The Witches of New York: A Novel

A Buzzfeed Best Gift Book of the Year

“A dark, atmospheric, and feminist story of three women in New York City's Gilded Age, each determined to thrive in a society hell-bent on keeping them down, and using their coven to do so."    —Buzzfeed

INTERNATIONAL BESTSELLER

Respectable Lady Seeks Dependable Shop Girl. Those averse to magic need not apply.

New York in the spring of 1880 is a place alive with wonder and curiosity. Determined to learn the truth about the world, its residents enthusiastically engage in both scientific experimentation and spiritualist pursuits. Séances are the entertainment of choice in exclusive social circles, and many enterprising women—some possessed of true intuitive powers, and some gifted with the art of performance—find work as mediums.

Enter Adelaide Thom and Eleanor St. Clair. At their humble teashop, Tea and Sympathy, they provide a place for whispered confessions, secret cures, and spiritual assignations for a select society of ladies, who speak the right words and ask the right questions. But the profile of Tea and Sympathy is about to change with the fortuitous arrival of Beatrice Dunn.

When seventeen-year-old Beatrice leaves the safety of her village to answer an ad that reads "Respectable Lady Seeks Dependable Shop Girl. Those averse to magic need not apply," she has little inclination of what the job will demand of her. Beatrice doesn't know it yet, but she is no ordinary small-town girl; she has great spiritual gifts—ones that will serve as her greatest asset and also place her in grave danger. Under the tutelage of Adelaide and Eleanor, Beatrice comes to harness many of her powers, but not even they can prepare her for the evils lurking in the darkest corners of the city or the courage it will take to face them.

 

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Published Jul 11, 2017

560 pages

Average rating: 6.97

115 RATINGS

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Community Reviews

RubyReads
Jun 06, 2025
10/10 stars
Okay this was such a great find! I am surprised this isn’t one of those “cozy” witch books on booktok. Funny enough, I came across this while searching for such books but it wasnt one of the popular books. Anyway, such a great find. This story starts out with 2 older women in the 18th century running a tea shop as front for an underground witch shop, meaning they are divination/hand readings and spells etc and other witchery thing witches do. Characters: I loved Eleanor and Adelaide’s friendship and backstories (I guess Mckay wrote her backstory on The Virgin Cure) so will be checking that out in the future. We do follow several POVs and this just creates such a richness and expansive view of the world building of New York at the time, especially adding the articles and fliers etc that were part of the story made it so immersive. I never once was annoyed or felt the story was too slow because we do follow different POVs , ghosts, demon, preacher, the three main witches including Beatrice. There is so much happening but in a good way, that it’s hard to put into words how much I loved this story and how much I felt I was there with them. I mean witches in the 18th century in New York? Amazing!!! While the writing isn’t wow, truthfully it is simple and straight forward. It is so that we don’t need much to visualize and feel that giddiness magic of , you know what I’m talking about. This will forsure be a future re read for me and I am going to read the sequel novella to this. Rating it 5⭐️ because it had everything I was looking for in a story and I absolutely loved it so much! 5/5 I recommend especially in the fall on a rainy gloomy day! 🧙‍♀️🗽🎃
Lisa A.
Dec 29, 2024
7/10 stars
This was a perfect read for Halloween 🎃 The story of three women Eleanor, Adelaide, and Beatice who together run a tea shop but their speciality is helping women with herbal and mystical medicine. Themes are witches, spells, spirits, and helping others. The Reverend Townsend's personal witch hunt mirrors that of the Witch trials in the 1600s. He looks for the devil's mark and finds a birthmark that convinces him. A witch hunt by religion. Beatrice uses the supernatural, spells, and medium powers to help save herself, with an annoying ghost in the way...... 🧙‍♀️ 🎃 😈
MidnightCharcuterie
Nov 27, 2024
4.0
Scmay
Jul 29, 2024
8/10 stars
It took a very long time for me to get through more than half the book. But I finally felt engaged in the story line, I just powered through this book. I couldn't believe I had issues with it to begin with, but damn, Ami McKay made me eat my words.

This is a fantastic book about science, witch craft, the universe and the ripple effect!
Hmdm31477
Jul 05, 2022
9/10 stars
I loved the book! Very good read and very intriguing. Keeps your attention the entire time. However, the only down side is there are a lot of things for you to figure out on your own. Overall 9/10

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