Book Review | The Ghost Woods by C.J. Cooke

In 1959, 17-year-old Mabel thinks she has ghosts inside her. That must be why she is pregnant despite never being with anyone, and why she is sent to Lichen Home. In 1965, 22-year-old Pearl is pregnant and sent to a mother and child home owned by the Whitlock family. But the house is surrounded by ghost woods, spoiled with fungi, with rumours of dark magic. Pearl and Mabel’s stories will become intertwined in unexpected ways.

I have a ghost in my knee. There’s a small pocket just behind the kneecap and she’s hiding in there, all tucked up in the soft mattress of cartilage. She’s very small and terrified, so I’m sitting with that leg slightly straightened so I don’t disturb her. I’ve not said a word about this to anyone. They’d think I’m mad.

The Ghost Woods is the third in a thematic trilogy that explores motherhood, witchcraft, and trauma after The Nesting and The Lighthouse Witches (all by the same author). This is a gothic horror set at a time and place when unwed mothers were treated abhorrently and their children were taken away without their consent. It also explores gay rights and gender inequality, showing how these women had to trade their freedom for a home.

I really liked the characters, especially the quick-thinking and steadfast Pearl. The characters’ relationships evolve in surprising ways, where not everyone is as they appear to be. Their oppressive situation forces the women to work together, distrustful of the Whitlock family yet unable to leave. The book portrays what survival was like for these mothers, and how their friendship and love for each other grow amidst their trauma. There are two painful birth scenes, and the bleakness of their conditions was horrifying to read.

What I found lacking is the supernatural angle, where too much was included so they only scratched the surface. There’s a witch figure from Scottish folklore called Nicnevin but her motivations were unclear. There’s suspicious fungi and mushrooms, a plot thread about bringing people back to life, trees growing in strange places, and a character who can see visions. I wish these threads were connected more cohesively.

The Ghost Woods is an atmospheric horror that takes you to a horrifying time in history. Don’t miss the author’s note for further background information!

CW: child death, sexual assault

I received a copy from the publisher and Netgalley for review purposes.

About the author: C.J. Cooke

Cover photo by Omid Mozaffari