Carrion Crow

There are some things only your mother can teach you . . .

“Haunting and vivid, creating that palpable sense of isolation…Parry’s atmospheric storytelling leaps off the page.” —Glamour

Marguerite P?rigord is locked in the attic of her family home, a towering Chelsea house overlooking the stinking Thames.

For company she has a sewing machine, Mrs. Beeton’s Book of Household Management, and a carrion crow who has come to nest in the rafters. Restless, she spends her waning energies on the fascinations of her own body, memorising Mrs. Beeton’s advice and longing for life outside.

C?cile P?rigord has confined her daughter Marguerite for her own good.

C?cile is concerned that Marguerite’s engagement to a much older, near-penniless solicitor, will drag the family name – her husband’s name, that is – into disrepute. And for C?cile, who has worked hard at her own betterment, this simply won’t do. C?cile’s life has taught her that no matter how high a woman climbs she can just as readily fall.

Of course, both have their secrets, intentions and histories to hide. As Marguerite’s patience turns into rage, the boundaries of her mind and body start to fray.

And neither woman can recognise what the other is becoming.

Strange, intense, and darkly beautiful, this haunting gothic novel from award-winning author Heather Parry is a story of mothers and daughters, and the dual capacity for both great kindness and unfathomable cruelty.

Author: Heather Parry
Binding Type: Paperback
Publisher: Pushkin Press
Published: 06/30/2026
Pages: 256
Weight: 0.81lbs
ISBN: 9781805680550
Language: English