A fascinating story during WWI. The characters are so believable and the author wrote them so well. I only wish the story would have lasted longer. Loved it!

This was a fascinating read that hooked me from the beginning,a and I couldn't put down. I thought the characters and story were both planned well. The author did an excellent job with the flow of the story and keep me, as a reader, interested. I can't wait to read more from this author. I recommend this book to other readers.

Thank you Net Galley, Books Go Social, and Kevin St. Jarre

In 1914, France conscripted men to defend their lands. One young man called to duty was Henri Arsenault, a farmer. An isolated farm in Montagnat, near Lyon, was worked by Henri, his wife Seraphine, with the occasional assistance from a mysterious boy named Olivier. The nomadic boy worked diligently, but only on days when he was hungry for bread, cheese and milk. In anticipation of immediate marching orders, Henri hired seventy-nine year old Alcide Chretien of Paris. Both Seraphine, Henri's wife and Esme, Henri’s bay mare were pregnant and due to give birth about the same time. Alcide was hired to work on the farm in exchange for room and board and to keep an eye on Seraphine in Henri’s absence.

In 1922, an American journalist in Paris wanted to write an unusual World War I story. He chose to research the Cagots, a marginalized population historically found in the Pyrenees Mountains between France and Spain. Treated as outcasts, it was surprising that Monsieur Alcide Chretien, a Cagot, was currently residing in Paris. In a dual timeline, Alcide as storyteller, weaves a tale of traumatic experiences on the Arsenault farm. What was real? What was delusionary?

The unsettling occurrences were jump started by a violent storm. Both Seraphine and the mare, Esme go into labor. In the distance, a neighbor’s child is shrieking in an outlying field. The tone for the disaster is set, producing incredible tension. While Seraphine is delivering a still-born girl, the mare delivers a foal to be named Elise. In an unusual turn of events, Esme rejects her newborn foal while Seraphine obsessively nurtures Elise and moves her sleeping quarters to the barn, no longer occupying the farmhouse. Did the soul of the stillborn child enter the body of the foal? Olivier takes over the care of the bay mare. Olivier feels Esme must be protected from the devilish forces within Elise’s soul.

Slowly, steadily, the Gothic atmosphere surrounds the protagonists. Each in their own way becomes more grief stricken, isolated, obsessed and disconnected from life; the despair is palatable. The reader can’t help but be drawn in. It seems appropriate that this scary Gothic novel was left unresolved.

Highly recommended.

Thank you Encircle Publications and Net Galley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Kevin St. Jarre’s Chills at Her Living Cry is an evocative novel that delves into the haunting interaction of isolation, obsession, and the human mind's fragility, set against the backdrop of World War I-era France. The story follows a pregnant female, deserted via her husband who leaves for conflict, as she navigates lifestyles on a farm with most effective an aged farmhand and a mysterious boy for guide. Her fixation on a newborn foal bureaucracy the core of a story that blurs the boundaries between truth and delusion.

Pros:

Rich Atmosphere: St. Jarre’s vibrant descriptions of the French nation-state and the eerie tone of the farm create an immersive reading experience.
Layered Storytelling: The twin timeline, with a farmhand recounting events years later, adds intensity and maintains the reader engaged.
Psychological Depth: The protagonist’s descent into obsession is dealt with with nuance, making her a complicated and compelling person.
Themes of Trauma: The novel explores the effect of struggle, isolation, and grief with sensitivity.
Cons:

Pacing Issues: Some sections experience slower, specifically in the course of the protagonist’s inner reflections.
Ambiguity: While the open-ended elements add intrigue, a few readers may find the shortage of resolution frustrating.
St. Jarre’s prose is both poetic and unsettling, drawing readers into a world of quiet despair and lingering mystery. The narrative’s awareness on mental anxiety makes it a standout in ancient fiction. However, its slower moments may additionally project readers in search of a extra motion-pushed plot.

In conclusion, Chills at Her Living Cry is a superbly written, idea-scary novel that leaves an enduring impact. It is a have to-study for lovers of atmospheric, character-pushed tales that assignment the bounds of truth.