SAVAGE HER REPLY

A feminist retelling of a popular Irish folktale.

As children, Aífe and her sisters, Aébh and Ailbhe, are sent to live with a foster father, Bodhbh the Red, the high king of their people. When Lir, a neighboring chieftain and warrior, becomes a widower, Bodhbh grants him Aífe’s eldest sister Aébh’s hand in marriage. They have four children before Aébh eventually dies in childbirth. Having once again lost a wife, Lir elects to marry Aífe so he’ll have someone to care for his children. But after falling in love with Lir, Aífe begins to grow envious of Lir’s love for the children, particularly as he increasingly neglects her. Eventually, Aífe grows bitter enough with jealousy to turn Aébh and Lir’s four children into swans who are destined to remain in that form for 900 years. Each chapter opens with an excerpt of the classic version of the myth and a calligram, or concrete poem, in the shape of letters from the ancient Irish alphabet, Ogham. Through masterful storytelling and stunning prose, Sullivan turns an ancient legend into something complex, transforming a one-note character into a nuanced narrator who carefully weaves Irish legend with a subtly searing condemnation of patriarchal society. The author stays true to the heart of the tale while subverting the evil stepmother trope. While Aífe isn’t absolved, readers can easily sympathize with her, making the outcome all that much more sorrowful. Vaughan’s exquisite black-and-white spot art is interspersed throughout.

Haunting and lyrical.