Melanie Cheng’s novel The Burrow is a compact, moving story of a family tragedy. Beautifully written words show all believable family members as they deal with the death of the infant Ruby in a tragic accident. Each member of the family becomes intimately known to the reader as each relates their private feelings about each other and the trauma and grief. Relief is brought by the rabbit, Fiver, as Grandma Pauline and ten-year-old daughter Lucie bond with the new pet. The father Jin and mother Amy show their weaknesses, guilt, and imperfections in this realistic telling of a family’s pain and love, and hope.
The Burrow by Melanie Cheng, (List Price: $16.95, Tin House Books, 9781959030867, November 2024)
Reviewed by Nancy Pierce, Bookmiser in Marietta, Georgia