forward. The rawness of this heartbeat, her desperation and passion and determination, propel the reader forward along with Tiny as she relentlessly struggles to care for and protect her child. This all felt so true, so real and honest and painfully accurate, that as I read, I minded less and less whether or not the story or details could be exactly, definitively “understood.” It became, instead, an exercise in feeling incredibly understood myself.


Thanks to NetGalley and Ecco/HarperCollins for the opportunity to read this e-book prior to publishing in exchange for an honest opinion.

What I am about to say I say with all the love in the world: this is a weird book. I think it might be the weirdest book I’ve read in a long time. The author doesn’t feel the need to ever explain herself which, honestly, I respect.

I don’t think this book is going to have a lot of wide appeal; it was not my cup of tea either. It’s just so incredibly strange. But I think, for the people it speaks to? It’s going to sing. The messages about motherhood, and about loving people as they are rather than as you might hope to find them are beautiful. It deserves to be someone’s favorite book, even if it isn’t mine.

How incredibly strange. This reads like an adult fairytale. Very intriguing, but I did find myself frustrated as I couldn’t tell what was meant metaphorically and what literally.

I only read about 40 pages. I couldn't figure out if the mother, Tiny, was mentally ill or if the book is supposed to be fantasy or what, but I also didn't care. I just kept rolling my eyes at how dumb it all was (in my opinion).

Every so often, admittedly quite rarely, I find a book that I consider to be a litmus test. If someone loves a certain book as much as I do, I know I’ve found “my people”. Chouette has become one of those rare finds. Claire Oshetsky’s debut novel is hilarious, breathtaking, incredibly disturbing, moving, and poetic.

Tiny is pregnant. With an owl-baby. Impregnated by her female owl lover. Still with me? Excellent. Tiny understandably loves her perfect owl-baby, Chouette, but the world is forcing her to conform, and be “normal”, like Tiny’s dog-children nieces and nephews. Her husband is certain there is a "cure" for Chouette, and will resort to drastic measures to find it. But Tiny is ready to protect her owl-baby at all costs, and has been training Chouette to embrace her animalistic instincts.

Overall, Chouette is about motherhood. As a mother, I felt every word of this book with my entire being. The love that Tiny has for her owl-baby is all-consuming. She gives up her career as a musician, she has no friends; she completely dedicates herself to the exhausting work of caring for a demanding child. Chouette is violent, irrational, unconventional, but Tiny embraces all of this.

The novel is written in the present tense, and this urgency gives the reader a real sense of intimacy. We are on Tiny’s side, despite all her questionable and strange choices. When she encounters the few people that embrace her daughter, the happiness Tiny feels is palpable.

There are some fantastic character names in this book. My personal favorites were “secret aborter” and “Doctor Booze”. This book is frequently devastating, but the dark humor really appealed to me.

Music is central to this novel. There are lots of references to meaningful pieces throughout the novel, and a handy track-list at the end of the book, as well as a playlist on Oshetsky’s Goodreads page! The writing itself is often lyrical, and flows beautifully. Dare I dream of a full spoken-word performance with live music?

I loved this book. It feels like it was written for me. It’s funny, dark, moving, and unrelentingly honest about how difficult and beautiful motherhood can be. I can scarcely believe Chouette is Oshetsky’s debut; it is an immensely accomplished piece of writing. I highly recommend everyone read this book as soon as you can.

Who knows best how to raise a child? This is the question that drives Chouette, and drives the reader a little mad along the way. While Tiny, her mother, navigates motherhood to the owl-baby, we the readers try to understand Tiny and her choices as a mother. "Motherhood in extremis" is the perfect summary, as this book is extreme and difficult to read. However, it is also difficult to put out of your mind once you've finished. There are many raw and deplorable situations in this book that make me think that it is a very raw and honest - though hyperbolic and symbolic- depiction of the ugliness that motherhood brings for some people and in some situations. I think this book will evoke a lot of strong and surprising reactions from its readers.

This book ended up being a new favorite. It's extremely strange and I don't really know if you can call it any one genre. Is it fantasy, magical realism, surrealism? That's what is wonderful about it. The author let's you decide what you want it to be. A really brilliant example of unreliable narrator. This story will definitely be one that stays with me forever. I'm buying a hard back copy as soon as they are available. This book won't be for everyone, but if you like strange, and unexplained....this is for you.

A mother's journey is one that gives up parts of herself to raise her child only to someday let them grow and fly on their own. Chouette tells of this journey to an extreme, with an atypical owl-baby, which requires suspending a bit of reality. I'd suggest readers just let themselves be taken into Tiny's mind and immersed in her metaphors.
This book was reminiscent of 'The Harpy' and some shades of 'The Push.' The writing was masterful in pulling the reader into this alternate reality and Oshetsky did a brilliant job of allowing the reader to visualize how this situation might play out in "real life." A very unique and well done novel.

Thank you to NetGalley for an ARC of Chouette.

Tiny was once a promising cellist, she has given up her talent and career to be a wife and mother. And motherhood is not easy, nor is being a woman.

Chouette is no ordinary infant. Her owl baby is not like other babies. She is strong and predatory; eager and brash. Her husband is dismayed that his daughter is not like other 'norma' babies.

But, who wants to be like everyone else?

I really enjoyed Chouette for a number of reasons.

First, the narrative is unique and the themes are prevalent; it's about motherhood and relationships; conformity and not conforming, it's about the fear mothers have for their children and learning to let go and discover who they are as individuals; not just women, mothers and artists, but more. More what? It's up to you to find out.

Second, the cover is striking; it's beautiful yet disjointed, the parts of the owl look like they fit yet not quite, which is the main theme of the novel.

The writing is beautiful; lyrical and sensuous, dark and sinister. The author weaves poignant metaphors and creates incredible visuals with her words.

It sometimes feel like you're in a dream with Tiny, especially when she has flashbacks to her tumultuous childhood.

The writing is surreal; the author uses 'gendarmes' and 'paddy wagon,' regional terms to describe the authorities and a police car/van.

For the reader, this distortion adds onto the odd and uncomfortable feelings I'm already experiencing that something is not right with the world Tiny lives in.

There's nothing wrong with Chouette. It's everyone else that doesn't fit.

The ending was satisfying, optimistic and one I had hoped for.

Chouette isn't for everyone but I'd recommend it for anyone looking for something different to read.