The Four Marys: A Quartet of Contemporary Folk Tales

by Jean Rafferty

'A mother's love for her child is like nothing else in the world.' So said Agatha Christie, ambiguously; for the bond between mother and child is deep, but sometimes, motherhood does not come naturally. This is hinted at in references to the Four Marys ballad by Virginia Woolf and Joan Baez, both of whom feature here.

Obsession, longing, deceit and even murder feature in this quartet of provocative novellas, which gives a modern twist to tales of women for whom all is not necessarily as it seems or as each woman would want her life to be.

Drawing on universal themes of womanhood and on history, culture and lore, 'The Four Marys' is a riveting exploration of the complexities of motherhood: edgy and engrossing, moving, yet at times, disturbing.

280 pages, Paperback

First published June 5, 2014

Reviews

[Heather Macdonald · Rating 4 out of 5]

The four Marys was a fantastic read, beautifully written with captivating stories that have a magical quality even with their dark and often disturbing themes.
I especially liked the first story as I am very fond of the folk lore of the selkie.
I would really recommend this book for anyone, It was a joy to read and I couldn't put it down, perfect for reading in front of the fire with a cup of tea.

[Annie · Rating 2 out of 5]

Jössas - also ich habe ja wirklich nichts gegen Frauenthemen, aber son ultra femme Kram verpackt als folk tales ist selbst mir zu viel. Wenn ich erotische Literatur lesen will, dann tue ich das. Wenn ich Frauenleidensgeschichten will - tue ich das (theoretisch), wenn ich moderne Sagen lesen will - tue ich das. Aber nicht alles in einen Topp schmeißen, klar? Da wird einem ja schlecht.

[Kelly · Rating 4 out of 5]

Magical, dramatic, thought provoking, disturbing in parts, this collection doesn't pull any punches. It'll grab you by the gut and pull you in. But a couple of the stories were a touch too brutal for me and in a couple of cases I had to skip pages. This and the fact that there's a slightly self conscious air of wanting to shock are the only thing that stop this from being a 5 star read.