 Our Fearful Roots, written by Carmilla Voiez and Faith Marlow, is a Southern Gothic tale following the Anderson family as they relocate from Seattle to Alabama upon inheriting a house from Mary’s recently deceased aunt, Blanche. The story is told from four viewpoints, Mary (wife/mother), Chuck (husband/father/stepfather), Eric (son/stepson/stepbrother), and Anita (daughter/stepsister). While the story incorporates all four character’s viewpoints, the narrative mostly centers around Mary and Eric, both of whom have ties to this beautiful cottage, and its horrible history. True to Southern Gothic style, the ghostly hauntings in this tale are representations of traumatic memories resurfaced after many years of dormancy. The book is heavy with atmosphere. Not since Michael McDowell's classic, The Elementals, have I read a sticky, humid Alabama summer that served as much of a presence as any of the novel's characters. The one major drawback, at least for this reader, was Chuck’s character arc. I had a difficult time believing the authenticity of his change in character by the book's end. Despite this complaint, and a few cliched villains, this book is still one of the best Southern Gothic novels that I've read in a long time. Hailing from Alabama myself, I had high hopes for this book, and it did not disappoint. Recommended for fans of Southern Gothic and unique takes on haunted houses. A book review by Holley Cornetto Our Fearful Roots |
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