The dancing chicken: A novel

by Susan Musgrave

The Dancing Chicken represents yet another departure for this daring writer. It casts a satiric eye on the alliances and misalliances of small-town institutions and families, specifically the Holmes family. Cod Holmes, who considers himself unhappily married to Nora, is on the verge of falling in love with Ursula, who is slightly mad.

He is also spectacularly unfaithful with nurse Trout while visiting his daughter Brandy in the hospital. Brandy and her lover have been shot down by the leader of a rival motorcycle gang, who takes refuge in the woodshed of Cod's mother Miriam. Miriam believes him to be the resurrection of her long-dead husband Dodder.

And so the family engages in the universal dance of sex and death in this mordantly funny new novel by one of our most imaginative writers.

216 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1987

About the author

Susan Musgrave is a Canadian poet and children's writer. She was born in Santa Cruz, California to Canadian parents, and currently lives in British Columbia, dividing her time between Sidney and Haida Gwaii.

Musgrave was married to Stephen Reid, a writer, convicted bank robber and former member of the infamous band of thieves known as the Stopwatch Gang. Their relationship was chronicled in 1999 in the CBC series Life and Times.

She currently teaches creative writing in the University of British Columbia's Optional Residency Master of Fine Arts Program.

Recognizing a life in writing, the Writers' Trust presented Susan Musgrave with the 2014 Matt Cohen Award for her lifetime of work.

Reviews

[Vicki · Rating 5 out of 5]

Hilalrious! I had a little trouble getting into it at first, but Musgrave kept it exciting and moving fast and she gave it a great ending.

[Harold Walters · Rating 4 out of 5]

Surprise! I read this book 25 years ago!!