Magpies Everywhere

The first book I read in November 2023 was The Axeman’s Carnival by Catherine Chidgey, and I am ashamed to admit, this is my first of Chidgey’s novels. I loved this book! I now have Pet next to my bed to read in December and will also be reading Remote Sympathy and The Wish Child in 2024.

You know that phenomena when you get a new car and all of a sudden you see that type of car everywhere? Apparently, this is called the Baader-Meinhof phenomenon, also known as the frequency illusion. Our brains are subconsciously doing their job and looking for “the thing” occupying our thoughts, and as a result we start seeing “the thing” everything. When I was reading The Axeman’s Carnival, I kid you not, there were magpies everywhere I turned. You may be saying that magpies are pretty common in New Zealand. Well, get this.. there was a post in my neighbourhood community group on social media asking if anyone was keen to “mother a baby magpie?” These were the exact words used! The baby Maggie with nest had blown out of a tree and they were looking for someone to raise the baby.

I read this book over a 5-day period, and this post was at that time. Uncanny right?

Have I lost you? (Have I lost it?)

The Axeman’s Carnival is a book set in Central Otago in New Zealand, on a struggling sheep farm during a severe drought. Our main character Marnie, rescues and forms an inseparable bond with a baby magpie which she names Tama (short for Tamagotchi). This book is so unique in that it is told from the perspective of Tama, the magpie. The birds eye view (see what I did there?) commentary from Tama of Marnie’s life often leaves things unsaid, and we find ourselves drawing conclusions about what is transpiring in her life without it being explicit.

When I talk about books that I haven’t really enjoyed, it is often because they are lacking in nuance, and I find books written in such a way that every little thing has to be spelt out, insulting. This gal loves some nuance!

This book is beautifully written; has endearing and well-developed characters; takes us on a roller coaster of emotions and is also very clever and unique. The book also has a captivating plot so I am sure you will find yourself unable to put this down, just as I did.

If you need any more convincing, this book also won the Jann Medlicott Acorn Prize for fiction at the Ockham New Zealand Book Awards earlier this year. I am writing this review in early November but it is arriving to you at the end of November (love technology and love that I am finally getting organised with my reviews!), and I am going to go out on a limb and say that this is a hot contender for my favourite book read in November. Go and buy this one for a loved one for Christmas, because life is too short to read bad books.