New Books Network Hollay Ghadery, "The Unravelling of Ou" (Palimpsest Press, 2026)
Feb 4, 2026
Hollay Ghadery, an Iranian-Canadian multi-genre writer and debut novelist, discusses a whimsical yet haunting tale about a sock puppet named Ecology Paul. Short scenes explore the puppet’s origin, mother-daughter shame, exile from Iran, inventive prose shaped by poetry, and the novel’s shifting timelines and emotional stakes.
AI Snips
Chapters
Books
Transcript
Episode notes
Compassionate Creation Drives The Novel
- Ecology Paul emerged as a coping creation that embodied compassion and steadiness for Minou.
- Hollay Ghadery let the puppet's voice lead the novel and allowed the character to dictate tone and direction.
Opening Scene: Puppet In A Maternity Ward
- Ghadery reads the novel's opening where a sock puppet visits a maternity ward and narrates Minou's shame and pain.
- The scene shows the puppet's tender perspective and Minou's visceral reaction to being seen in public.
Maternal Transmission Of Shame
- Mothers pass on internalized misogyny and shame often without malice, shaping daughters' self-view and choices.
- Ghadery explores how female shame and competing behaviors uphold patriarchal norms across generations.
