Bury Our Bones in the Midnight Soil is a dense, character-driven novel that explores the connection between three female main characters and how one can become the very thing they hate. It’s atmospheric and richly written, but may be considered lacking or too drawn-out for some readers.
This book is beautifully written; it’s deliciously descriptive and it transports you to the world and time period of each of the main characters. But it’s also a little… dense. With so many lives, side characters, and smaller moments woven throughout the years of multiple POVs, it can get a little hard to stay focused, especially since the story itself is very character-driven. It can feel pretty slow at times.
Bury Our Bones in the Midnight Soil also feels a bit repetitive. At first, I rooted for each of the women as they were introduced or when they fell in love, drawn in by not only their hopes and dreams of freedom, but their flaws and darker thoughts. But as the narrative unfolds and each one spirals deeper into moral ambiguity, it becomes exhausting to watch them unravel in near-identical ways. I would argue that there is no true redemption here, just a cycle that seems doomed to repeat itself and raises the question: what was the point if nothing truly changes and the characters don’t seem to learn anything?
Bury Our Bones in the Midnight Soil is a haunting tale of women who wish to truly be free and independent (no matter the cost) and the slow erosion of morality. It’s descriptive and emotionally complex but also meandering and arguably frustrating at times.
Would I recommend it?
To the right reader, yes. If you are a fan of the author’s other books, specifically The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue this book might be right up your alley. But as someone who prefers more action and faster pacing, it’s a solid three stars, and probably not something I’d rush to reread.