“The October Widow” (2014) by Angela Slatter

The Mammoth Book of Halloween Stories (2018) edited by Stephen Jones

Readers unfamiliar with The Mammoth Book of Halloween Stories may prefer to read these notes only after reading the anthology.

Mirabel Morgan carries out her perceived annual duty of ensuring balance in the world.

Setting: The small town of Ashdown, with a focus on a cottage and its garden.

Characters: Mirabel Morgan, the October Widow; Henry, a young man; Cecil Davis, a grieving father.

Halloween seen as: A time of sacrifice and renewal, with a focus on the cyclical nature of life and death.

Style: A focus on the consequences of disrupting natural cycles.

Point of view: Third person, alternating between Mirabel, Henry, and Cecil's perspectives.

Jay