In "The Upstairs House" by Julia Fine, readers are taken on a journey through the haunting and surreal experience of Megan, a new mother struggling with postpartum challenges. The book delves into themes of female desire, loneliness, and mental health, as Megan finds herself haunted by the ghost of children's book writer Margaret Wise Brown. As Megan navigates her reality, which blurs with the fantastical, she must confront her struggles with motherhood, academia, and her own sanity. The novel expertly weaves elements of motherhood, postpartum psychosis, and supernatural encounters, offering a unique and enthralling exploration of the complexities of a woman's mind.
The narrative style in "The Upstairs House" seamlessly combines the realism of early motherhood experiences with mystical and surreal elements, creating a captivating and thought-provoking read. Readers are drawn into Megan's world as she grapples with the challenges of bonding with her baby, haunted by ghostly figures, and questioning her own mental state. The book takes the reader on a journey through Megan's psyche, blurring the lines between reality and imagination, ultimately delivering a gripping and unforgettable exploration of the depths of a woman's mind.
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Sensitive Topics/Content Warnings
Content warnings for The Upstairs House include discussions of mental illness, postpartum depression, psychological distress, and themes of motherhood alongside haunting elements.
From The Publisher:
Winner of the Chicago Review of Books Fiction Award
A Good Morning America Book of the Month Selection
A Popsugar Must-Read Book of the Month
A Buzzfeed Most Anticipated Book of the Year
A The Millions Most Anticipated Book of the Year
"Provocative…. [An] assured, beautifully written book." -Sarah Lyall, New York Times
In this provocative meditation on new motherhood-Shirley Jackson meets The Awakening-a postpartum woman's psychological unraveling becomes intertwined with the ghostly appearance of children's book writer Margaret Wise Brown.
There's a madwoman upstairs, and only Megan Weiler can see her.
Ravaged and sore from giving birth to her first child, Megan is mostly raising her newborn alone while her husband travels for work. Physically exhausted and mentally drained, she's also wracked with guilt over her unfinished dissertation-a thesis on mid-century children's literature.
Enter a new upstairs neighbor: the ghost of quixotic children's book writer Margaret Wise Brown-author of the beloved classic Goodnight Moon-whose existence no one else will acknowledge. It seems Margaret has unfinished business with her former lover, the once-famous socialite and actress Michael Strange, and is determined to draw Megan into the fray. As Michael joins the haunting, Megan finds herself caught in the wake of a supernatural power struggle-and until she can find a way to quiet these spirits, she and her newborn daughter are in terrible danger.
Using Megan's postpartum haunting as a powerful metaphor for a woman's fraught relationship with her body and mind, Julia Fine once again delivers an imaginative and "barely restrained, careful musing on female desire, loneliness, and hereditary inheritances" (Washington Post).
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1 comment(s)
Man, I have never had a child, but this made me experience post partum first hand. I think there is so much that is stigmatized about PPD, and this book made it "normal". It was an uncomfortable read, but I really enjoyed it.
What can you read after
The Upstairs House?
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