Hannah’s Pick of the Week: Bog Queen by Anna North

“No one will sing about me. What I make, fire will burn or time will wear away. When I’m gone, no praise or blame will attach to my story. To me, that’s peace. I’ve lived lightly on the earth.” – Anna North, Bog Queen

Bog Queen defies categorization, unless you were describing a book tailor-made for me. Part murder mystery, part historical fiction, part eco-fiction, North has managed to create a novel where I swoon with every character; even when their conflicting demands befuddle both of our protagonists. On one hand, we have Agnes — lanky, awkward, and a forensic anthropologist at the end of her doctorate in post-Brexit England. On the other hand (and 2000 years before) we have our Celtic druidess, attempting to take care of the needs of her village as threats (Roman and otherwise) loom all around her.

Worlds collide when Agnes meets our druidess face-to-face as a bog body, perfectly preserved in the peat. Agnes is enthralled, but more than that, she’s hellbent on discovering the druidess’ cause of death. Meanwhile, environmentalists, peat farmers, the family of a true crime victim, and a professor’s daughter all barge into Agnes’ life. And they all want something different from her. But wait, I’ve forgotten my favorite character in all of this: the moss. A Greek chorus, they interject with their own opinion about humanly happenings. Altogether, this menagerie of characters build a living, breathing world around us, forcing us this way and that.

North’s writing is ecological, realistic, and earthy in a way you can sink into like mud. The forensic analysis is interesting as it is, but North’s character-building is really at the forefront in Bog Queen. If you loved the world-building of North’s last book, Outlawed, or the lushness of Lauren Groff‘s writing, I highly recommend Bog Queen by Anna North as your next read.