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“Scary and absorbing...The best horror novel of 2026. Hands down.” —Stephen King
A journalist descends into horror as she uncovers the sinister truth behind a trad wife influencer in this “flat-out brilliant” (Paul Tremblay, New York Times bestselling author) blend of chilling suspense and razor-sharp commentary on modern femininity, performative domesticity, and social media—perfect for readers of Yesteryear, Mexican Gothic, and The Yellow Wallpaper.
Every day, millions watch Mia Wright, the “trad wife” queen, on her idyllic three-hundred-acre farm. With her handsome husband, seven well-behaved children, and a life of from-scratch meals and pastoral bliss, she’s an icon of modern femininity. But behind every perfect image is a secret. And in this case, the secret is a horror.
Desperate to save her tarnished career, journalist Jenny Kaplan arrives at Black Swan Farm to profile Mia. Jenny is ready to write a scathing exposé, determined to expose the deception behind Mia’s curated life. But soon, Jenny has more to contend with than staged videos and camera-ready poses. There’s something wrong at the farmhouse. Something slithers through Jenny’s dreams, and at night, the children sing strange nursery rhymes.
She’s losing time. She’s losing her hair. She starts to worry that she’s losing her mind.
There is a horror at the heart of Black Swan, and it’s waiting just for Jenny. Trad Wife will make you question what’s real and what’s just a perfectly curated deception…
Will you see the lie?
Sarah Langan is a three-time Bram Stoker Award–winning author. Her works have appeared on best of the year lists at NPR, Newsweek, The Irish Times, and Publishers Weekly. Langan’s short stories have been published in Nightmare and The Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction, and featured in anthologies The Best Horror of the Year, The Year’s Best Dark Fantasy & Horror, and The Year’s Best Science Fiction & Fantasy. She has an MFA from Columbia University and an MS in Environmental Health Science/Toxicology from NYU. Langan lives in Los Angeles with her husband and daughters.
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