The Girl in the Bog - by Keith Donohue (Hardcover)

About the Book

"Everybody is after the girl in the bog. One morning in a field in Connemara, a farmer unearths the body of a young woman, two thousand years old, preserved under layers of peat. Later that evening, she awakens in unfamiliar modern Ireland, ripping a hole through space and time and setting awhirl old animosities and long-held grudges. Shadowy figures follow her from the pagan past, and each emerges with a claim on the girl from the bog. With help from a trio of wannabe teenage witches, she goes on the run. Joining in the chase is an American archaeologist who wants to keep the discovery for herself and two befuddled farmers trapped in the plot. Hosts of fairies out for the night work their magic and mischief, and in the blue hour before sunrise, the saga unfolds in a battle for the ages"--

Book Synopsis

Ancient heroes from Irish mythology and folklore come to life in the modern world in this dark, atmospheric story. At once a thrilling chase novel and a wry reimagining of Ireland's oldest epic, it is sure to enthrall readers of Neil Gaiman and Cassandra Khaw.

Everybody is after the girl in the bog.

One morning in a field in Connemara, a farmer unearths the body of a young woman, two thousand years old, preserved under layers of peat. Later that evening, she awakens in unfamiliar modern Ireland, ripping a hole through space and time and setting awhirl old animosities and long-held grudges.

Shadowy figures follow her from the pagan past, and each emerges with a claim on the girl from the bog. With help from a trio of wannabe teenage witches, she goes on the run. Joining in the chase is an American archaeologist who wants to keep the discovery for herself and two befuddled farmers trapped in the plot. Hosts of fairies out for the night work their magic and mischief, and in the blue hour before sunrise, the saga unfolds in a battle for the ages.

Part fantasy, part mystery, part thriller, part send-up, this comic and poignant love song to Irish literature and the gift of gab does not merely bend genres; it braids them into Celtic knots.

Review Quotes

Praise for The Girl in the Bog
"Irish mythology and impish humor collide in Donohue's ambitious sixth outing . . . Enough audacity and invention on offer to satisfy."
--Publishers Weekly

"Delightful, a bit dark, and compelling."
--Narrative Species on KSQD

Praise for Keith Donohue:
"A masterpiece of psychological horror . . . Intricately plotted, absorbing, and suspenseful, this is a moving, modern story set in what feels like a fairy-tale world but is actually terrifyingly realistic."
―Booklist, starred review, on The Motion of Puppets

"An inventive and suspenseful story told from an original perspective, Donahue's novel examines how refusing to embrace the present and struggling to escape unavoidable circumstances can alter one's life forever."
―Publishers Weekly, on The Motion of Puppets

"Donohue's faultless eye for character and keen sense of humor keeps what could easily become a muddled mess pristine, with members of his quorum shining individually but also acting as cogs in the larger story's machinery. There are moments when the reader is left to wonder how things can possibly come together, but it's worthwhile to trust Donohue's narrators as they lead this puzzling and greatly satisfying trip."
--Publishers Weekly, on Centuries of June

"Ingenious."
--The New York Times Book Review, on The Boy Who Drew Monsters

"Enchanting . . . Donohue seamlessly blends the fantastical and the real here, with a matter-of-fact approach to the magic that exists on the edges of everyday life. This is a mysterious journey told in lyrical prose."
--BookPage, on The Stolen Child

About the Author

Keith Donohue is the author of five novels, including the New York Times bestseller The Stolen Child. His work has been translated into two dozen languages. He also reviews books, interviews other writers, and wrote speeches for the chairman of the National Endowment for the Arts. He lives in Maryland, just outside Washington, DC.