Crow Children

Crow Children Synopsis

‘What can I do?’ Ava asked.

‘Do?’ Corbie asked. He began to walk a slow circle around Ava. Ava turned on the spot with him, keeping the strange little boy in her eyes. Hundreds of eyes watched them from that wide ring of crows. Corbie smiled after a little while.

‘A soul for a soul…’ he whispered.

Following the sudden and unexpected death of Ava’s father, her mother decides they need a complete reset and to return to her roots; the town of Crawford, on the edge of woods, where Ava’s Pop and Nana still live. Ava is far from thrilled at starting again, though she is happy to be reunited with her grandparents, particularly her Nana, whose stories are legendary. But Nana’s memories are fading quickly and Ava is devastated to once again be faced with a loss.

Dustin Marr is a mercurial student at Ava’s new school, who seems to have a strange connection with the woods – particularly the crows who circle the edge of the town. Dustin thinks he knows how to bring back Nana’s memories. The crows wield a power, he says, the messengers between the world of the living and the dead. But the crows demand a sacrifice, and Ava needs to decide if it’s worth the price.

An atmospheric and powerful exploration of the impact of grief and loss, Crow Children is the second novel from James Dixon, who won the 2021 Guppy Open Submission for his debut novel, The Billow Maiden.

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