This is a 2022 short story from Margaret Atwood, renowned Canadian poet, novelist, literary critic, teacher, and environmental activist. A teenage girl, living in the northern suburbs of Toronto in the 1950s, has a tumultuous relationship with her mother, who may or may not be a witch! Her single mother claims that her father has become the garden gnome and that she can foresee tragic future events. The mother warns the daughter to end ties with her current boyfriend whose fate is certainly doomed. In the 1950s, the mother still fits in with her starched dresses and floral aprons, but there is also a distaste for her eccentric ways in the neighbourhood. As the years pass on, the daughter’s relationship with her mother is constantly unstable. When her mother begins to make more outlandish claims and becomes more forgetful, the daughter begins to question everything she once took for granted.
This short story will keep you engaged and amused from beginning to end. It’s written in Margaret Atwood’s distinctly clever writing style. It’s clear that Atwood is playing with the notion of teenage daughters believing their mothers are evil when they are overly protective and constantly lecturing. The dialogue, especially from the mother, is sometimes so outlandish that you’ll be laughing out loud. The short story packs a lot into its few words – a family drama, a coming-of-age story, mystical conjurings, and heartfelt moments. The ending will surely have you wondering if the mother is indeed the powerful witch she claims to be.
Narrator Hillary Huber delivers an impressive and authentic portrayal of a vulnerable, angry daughter trying to understand her mother’s secrets. Huber’s performance is full of sardonic humour and she perfectly contrasts the personas of mother and daughter. By the end, Huber cleverly shifts her portrayal of the daughter to mirror the daughter’s coming of age – another notion that we become more like our parents unknowingly as we age. Overall, this is a short story you can easily devour in an afternoon sitting or on a short commute. Prepared to be amused!