Bury Our Bones in the Midnight Soil

Bury Our Bones in the Midnight Soil tells the story of three women, each in a different century who find themselves linked by immortality, hunger, and the desire for more than the world has to offer. Set in both the 16th century in Spain and the 19th century in England, and in contemporary in America, the story slowly unfolds, revealing the different ways in which Maria, Charlotte, and Alice make decisions that alter the course of their lives forever. Different stories start to congeal to one another and become more sinister, about desire, grief, power and the price of freedom. The book's emphasis is on atmosphere and character over action, and much of the enjoyment is in watching these women make their way through struggles of self-understanding and self-transformation.

I came into it with my passion for it ignited by the idea itself, which, like all ideas, sounded just like the kind of story I like! In a logical way, it should have been a long, character-driven vampire novel, with several timelines and strong emotional themes, but in some ways it just wasn't. Throughout the book, the writing is beautiful. Schwab has a knack for conveying emotions and moments that even in a quiet scene are significant, and certain sections are truly creepy. The mood is fairly consistent and dark and gothic, which is appropriate for the story. I also enjoyed the drive of the structure. It might have been confusing to follow three women through three different eras, but transitions are easy to follow and slowly, one can begin to wonder what life has in common for these three women.

It's also a book whose style at times is more of a character than the story itself. The pacing is slow, which is not a bad thing at first, but begins to drag in the middle. There are also many long periods in which little transpires, and the emphasis is entirely on thoughts and descriptions rather than interaction between characters. That said, I never felt attached to the characters as I would have hoped to be. All three of them are interesting, but emotionally I felt a bit distant from them, like I was in the same situation as them, but I did not feel it as much as them. That distance made a difference in a book that is so character driven.

Another facet I liked but not so much in practice, was the different time periods. The concept of the women of other centuries and the choices that impact their lives was one I found enjoyable, but sometimes I felt as if it was less alive than it could have been. The narrative frequently jumps from one location to another, which broadens the range of the book, but unfortunately did not help to build a sense of place in the novel. There were a few more interesting timelines than others, and some parts that I was more invested in than others. The modern storyline, although it proved to be very significant later, was weaker to me as compared to the historical storylines.

The overall mood in the book is one aspect that it does very well. Loneliness, hunger and restlessness permeated the entire story and that came across in this section. Themes of wanting more in life, wanting to break free of what is expected out of you and reacting to the consequences of your own choices are dealt with thoughtfully. Though I was never sold on the plot, I could still enjoy what the book was seeking to investigate. It's more of a story of emotion and identity than vampires, and those who enjoy the slow, reflective genre of fantasy are likely to appreciate it more than those seeking action.

I'm happy that I read this, but it didn't get me as excited as I wanted it to be. The writing, the structure, and the ideas are all great, but the characters weren't really what I was attracted to, and a good amount was longer than it really needed to be. It's a considerate, well written work, but not one that pulled me in. I can understand why some readers will love it, and I can also understand why others might struggle with it, and for me it ended up somewhere right in the middle. I would rate it 4 out of 5 stars.