The Marsh King's Daughter

This wasn't my typical reading choice. But I did enjoy it. From the beginning, the narrative is so convincing that I had to seriously consider if this was based on a real event. The present-day story is surprisingly short. The bulk of the book relates to Helena's childhood, so you're reading both storylines as well as how it has a similarity to the fairytale of The Marsh King's Daughter.

This is definitely not for the faint of heart. The worst gore in the book relates to hunting (I wouldn't call it graphic, but it is disturbing), and Helena's mother giving birth. Kidnapping, rape, torture, and murder are at the core of this book. However, Karen Dionne does not go into detail about these events other than letting the reader know that they happened.