Kirsten Kaschock's 'An Impossibility Of Crows' Blends Gothic Horror and Literary Fiction

The novel explores themes of motherhood, obsession, generational trauma, and the uneasy relationship between love and control.

Mar. 27, 2026 at 3:25am

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Kirsten Kaschock's novel "An Impossibility of Crows" is a dark, genre-blending work that combines elements of gothic literature, psychological horror, and literary fiction. The story follows Agnes Krahn, a chemist who returns to her family's isolated Pennsylvania farmhouse after her father's death, and becomes consumed by a bizarre experiment to breed an intelligent crow to help her daughter escape.

Why it matters

The novel explores complex themes around motherhood, inheritance, and the dangers of unchecked ambition. It uses the eerie presence of crows as a powerful symbolic device to create a haunting atmosphere and delve into the unresolved wounds of the past.

The details

As Agnes settles back into the family farmhouse, she discovers an abandoned crow's nest in the barn. This sparks an obsession to breed a crow intelligent and large enough to carry her daughter Mina to freedom. The experiment takes on a life of its own as the crow develops language and a fierce will, blurring the lines between scientific curiosity and dangerous obsession.

  • The novel was published on March 27, 2026.

The players

Kirsten Kaschock

The author of the novel "An Impossibility of Crows", which blends gothic literature, psychological horror, and literary fiction.

Agnes Krahn

The protagonist of the novel, a chemist who returns to her family's isolated Pennsylvania farmhouse after her father's death and becomes consumed by a bizarre experiment to breed an intelligent crow.

Mina

Agnes's daughter, for whom she hopes the crow experiment will provide a means of escape from their family's troubled history.

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What they’re saying

“One of the most compelling aspects of An Impossibility of Crows is how it explores the idea of inheritance – not only in terms of family history but also emotional and psychological patterns passed down through generations.”

— Alexandra Steele, Reviewer

“The crow, both creature and symbol – becomes increasingly unsettling. As it develops intelligence, language, and a fierce will of its own – the boundaries between scientific curiosity and dangerous obsession begin to blur.”

— Alexandra Steele, Reviewer

What’s next

The novel "An Impossibility of Crows" by Kirsten Kaschock is available for purchase from the University of Massachusetts Press and other major booksellers.

The takeaway

Kirsten Kaschock's novel "An Impossibility of Crows" is a haunting and layered work that blends gothic, horror, and literary fiction to explore complex themes around motherhood, inheritance, and the dangers of unchecked ambition. The eerie presence of crows serves as a powerful symbolic device, creating an atmosphere that lingers long after the final page.