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Sep 13, 2024 By Frank Valish

Acclaimed New Zealand writer Catherine Chidgey’s new novel, The Axeman’s Carnival, tells the story of a magpie chick that is rescued by a woman named Marnie, who lives with her farmer husband, Rob. Marnie takes the bird into her home, names it Tama (short for Tamagotchi), and Tama becomes part of the family. Rob, who is also preparing for the annual wood chopping competition called The Axeman’s Carnival does not take kindly to Tama, and his abuse of Marnie is witnessed regularly by the bird.

The Axeman’s Carnival is an immensely creative tale, as it tells the story of a family in dysfunction through the eyes of a bird. But Tama is no ordinary bird. It has managed to pick up sentences of English spoken by his human family, television, and others, and utters these phrases sometimes at the most inopportune of times. With the family falling on hard monetary times, Marnie monetizes Tama’s preternatural talents, ultimately setting up a live feed in her home to track the life of Tama and its family and develops a whole line of merchandise to sell to its new legion of followers.

However, as things often do, Tama’s fame gets a bit out of control, reeking unexpected havoc on the family and escalating an already tense and abusive environment. The Axeman’s Carnival is coming up for Rob, and the book ends in a whirlwind denouement that cannot be come back from. Chidgey’s novel manages to entrance, amuse, and tug at heartstrings. You won’t be able to put it down. (www.europaeditions.com)

Author rating: 8/10