Evelyn is a graduate student doing her thesis on the mythical figure Lilith, Adam's first wife. At first all is going well, until Evelyn meets Lilith in the form of a barn owl in her barn. She becomes obsessed, first with the fear that Lilith will steal and devour her infant son, and then that her husband will succumb to Lilith's wiles.

Is the danger real? Who and what is Lilith? Is Evelyn, as her husband fears, losing her emotional grip? The tensions and stresses are growing, between the couple and within Evelyn. And then her husband tells her to paint Lilith.

This is a creepy, atmospheric, very effective novella. Recommended. ( )

I received a copy of Lilith from Book Bloggers, in exchange for an honest review.

Evelyn, a graduate student and new mother, is writing her thesis on the mythical creature/demon, Lilith, only to find the same creature calling to her from her barn. Lilith has taken the shape of an owl, and tells Evelyn that she wants to eat the woman’s baby son. Is this true, or is Evelyn just a little crazy?

Emmert does a good job keeping the reader in the dark about this, but in the way that good horror writers do. Ambiguity, not confusion. The story has an old-school horror feel to it–Shirley Jackson mixed with Lovecraft and Poe–that welcomes you in and keeps you entranced for the length of the tale (a mere 21 pages). Except for a few sentences that I stumbled over, I found Emmert’s use of language lush and lovely. Her characters’ style of speaking did take a little getting used to as it felt very old-fashioned, but this choice worked well for the story, helping to create an eerie and timeless atmosphere. Lilith is a fun dark read. ( )