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Poor Deer
Poor Deer: A Novel | Claire Oshetsky
16 posts | 11 read | 12 to read
A wondrous, tender novel about a young girl grappling with her role in a tragic lossand attempting to reshape the narrative of her lifefrom PEN/Faulkner Award nominee Claire Oshetsky Margaret Murphy is a weaver of fantastic tales, growing up in a world where the truth is too much for one little girl to endure. Her first memory is of the day her friend Agnes died. No one blames Margaret. Not in so many words. Her mother insists to everyone who will listen that her daughter never even left the house that day. Left alone to make sense of tragedy, Margaret wills herself to forget these unbearable memories, replacing them with imagined stories full of faith and magicthat always end happily. Enter Poor Deer: a strange and formidable creature who winds her way uninvited into Margarets made-up tales. Poor Deer will not rest until Margaret faces the truth about her past and atones for her role in Agness death. Heartrending, hopeful, and boldly imagined, Poor Deer explores the journey toward understanding the children we once were and the stories we tell ourselves to make sense of lifes most difficult moments.
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review
squirrelbrain
Poor Deer: A Novel | Claire Oshetsky
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Pickpick

I loved this, and it‘s another perfect example of why I love the #ToBlonglist so much.

Yes, it‘s a bit weird, but in a good way. And it‘s so beautifully but sparsely written - about motherhood, grief, regret, love, loss and forgiveness.

It has a bit of a feel of Catherine Chidgey‘s ‘Pet‘ but with added magical realism, so if you liked that - read this!

And I‘m not a fan of magical realism at all but it totally works here.

BkClubCare And her first book is even weirder! 🦉 1w
TrishB Interesting! I have her first book on the tbr 😁 1w
Cathythoughts A bit of a feel of ‘Pet‘ …. Stacked ! 1w
See All 12 Comments
Caroline2 Interesting 🧐 esp with that cover ❤️ 1w
squirrelbrain Yes, I‘d really like to read Chouette now! @BkClubCare @TrishB 1w
squirrelbrain I think you‘ll like it too @Cathythoughts 1w
squirrelbrain It‘s a great cover, I think! @Caroline2 1w
BarbaraBB Great review. I will read it soon. The comparison to Pet is very tempting! 1w
squirrelbrain I hope you don‘t think I‘m talking rubbish with that comparison @BarbaraBB when you read it. It was the neglectful mother side of things, and the unreliability of a child‘s recollection….. 1w
BarbaraBB You‘re mostly spot-on with such comparisons 🤍 1w
sarahbarnes Great review, I‘m very excited for this one! It‘s in my library book stack. 1w
Suet624 I perked up with the Pet reference too. Stacked! 2d
67 likes5 stack adds12 comments
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sarahbarnes
Poor Deer: A Novel | Claire Oshetsky
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A few that came available from the library. Let‘s see how many of these I can get to! 😁 #TOB2025

BarbaraBB Great haul and that fire, so cozy!! 3w
squirrelbrain Great choices, and I love the 🔥 too! 3w
Cathythoughts Gorgeous post 🔥 📚 3w
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sarahbarnes @BarbaraBB @squirrelbrain @Cathythoughts thank you! 😊 I‘m excited to try these, even though I know a few have mixed reviews. 3w
BarbaraBB I haven‘t heard anything about Invisible Hotel but do have a copy. I am super curious about it! 3w
Suet624 Cozy photo. 2w
33 likes6 comments
review
fredthemoose
Poor Deer: A Novel | Claire Oshetsky
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Pickpick

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Been looking forward to #LitsyToB25 but realized I‘ve only read 2 of the #ToBlonglist 😬, so getting started with what‘s easily available. A 4 year old was partly involved in her friend‘s accidental death and wrestles with the mental and emotional fallout from that and its toll on her and her close relationships until she‘s finally able to address her guilt. Got a little slow in the middle but picked back up and finished strong.

BkClubCare I really liked it. 3w
44 likes1 comment
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Addison_Reads
Poor Deer: A Novel | Claire Oshetsky
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All of the books, ebooks, and audiobooks I currently have checked out to read for #ToB25. We'll see how many I can get through before the shortlist.

sarahbarnes A good stack! 📚 4w
marleed I‘ve only read two (top row, last two to the right), and both were 5 star reads for me. For me Margo defines why I love fiction - it introduced characters that I knew IRL I‘d likely choose not to befriend. And then it taught me what a missed opportunity that would be for me. 4w
squirrelbrain Great choices! ❤️ 4w
BarbaraBB Good stack indeed! Looking forward to your thoughts on them! 4w
32 likes4 comments
review
BkClubCare
Poor Deer: A Novel | Claire Oshetsky
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Pickpick

Five star read, exquisitely told, characters to cheer for, totally unique! And it has pie 🌟 Narration by Sophie Amoss is excellent.

#Nov2024 Book100 🎉

Deblovestoread I‘m hoping to see this one on The Tournament of Books longlist 2mo
squirrelbrain I wish this was easier together hold of here! I can get it on Amazon (not cheap!) but there‘s no audio version to be had anywhere.🤷‍♀️ (edited) 2mo
sarahbarnes Even more excited for this one now! 2mo
See All 6 Comments
BkClubCare @squirrelbrain DARN! 🫤 2mo
BkClubCare @Deblovestoread - full of good discussionables. 2mo
BkClubCare @sarahbarnes - it is so clever! 2mo
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BkClubCare
Poor Deer: A Novel | Claire Oshetsky
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The narrator for the audiobook of Poor Deer is knockin‘ it out of the park! Especially with, “It moved the kindhearted teacher, … and she remembered why she had become a teacher in the first place. It wasn‘t just because no one wanted to marry her. It was also because she had felt a calling.” 😆🤣 Deadpan delivery. Oshetsky is a damn good writer, too. #HappyHalloween #FlyingMonkey (pic from 2009)

sarahbarnes 😂😂😂 2mo
BkClubCare @sarahbarnes - oh good! I laughed out loud but then… like always! - I question my sense of humor. 2mo
28 likes2 comments
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BkClubCare
Poor Deer: A Novel | Claire Oshetsky
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Starting this now. Hoping it will be on the #ToB2025_LongList

sarahbarnes Stacking! 2mo
BarbaraBB Me too! Can‘t wait for that longlist! 2mo
BkClubCare @BarbaraBB @sarahbarnes - any books you recommend might be LL‘d? I want to be ahead of it, which -of course- is foolish to think I could ever 😂 2mo
See All 14 Comments
BarbaraBB I think Annie Bot or Beautyland are possible contenders. I liked the first one, was underwhelmed by the second. But I am really not good in this guessing. You should ask @squirrelbrain 😀 2mo
squirrelbrain I‘m not good at guessing the ToB books either - there‘s always so many (good) surprises! I think it‘s because it‘s a US-focused list. @BarbaraBB @sarahbarnes I can‘t wait for the list, to start the search for where I can get them from. Poor Deer is quite difficult to get hold of here but I do think it has a high chance of being on the list…. 🙄 (edited) 2mo
squirrelbrain Others that I‘ve reserved in anticipation include: Irena Rey, I Cheerfully Refuse, Lesser Ruins, Blue Ruin, Sipsworth, Fruit of the Dead. I‘ve recently read Behind You Is The Sea and I‘m listening to Our London Lives, which could be possibles. 2mo
BarbaraBB Thank you @squirrelbrain this is super inspiring! 2mo
BkClubCare @squirrelbrain - OH! I am super excited to see Sipsworth! SO interesting (and happy) that this book is so well loved. I have met the author - his books are quite good. 2mo
BkClubCare @BarbaraBB TY - I love a good list. 2mo
squirrelbrain That‘s a great list! @BarbaraBB This one is on there and I‘ve seen a LOT of hype about it so it could be on ToB. (Another one I can‘t get, of course) 2mo
BarbaraBB @squirrelbrain I‘ve read that one. It‘s a short story collection and although some are great, it didn‘t live up@to the hype imo 2mo
sarahbarnes Thanks for all the tips @squirrelbrain @BarbaraBB! I do know TOB tends to be pretty US-focused. I‘m hoping for a better shortlist this year!! The long list is always such a treasure hunt though. 📚 2mo
BarbaraBB @sarahbarnes The longlist is a yearly highlight for me 😀! And I almost forgot but indeed, last year‘s shortlist was a bummer! 2mo
32 likes1 stack add14 comments
review
mrp27
Poor Deer: A Novel | Claire Oshetsky
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Pickpick

This was such a curious and quirky little book. I picked it randomly at the library and I was immediately immersed in Margret‘s world as she tries to deal with grief and tragedy.

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MegCaldwell
Poor Deer: A Novel | Claire Oshetsky
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Pickpick

What a strange and whimsical book, every retelling surprised me, as time moves sideways.

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CaseyTheCanadianLesbrarian
Poor Deer: A Novel | Claire Oshetsky
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Pickpick

My god, do I love Claire Oshetsky's writing. Their trademark odd combination of straightforward prose and everyday magic is present again in this story about grief, parenting, regret, childhood, fate, and the stories we tell ourselves about our lives. This book is sad. Poor Deer actually has an opposite portrayal of motherhood from Oshetsky's CHOUETTE, one where the mother fails to support her kid. A beautiful book, but bring your tissues.

40 likes2 stack adds
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BkClubCare
Poor Deer: A Novel | Claire Oshetsky
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Nomination for #CampLitsy2024, one of four. @Megabooks @BarbaraBB @squirrelbrain

Background photo is my newly planted Rhubarb. FYI Strawberry Rhubarb Pie Day is June 9 🌟🍓🥧

Chelsea.Poole I almost added this to my nominations! And—I have rhubarb too! 😊 8mo
squirrelbrain Ooh, this was rumoured for the #womensprize… 🤔 8mo
BarbaraBB This sounds good!! 8mo
See All 8 Comments
BkClubCare @Chelsea.Poole - one of these times, my rhubarb plants will survive long enough to harvest. They keep dying, we keep trying it in new spots of the garden #sigh 🌱 8mo
BkClubCare @squirrelbrain - was it? I haven‘t given much attention to that this year. I love the author‘s reviews on gr. 8mo
BkClubCare @BarbaraBB - HIGHLY anticipated read for me, I know I will read it anyway, if it isn‘t selected for camp. 8mo
Megabooks I've almost checked out this audiobook twice! 8mo
BkClubCare @Megabooks - I hope to do the ebook so that I can easily capture bits and bites. I love a good audiobook, too but want to preserve my reactions. (edited) 8mo
31 likes8 comments
review
jdiehr
Poor Deer: A Novel | Claire Oshetsky
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Pickpick

I loved Chouette by this author and was equally enchanted by Poor Deer.

Oshetsky's writing is beautifully unique.

In this story, a very young child experiences a traumatic event and grapples with guilt for the rest of her life.

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CaseyTheCanadianLesbrarian
Poor Deer: A Novel | Claire Oshetsky
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"She loves her next-door neighbour, Ruby Bickford, and doesn't know it, because such a love lies just outside the window of Florence's imagination...She works at the downtown lunch counter, where she gives free pie slices to all the single men, because she still has ambition."

Aaah I love Claire Oshetsky's writing!

41 likes2 stack adds
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AbstractMonica
Poor Deer: A Novel | Claire Oshetsky
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Pickpick

This story was unique, but all I will say is that Margaret Murphy deserved more from the adults in her life.

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Floresj
Poor Deer: A Novel | Claire Oshetsky
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Pickpick

Two 4 year old girls start the book, and one tells the story throughout the rest. However, since the girl is remembering, living, avoiding and processing her grief, stories are repeated, but different. Excellent.

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Suzze
Poor Deer: A Novel | Claire Oshetsky
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I read 6 books in February and liked them all. Have you read any of these?