By SONYA EDWARDS
Calling all readers! Do you like stories of feminists finding their way in a patriarchal world? Do you like stories of adventure, resistance, and magic? If you do, I have got the perfect book for you to read this fall. Alix E. Harrow has written a book oozing with spells and the essence of fall. “The Once and Future Witches” follows three sisters trying to bring magic back to their world. It is a captivating tale that mixes women suffrage with spells and magic.
James Juniper, Agnes Amaranth, and Beatrice Belladonna are not the closest of sisters. In fact, they haven’t heard from one another in years. Yet they all find themselves in New Salem, at the heart of a spell that contained magic people thought had vanished from this world. Juniper is the youngest and wildest. She is unapologetically herself and brings in the most trouble as an activist. Agnes is the middle child, and has looks that make men, and some women, stop in their tracks. She also happens to be wickedly gifted with street knowledge. Bella is the eldest and a recluse of sorts. She spends her days lost in the books in the library and has an unchallengeable knowledge of folklore and fairytales. Now the three sisters must band together to fight for the rights of women and witches.
“The Once and Future Witches” takes place in the year 1893, where witches “don’t exist” and women are fighting for their rights. New Salem is a rigid town dedicated to upholding puritan values after Old Salem fell due to the witches. It is ruled by ruthless men who refuse women power or rights. The three sisters grow tired of living in a man’s world, and all crave power for their own reasons: freedom, control, and love. The Sisters of Avalon, a secret society of witches wanting to enact change, was started by the sisters and their followers. They use magic to fight for women’s rights and enact demonstrations to showcase their points.
Of course no fairytale is complete without its villain. Gideon Hill is a fear mongering politician who uses the rise of witchcraft as fuel for his campaign. He claims to be the only one who can put an end to the darkness of witching and the sin that comes with it. His devoted followers support him earnestly, going to absurd measures to find and end the Sisters of Avalon. But if you pay close enough attention to Hill, you’ll see something lurking in his shadow.
Between a moving tale of sisters mending their bond, women fighting for equality, and the magic that comes with, “The Once and Future Witches” is not a story you want to miss. Harrow has done a phenomenal job at pulling readers into her novel and keeping them at the edge of their seats. You don’t want to miss this for your fall reading list.
Featured image: The Once and Future Witches, Goodreads
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