A Secret Lingers

In Chloe Mitchell Howarth's circa-1965 Irish family tale, "Heap Earth Upon It."

By: Janday Wilson

Outlets: Midbrow

Published: March 31, 2026

Words: 592

Last Updated: 2 months, 1 week ago

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Heap Earth Upon It
By Chloe Mitchell Howarth
Melville House

Heap Earth Upon It erupts from its first moments.

“Often I wake to the sort of scream that permeates soil and rattles the coffins and fossils it passes by,” thinks Jack O’Leary in the prologue. The hoary line sets the tone for a novel in which grief and memory seep from every syllable.

Chloe Mitchell Howarth’s writing is so physical you can grasp it within your hands. Her style renders …

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