And Then She Fell: A Novel

Alicia Elliott
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And Then She Fell: A Novel

Alicia Elliott
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Overview

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Overall rating: 4.5 / 5 from 6 reviews.

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Reviews

Indigenous storytelling for Indigenous folks

"enthralling and surprising; culturally relevant while thematically current"

Chelsey C. (5/5)

Not for me

"2. 5 Stars I received an ARC of And Then She Fell before it came out from DoubleDay Canada and Netgalley and it was one of my most anticipated reads. And I hadn’t gotten to it until now because it was our book club’s first pick of 2025. Unfortunately, it was not for me. The cover is gorgeous and eye catching. I was so excited to read an indigenous author and main character. It was sold as horror and I didn’t feel that at all, it was more magic realism for me and I don’t care at all for that genre. I enjoyed the first part of the story when Alice was a teen but after that it went down hill for me. It really reminded me of The Push, which I also didn’t like. And then it just got too wild for me as in what real vs. Not real. What’s mental health vs. Her having visions or being a visionary for her people. After book club, and seeing how others really enjoyed the book and took it differently I could see other perspectives but still it wasn’t a read for me. I would still recommend this book based on others really enjoying it."

JustineVandale (3/5)

Powerful and beautiful story

"A beautiful web of a story. Alicia's writing is incredible, this story felt dizzying, sweet, sore and strong."

Bailzzz (5/5)

A vulnerable & beautiful story

"A beautiful web of a story. This one will stick with you for awhile."

Bailzzz (5/5)

Magnificent

"I bought this for an assignment and I fell in love. It is one of the best books I’ve ever read and I’m an avid reader who’s read almost all of the classics. The way Alicia woves her words is beautiful. 10/10 recommend"

Seb (5/5)

Alicia Elliott is an autobuy author for me

"I will read whatever Alicia Elliott writes so I was very excited to get an e-ARC of this book! I've been waiting to read it for years and I absolutely loved her book of essays, A Mind Spread Out on the Ground (published in 2019). _x000D_ _x000D_ I feel like I don't have the words to do this book justice. I was hooked right from the premise and loved the intro section told in the third person. I also really liked the Sky Woman interstitials and Alice’s modern take on the creation story. _x000D_ _x000D_ I am not a mother, but as I reflect on if that’s a path I want to take, I thought it was refreshing to read a story about the hardships of being a new mom (at all, but especially if you are isolated from your support system). I won’t spoil the twist, but I look forward to rereading this book in a year to better catch the clues that were laid earlier on in the book. _x000D_ _x000D_ Perfect pairings_x000D_ - If you haven’t already, definitely read her first book. You’ll appreciate her novel all the more for having read her essays (she's pulling from some of her own life experience in the novel) plus you’ll get to enjoy more of her excellent wit. _x000D_ - If you enjoyed the premise of thrillers based around motherhood and mental health, check out “The Possibilities” by Yael Goldstein-Love (2023), where a new mom takes on the multiverse to find her missing son. _x000D_ _x000D_ Thanks to Penguin Random House Canada for sending me an e-ARC of this awesome book!"

Emilie B. (4/5)

Q&A

  • Published date: Sep 23, 2025
  • Language: English
  • No. of Pages: 352
  • Publisher: Doubleday Canada
  • ISBN: 9780385684132
  • Dimensions: 5.16" W x 0.93" L x 7.98" H
"And Then She Fell is at once engrossing and profound, terrifying and empathetic. Like The Bell Jar, it sheds new light on the trope of the mad woman, laying bare the million blows it takes to leave a person unhinged." The Walrus

"And Then She Fell has drawn apt comparisons to Jordan Peele’s film Get Out. . . . The redemptive, heart-rending final act of the novel bends space and time to consider "the connection and love that slides between all hardship and gives even the toughest life humor, meaning, heart, heft"—flawed and damaged people still reach out their arms to catch one another when they fall." —Quill & Quire

"The mind of Alicia Elliott is a fascinating place to visit . . . [And Then She Fell] is a damn good read!" —The Globe and Mail

"This novel is part time travel and part horror, as full of heart as it is bold." Publishers Weekly

"A tale of injustice and veiled persecution seen through a fevered imagination." Kirkus Reviews

"[And Then She Fell is] mind-bending [and] razor-sharp." —San Antonio Magazine

"Riveting prose. . . . And Then She Fell will have readers absorbed within the first few sentences." —Shondaland

"It is such an impactful book, I had to hold the book and just cry at the end. . . . An excellent, excellent novel."—Book Riot

"Alicia Elliott explores Native identity, tradition, womanhood, motherhood and mental health in compelling, mysterious and magical storytelling. Expertly moving from humor to horror and back again, Elliott navigates heavy themes in thoughtful and original prose." —Ms.

"This book stunned me. . . . I was not expecting the twists and turns it took to get to the ending, but I loved every single word on the pages." The Colorado Sun

"This first novel from Elliott is an evocative, cerebral study of womanhood, identity, and selfhood wrapped in Haudenosaunee legend. . . . Often funny, often chilling, And Then She Fell studies an Indigenous woman’s unraveling in a world that she’s ashamed to feel so disconnected from, and Elliott tells her story with assuredness and weight." Booklist

"And Then She Fell is a daring, dark exploration of motherhood, mental health and identity. . . . An investigation into inherited trauma and womanhood, this voice-centered novel packs quite a punch." —Zibby Owens, Good Morning America

"If you read one book this season, make it [And Then She Fell]." —The Kit

"With horror and humour, tenderness and teachings, And Then She Fell grips you from page one and never lets go. Alice, a young Haudenosaunee mother, journeys through a kind of looking glass to create a mesmerizing investigation of the messiness of motherhood, mental illness, the Disneyfication of honoured ancestors, micro and macro aggressions against Indigenous peoples, and the power of story. Alicia Elliott has written a smashing debut novel that heralds the arrival of a thrilling new voice in fiction." —The Indigenous Voices Awards Jury

"Creepy, thoughtful, and immersive!" —CrimeReads

"Alicia Elliott’s satirical debut book is awash in trippy black humor." —Bustle

"Familiar and ethereal. Brutal and beautiful. And Then She Fell is the fulfilment of the promise of Alicia Elliott‘s storytelling prowess. . . . A soundtrack for the gorgeous nightmare that is both motherhood and belonging in and of itself, stitched together by the depths only grief and love can hook together. The Naked Lunch meets Rosemary’s Baby. . .and shot together with the golden humour and philosophy of Haudenosaunee story like an intimate lifeline, And Then She Fell is remarkable, and a world unto itself. What an accomplishment. What a gift." —Cherie Dimaline, author of The Marrow Thieves and VenCo

"Alice and her husband have woven a lattice pattern of silence and secrets that slowly implodes in this fierce, remarkable debut. Elliott’s meticulous prose is an agile portal through the narrator’s complex inner life, the tensions, and fractures that surface when the trappings of success hide the weight of intergenerational trauma, racism, sexism, and the unwieldy expectations of Motherhood. And Then She Fell saves us from devastation by the grace it shows its characters and, ultimately, by the strength of their connections." —Eden Robinson, author of Monkey Beach and the Trickster trilogy

"And Then She Fell is shocking, riveting, uncomfortable, gorgeous, and visionary. Alicia Elliott destabilizes the reader and forces them to confront the horror of otherness. The cannibalism of Indigenous culture by academia is portrayed in a grotesque tableau that rivals the worlds of Jordan Peele. Elliott's remarkable, genre-blurring, and brilliant writing takes us into a world of metaphor and myth and nature. Her world-building is as menacing and spectacular as that of Jeff VanderMeer and Silvia Moreno-Garcia. Elliott's true gift to the reader is a new perspective on Indigeneity which is both humbling and earth-shattering." Heather O’Neill, author of When We Lost Our Heads

"Haunting and surreal, And Then She Fell had me questioning reality alongside Alice as she grappled with motherhood, being a writer, a wife, and feeling like an outsider in her own life. With its sharp wit and beautiful writing, this book had me flying through the pages." —Ana Reyes, author of The House in the Pines

"Alicia Elliott’s thorough and thoughtful examination of motherhood, intergenerational trauma, and modern Indigenous realities is a caring salve for Indigenous readers and an important enlightenment for others. I loved its profound exploration of the spaces we navigate as Indigenous peoples—from the rez to the city and beyond—and I greatly appreciated the depth of humanity with which Elliott was able to portray her rez characters. This novel is a triumph of Indigenous truths and experiences." —Waubgeshig Rice, author of Moon of the Crusted Snow and Moon of the Turning Leaves

"A stunning, propulsive novel that complexly folds generational love and mental health into a story about relationships: the ones we have with our ancestors, our family and friends, and ourselves. . . . I laughed, cried, and rooted for the women in these pages. For their unending love for each other in every timeline of life, and for the ways in which they continue to choose each other in spite of trauma, disorder, and colonial forces who hope they don’t. I’m so happy that a novel like this exists, and I am excited to see the future of writing that this work inspires. And Then She Fell is a triumph of a debut." ­—Jessica Johns, author of Bad Cree

"And Then She Fell is an incredible and indelible novel. It's full of wonder and surprise, full of life and heart. This book is a gift that breathes life into the reader. Alicia Elliott has given us a knockout—a book so good you can't put it down." —Morgan Talty, author of Night of the Living Rez

"I could not put this book down. And Then She Fell is one of the most mesmeric, intoxicatingly original novels I have read in recent years, with a central character I will carry with me for a very long time." —Hannah Kent, author of Burial Rights

"A towering achievement, stunningly good storytelling." —Melissa Lucashenko, Miles Franklin Award-winning author of Too Much Lip

"And Then She Fell is an unblinking look at the complex and often terrifying journey of new motherhood and what we're told we should want, with moving insights into connecting with our ancestors and our own identity. Alicia Elliott is a powerful storyteller, and this book is both suspenseful and heartfelt, with haunting elements that linger long after the final page is turned." —Vanessa Lillie, author of Little Voices and Blood Sisters

ALICIA ELLIOTT is a Mohawk writer and editor living in Brantford, Ontario. She has written for The Globe and Mail, CBC, Hazlitt and many others. She’s had numerous essays nominated for National Magazine Awards, winning Gold in 2017 and an honorable mention in 2020. Her short fiction was selected for Best American Short Stories 2018 (by Roxane Gay), Best Canadian Stories 2018, and Journey Prize Stories 30. Alicia was chosen by Tanya Talaga as the 2018 recipient of the RBC Taylor Emerging Writer Award. Her first book, A Mind Spread Out On The Ground, was a national bestseller in Canada. It was also nominated for the Hilary Weston Writers' Trust Prize for Nonfiction, and won the Forest of Reading Evergreen Award.

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