A Secret History of Witches by Louisa Morgan
496 pages, Redhook/Hachette September 2017
Personal kindle copy bought for a secret read along
Discover a magical historical saga of mothers, daughters, and the power of witchcraft - perfect for fans of Alice Hoffman.
Brittany, 1821. After Grand-mère Ursule gives her life to save her family, their magic seems to die with her.
Even so, the Orchires fight to keep the old ways alive, practicing half-remembered spells and arcane rites in hopes of a revival. And when their youngest daughter comes of age, magic flows anew.
The lineage continues, though new generations struggle not only to master their power, but also to keep it hidden.
But when World War II looms on the horizon, magic is needed more urgently than ever - not for simple potions or visions, but to change the entire course of history.
This novel was an intriguing saga of generations of women all who passed down the gift of witchcraft. The gift comes in the form of being able to see into a crystal ball but is called a scrying stone in the novel. The settings change as each generation passes, which is a succession of strong willed women but all with changing characteristics. It was enjoyable to read of their traditions of invoking the goddess which was the tradition of their ancestresses but I most appreciated the historical aspect of how the craft evolved over time.
With so many generations, it is hard to pick out the favorite characters but ending with Veronica who is married to someone with so much possibility for a sequel though I can imagine it being difficult to recreate the same tone when there isn't many years left to cover, and the historical context would be lost. Something to ponder though for the author as I am sure she has been asked about the possibility.
This is a great novel for those who enjoy any type of mystical/magical paranormal type read that actually doesn't seem too far-fetched. It would be a good YA novel read as well as the romance was tame. Thanks to my reading buddy who read along with me, always makes it for a fun ride!
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