The Once and Future Witches
A NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER - Winner of the British Fantasy Award for Best Fantasy Novel - Named One of the Best Books of the Year by NPR Books - Barnes and Noble - BookPage
In the late 1800s, three sisters use witchcraft to change the course of history in this powerful novel of magic, family, and the suffragette movement.
In 1893, there's no such thing as witches. There used to be, in the wild, dark days before the burnings began, but now witching is nothing but tidy charms and nursery rhymes. If the modern woman wants any measure of power, she must find it at the ballot box.
But when the Eastwood sisters―James Juniper, Agnes Amaranth, and Beatrice Belladonna―join the suffragists of New Salem, they begin to pursue the forgotten words and ways that might turn the women's movement into the witch's movement. Stalked by shadows and sickness, hunted by forces who will not suffer a witch to vote―and perhaps not even to live―the sisters will need to delve into the oldest magics, draw new alliances, and heal the bond between them if they want to survive.
There's no such thing as witches. But there will be.
An homage to the indomitable power and persistence of women, The Once and Future Witches reimagines stories of revolution, motherhood, and women's suffrage--the lost ways are calling.
Praise for The Once and Future Witches:
"A glorious escape into a world where witchcraft has dwindled to a memory of women's magic, and three wild, sundered sisters hold the key to bring it back...A tale that will sweep you away."―Yangsze Choo, New York Times bestselling author
"This book is an amazing bit of spellcraft and resistance so needed in our times, and a reminder that secret words and ways can never be truly and properly lost, as long as there are tongues to speak them and ears to listen."―P. Djèlí Clark, author The Black God's Drum
For more from Alix E. Harrow, check out The Ten Thousand Doors of January.
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Community Reviews
Alix E. Harrow’s sophomore novel, The Once and Future Witches, impresses readers with this fantastical take on retelling history, highlighting the suffrage movement.
Empowering
By far, the Once and Future Witches is one of the most influential books I have had the pleasure of reading right now. The story follows the Eastwood sisters―James Juniper, Agnes Amaranth, and Beatrice Belladonna―brought together again by the mystical appearance of a tower in New Salem. After their father shipped the oldest two off to different destinations, these sisters have not seen one another in years.
There is tension between them to drive the story, but they are also bound by their deep love for one another, their belief that maybe they can help the suffragists achieve the rights they deserve.
However, they do not realize that they need this, their witching, more than anything else. Beaten down by society, by men, and religion, women are made to feel lesser than. So now they are using nursery rhymes and fairy tales to stand up for themselves, to speak their spells with words of intent.
Witching is power against those who would oppress us. All we need are the words, will, and intent. This powerful and empowering message resonates throughout the novel, capturing the reader’s attention and holding it while inspiring them. This is a story about equal rights, sexism, and how the term “witch” is used as an insult against women who speak their minds and fight for their rights.
The Once and Future Witches is a novel that gives strength and power to women and the word “witch.”
Strong Female Characters
The fact that the novel splits between the three sisters was terrific. Readers see who these three women are and how different they are. Juniper is the youngest of the three, finally away from her abusive father. She goes to New Salem to join the suffragist and expand her knowledge of witching. Juniper is a firecracker of a cracker, all brash, spunk, and attitude, making her a lioness. She is the catalyst and spurs her sisters on to reclaim the pieces of themselves that they lost.
Anges is the middle sister, believed to be the strongest of the three sisters. Anges is the more pragmatic of the three sisters. She is the balance between them and her ferocity; she is a force to be reckoned with when it comes out.
That is what makes Anges so powerful as a character, that she deals with realism, that she stands by her sisters despite her reservations because she wants a better life for her daughter more than anything.
Finally, there is Beatrice Belladonna. Beatrice is the oldest of the three, the librarian, who lives with her head in the clouds and her nose in books. She takes strength from knowledge, from fairy tales, from the magic wrapped within the pages of nursery rhymes. As a member of the LGBTQ community, Beatrice is also the most lost of the characters. While it is not easy being a part of that community now, back in the 1800s, it was even worse.
Beatrice is also beaten down by society, keeping herself closed off and hidden. However, her journey and connection with her sisters give her strength; it gives her the power to fight for those she loves. Moreover, in the end, she learns to love herself and accept herself, becoming a formidable witch by the end.
Final Thoughts
The Once and Future Witches is inspiring. A novel that takes readers back and makes witches real leaves the reader feeling empowered and determined to fight for women’s rights.
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Witches are long gone from the cities and towns - wiped away by fire and those who felt threatened by women with power of their own. Many years later, James Juniper, Agnes Amaranth, and Beatrice Belladonna, the Eastwood sisters, find themselves in New Salem, a city seemingly on the brink of...something. When Juniper sets her sights on joining the suffragist movement, only to realize their goals are not enough for her, the Eastwood sisters set in motion a movement of their own. Witches might not exist - but they will. All they need is the words, the ways, and the will.
This is one of those stories that's so beautifully written that I could tell I'd needed to pace myself. Separated for years, the Eastwood sisters have finally found one another again, as if by fate, or perhaps by magic. A tale of love in many forms, I was mesmerized. When I finally turned the last page my emotions were all over, I felt wrung out yet happy. Proud. The world-building was incredible and the use of the rhymes and songs - many I remember from my childhood - was perfection.
When I find a good standalone fantasy novel I feel like screaming from the rooftops, but since I can't do that, I'll scream here instead! Though it's a long story, and may take some patience, if you choose to pick up this book, I hope it's as magical for you as it was for me.
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