My Evil Mother: A Short Story

 

Summary (from the publisher): Life is hard enough for a teenage girl in 1950s suburbia without having a mother who may—or may not—be a witch. A single mother at that. Sure, she fits in with her starched dresses, string of pearls, and floral aprons. Then there are the hushed and mystical consultations with neighborhood women in distress. The unsavory, mysterious plants in the flower beds. The divined warning to steer clear of a boyfriend whose fate is certainly doomed. But as the daughter of this bewitching homemaker comes of age and her mother’s claims become more and more outlandish, she begins to question everything she once took for granted.

Review: In this delightful short story, a teenager growing up in the 1950s is being raised by a single mother who may or may not be a witch. Her mother is a perfect 50s housewife with starched dresses and pearls but she mysteriously never shops, doesn't seem to have a source of income, leads consultations with distressed women, and gives divine warnings to her daughter about the doomed fate of her boyfriend. As she grows older, her daughter begins to question more and more about her mother and what she was told as a child. 

This is a delightful coming of age story about a young girl with a larger than life mother who has a vivid imagination - or truly is a witch. Just like the narrator, the reader is left wondering about the truthfulness of her mother's life - or lives over the centuries if she is to be believed. Atwood is always a master at creating strong, compelling female characters and this short story is no different. Atwood is also masterful at creating an ambiguous storyline that can be read as you wish. Either this is a story about witchcraft, or it is a story about a gullible daughter who was told fanciful stories by her mother. 

Stars: 4