Magdalena by Candi Sary

I wouldn’t say I dislike a ghost story, but neither would I claim to be drawn to one. I don’t know what it is about them, but I rarely find myself seeking out that kind of novel. Maybe growing up, I took an early dislike to them and never gave them a fair share. In this way, perhaps ghost stories are the brussel sprouts of literary genres for me. I no longer allow those early prejudices to inform my decisions (I now love brussel sprouts) and, in that vain, have taken on a few ghost stories in the past few years. Mexican Gothic, in particular, stands out as a transcendent text in this genre that had me reconsidering my baseless aversion to ghost stories. And, if I had any further trepidation, Candi Sary’s fantastic novel Magdalena has confirmed that I am now a ghost story convert.

Magdalena is a rare novel that manages to reinvent itself along the way without losing its core. It dances from a ghost story to a taut thriller to a psychological gothic mystery and never loses its sense of self. It’s confident, assured writing from an author who knows exactly what she wants to say.

At its heart, the novel is about grief. The grief of a woman desperate to be a mother who briefly gets to experience some version of that relationship and the grief of a woman wondering what other lives she could’ve lived had things gone differently. But despite that overtone, the novel is full of life. The town and the characters stay with you, and the book’s inherent charm is undeniable.

 The town, in particular, stuck out to me as brilliantly crafted. It is a classic example of a work where the setting is a character in its own right, and I love how comfortable Sary is to take the reader away from the central plot of the novel in order to build out the setting. These ramblings are lovely and add texture to the book. Again, the word confidence comes to mind. Sary knows why you need to take this detour, and she’s sure that in the end, you’ll understand it too.

Dottie, our narrator, has dealt with severe loss. She’s suffered a series of miscarriages and has a comatose husband. She’s trapped in this loveless world and searches to fill that void in any way she can. We follow her as she traverses these relationships and struggles to differentiate between fantasy and reality.

This novel is equal parts creepy and cozy, thrilling and heartbreaking. To say it is worth a read would be a vast understatement. If you are, like me, someone who is initially hesitant about this genre, this is the book to change your mind. It shows you what a confident, talented writer can do with a ghost story. And it’s a hell of a lot of fun.

I was lucky enough to get an advanced copy of this novel, so you can’t read it just yet, but it’s coming. It’ll be out July 11th, 2023, and make a point of reading it. You won’t be disappointed.

(Also, try brussel sprouts; they have a bad rep but are quite good.)