It's a difficult novel to pin down by genre - it has the suspense and twists of a psychological thriller, a tinge of supernatural horror, a subtle lack of clarity over whether Rose is being manipulated, or just an unreliable narrator. There's a slightly slow start to the story but like Charlotte herself it gradually works its spell and hooks the reader. I accidentally came across The Cottingley Cuckoo on Twitter, and it probably isn't quite like my usual read but I really enjoyed it. More experienced staff at the home warn Rose that Charlotte has played similar tricks before, causing trouble for her carers, but Rose's curiosity is insatiable, even though she feels she's being dragged into a dark web of, perhaps, supernatural events. With an interest in literature and fairy tales, Rose is lured by the old lady's talk of the infamous Cottingley fairies hoax, and the hints that she has letters which prove the existence of the fairies beyond all doubt. The letters' content grows more menacing, inexplicable events begin to occur inside her home, and Rose begins to entertain dark thoughts about her baby and its origins.Charlotte Favell, one of the elderly residents at Sunnyside Care Home, has taken a strange interest in Rose, the new member of staff. The author of the letters insists he has proof that the fairies exist Rose is eager to learn more, but Charlotte only allows her to read on when she sees fit.ĭiscovering she is unexpectedly pregnant, Rose feels another door to the future has slammed.

She has a mysterious and aged stack of letters about the Cottingley Fairies, the photographs made famous by Arthur Conan Doyle, but later dismissed as a hoax. She hopes the situation will be short term.Ĭharlotte Favell, an elderly resident, takes a strange, sinister interest in Rose, but offers an unexpected glimpse of enchantment. Elwood combines an eerie past with prescient modern day concerns about pregnancy and childbirth in this atmospheric tale one that will gradually creep it's way inside your soul.Ĭaptivated by books and stories, Rose dreams of a more fulfilled life, away from the confines of the Sunnyside Care Home where she works to support herself and her boyfriend. The Cottingley Cuckoo is a gripping and disturbing gothic in the vein of Stacey Halls, Laura Purcell and Andrew Michael Hurley.

The Cottingley Cuckoo by A.J. Elwood