In the House in the Dark of the Woods

In the House in the Dark of the Woods by Laird Hunt, 218 pages

Once upon a time, a young wife walked into the woods to gather some berries for her husband and son. When she happened upon a small stream, she sat down, took off her shoes, nibbled a few berries, and took a nap. But when she woke up, it was much later and she could not find her way home, and soon got lost in the dark, spooky woods.

This is the premise that starts Hunt's story of an abused colonial wife's adventures in the forest near her home. Like any good fairy tale, this one has mysterious people popping in and out (a helpful woman named Eliza, a yellow-robed young girl bearing odd gifts, the creepy Granny Someone, and the generally helpful pirate Captain Jane), as well as many situations that may or may not be what they seem. I enjoyed the premise of the story, but for some reason, the unresolved uncertainty of situations (are those really pigs?) and characters was somewhat bothersome to me. That said, I'd definitely recommend it to people who enjoy spooky and atmospheric tales.