On the bones of the dead

Janina Doucheyko lives alone in a small hamlet in the heart of the Sudetes.

A retired engineer, she is passionate about nature, astrology, and the work of the poet and painter William Blake.

One morning, she finds a neighbor dead in her kitchen, choked by a small bone.

This is the beginning of a series of mysterious crimes at the scenes of which animal traces are found. The police investigate.

All the victims shared a consuming passion for hunting...

📖 Review from Librairie du Grimoire Ancien

By our editorial & librarian committee

Olga Tokarczuk, Nobel Prize in Literature 2018, signs with Drive Your Plow Over the Bones of the Dead a fascinating hybrid novel that blends ecological thriller, philosophical fable, and a manifesto for animal rights. This singular text, published by Libretto, confirms the Polish author's talent for stories that defy categorization.

Janina Doucheyko, a retired engineer passionate about astrology and William Blake, becomes an unforgettable narrator—eccentric, visionary, deeply connected to nature. When hunters mysteriously die in her Sudeten hamlet, she devises a disturbing theory: what if the animals were taking revenge on their tormentors?

What makes this novel so powerful is its ability to intertwine detective suspense, ecological reflection, and a spiritual quest. Tokarczuk questions our relationship with living beings, with nature, with the violence we inflict on animals. The references to William Blake and astrology give the narrative a mysterious and poetic dimension that resonates deeply with contemporary spiritual quests.

We recommend this novel to readers sensitive to deep ecology, ethical questions about our relationship with animals, and all those who appreciate stories that challenge conventions. A metaphysical thriller unique in its kind.

Our rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ — A fascinating hybrid novel that brilliantly blends thriller, ecological fable, and spiritual quest.