Drive Your Plow Over the Bones of the Dead

Janina is an eccentric middle-aged woman who translates William Blake, studies astrology, and is acutely attuned to the wilderness around her in rural Poland. When hunters and poachers begin to be gruesomely murdered, Janina informs the police that the animals are responsible. As the bodies mount, so does her involvement with the mystery, although her status as a crank and possible madwoman ensures that she’s ignored. This is an extraordinary and disturbing tale — a mystery that becomes more complex as the story continues, accompanied by Janina’s often witty observations on man, nature, justice, and identity. The ending of this hard-to-categorize novel, a finalist for the 2019 Man Booker International Prize, will knock the breath out of you. Don’t miss this excellent translated work from an award-winning writer!

This book is bonkers and I am so in love with it — one of the funniest books I’ve ever read. Olga Tokarczuk’s comic timing is surprising and delightful in this rural noir set in Poland and featuring astrology, William Blake, revenge-seeking animals, and an entire cast of characters unlike you have ever seen before. This book is genius and oh so satisfying.