Queen Mab
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Pub Date 27 Aug 2026 | Archive Date 9 Jul 2026
Pushkin Press | ONE
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Description
There is a changeling in this story, but who is it?
Madeleine, a promising grad student, is newly married when her baby daughter Maud arrives-perfect despite a traumatic labour. But just a few nights into their life, something seems amiss. Maud never stops crying. Her hunger is insatiable. Her eyes glint with a kind of ancient mischief. Could Maud be a fairy child, swapped when she wasn't paying attention? Is her real daughter elsewhere, dancing in the half-light with sprites and foxes?
As her husband Tom continues with his day-to-day, working toward a promotion, Madeleine slips further into violent visions. Panicked at her lack of maternal love and shut out from her old life, she turns to what she knows best, literature, for answers. The old myths and stories end in sorrow and bloodshed, after all the fairies don't just kidnap babies-they're partial to young women too. Is Maud the changeling, or is it Madeleine? And if she's been swapped, how will she find her way back?
Queen Mab is a riveting portrait of madness, motherhood, the myths that haunt us and the families who keep us tethered.
Available Editions
| EDITION | Hardcover |
| ISBN | 9781805338062 |
| PRICE | £18.99 (GBP) |
| PAGES | 304 |
Available on NetGalley
Average rating from 5 members
Featured Reviews
I was absolutely transfixed by this novel. Incredibly well written and deeply haunting, “Queen Mab” is about a young mother as she comes to believe that her newborn has been taken and replaced with a changeling.
The strong literary and fairy tale themes in the book were a delight to read, and the description of Madeline’s interior world was so rich and fraught and captivating. I found myself eager to return to the book when I was forced to put it down.
I highly recommend this book to all readers, but especially those who enjoy books about womanhood, motherhood, and references to classic literature. A true gem of a book.
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