A disturbing novel that should make all of uncomfortable, as we’re confronted with the ways we harm others through inaction and seek to excuse ourselves. I’m fascinated by stories like this where the non-existent gap between “good people” and “bad people” is made evident. Also interesting commentary on our obsession with true crime.

The Woman Who Fed the Dogs was an intense psychological work that takes the reader inside the mind of someone who at times we feel compassion for and at times we are repulsed by. I thought it was a brave piece, and I can understand why it divides readers so much, especially given that it is based on a real story. I found it a compelling work that really made me question as a reader how I or someone else might act in the same circumstances, with the same background. Of course, many would say they would never do the things Odette does, but that is easy to say when you are not the one in that moment and with those experiences. The book kept me gripped from start to finish as it meandered back and forth between the past and the present, as one's thoughts would be likely to do in such circumstances, making it feel rare and real. Given the subject matter, this is not going to be a story for everyone, so readers should exercise some caution in picking it up, but I am giving it 4.5 stars as I found it a riveting piece of writing.

This is a translated book from Belgium. Based on a real life case that took place there. The main character is a woman who was married to a man who was sexually assualting and killing women. She was believed to have assisted him and was in jail for it. The story is her thinking about their life together, her life growing up with he overbearing mother, and what she endured over the course of their relationship. The writing style felt almost like a stream of consciousness, which worked well in showcasing the mental state of Odette, but I also found her very frustrating. Overall, it was interesting but ultimately didn't provide enough insight for me as to the why of what she did and presented her too much as a hapless victim.

This novel follows Odette, an imprisoned woman preparing for her release who is reflecting on her role as an accomplice to her husband's horrific crimes. I was really intrigued by this premise, especially after reading that it is based on the true story of the wife of a notorious Belgian child murderer and kidnapper. However, I want to say that the ethics of true crime are handled very well here, in my opinion. The crimes are not sensationalised, or really described in detail at all, and it's clear that the author is focused purely on the psychological aspects of this case and how a person becomes 'evil'.

I think controversial or morally grey (or in this case, not-so-grey) protagonists are such an interesting perspective to write a story from. Did I enjoy reading this? In a lot of ways, no. It's graphic, uncomfortable, and disturbing. But being inside the head of such a person as she attempts to explain or justify her part in such horrible crimes is hard to look away from.

It helps that the novel is so well written. The balancing act was done perfectly in my opinion, there were constant little comments or things unsaid that highlighted how disturbed Odette really is even as she's attempting to victimise herself. I finished the book not really understanding what the author hoped to achieve by writing this. But after reflecting, maybe that is the point - there is no easy answer to the difficult and dark questions posed here. It's left up to the reader to decide the limits of their empathy.

The Woman Who Fed The Dogs is being published within World Editions exciting new series, Read the World A-Z - featuring a translated novel for every letter of the alphabet. Thank you to so much to World Editions and netgalley for the eARC!

Kristien Hemmerechts novel, The Woman Who Fed The Dogs, was first published in Belgium in 2014 and has now been translated into English by Paul Vincent. It is being published as the second volume in the series Read the World A to Z being published by World Editions, a project which is looking like it's going to be the highlight of the fiction in translation calendar for some time to come.

The Woman Who Fed The Dogs is not an easy read, nor a comfortable one - it's subject matter is challenging, disturbing and yet all too real. Odette is the most hated woman in Belgium. Wife of the paedophilic murderer M, she is in prison, and telling us the story of what happened and gives us her justification for such heinous crimes of her husband, as well as why she let two children starve to death while her husband was incarcerated. It is also inspired by a true story - a case that shocked Belgium to it's very core - though Hemmerechts changed the name of her principal character.

This will not be a novel for everyone - some will not be able to finish it - it is graphic, unrelenting in its misery and horror - but for me it is the work of fiction to ask questions, to explore the questions of what it is to be human, even if the human or humanity explored is repugnant to us. Hemmerechts doesn't shy away from the difficult questions - and though she doesn't give us answers - we must come to our own conclusions - she asks all the right questions and pushes deeper into this dark psyche and is unflinching in her gaze.

For me The Woman Who Fed The Dogs is essential fiction. It has made me very keen to track down any other fiction from Hemmerechts. She does everything I think fiction should do. I can't believe I have only just discovered her, as she is about to enter her fourth decade as a writer. This is a novel that will live with me, and is a novel that has the power to make us see and know things important - even if we choose to look away. A true powerhouse of a novel, utterly unique and engrossing - and the only time I've felt the need for a cold shower when finishing a novel!

Thank you to World Editions and Netgalley for the ARC.