Witchcraft for Wayward Girls
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
〰️
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 〰️
🔮 Witchcraft 🪄 Magical Elements 📰 Period Piece
💪 Women’s Rights 📜 Historical Fiction
Synopsis
Taking place in the 1970’s when the only socially acceptable way to have a child was through marriage, a group of young girls from all over the country have just two things in common: they’re pregnant and scared. Fern is just fifteen when she is dropped at the Wellwood Home, far away from the life she knew. She befriends the others in her situation whilst they are ridiculed and humiliated by the stern Miss Wellwood and the doctor. With little insight to their future or what their bodies are about to go endure, the girls dream of what life might look like if they had any form of control. Their hope grows after meeting a peculiar librarian who provides them a strange book about witchcraft. She warns them of its power, but desperation in such young and uneducated minds proves this to be more dangerous then they could imagine.
“‘It isn’t too smart for a girl to be smart,’ her mom had always said.”
SPOILERS
‼️
SPOILERS ‼️
Favorites
Right off the bat, this book has such an anxiety-provoking mood. Fern's age and immaturity are established early on, similar to the other girls in the Home. Their confusion and lack of knowledge on quite a few subjects are so fitting for the time period and really add to their vulnerability. I really liked how we mainly follow Fern along, but got to connect with many of the other characters as well. We learn each of their stories and are shown just how truly defenseless and young they are.
I really admired the contrast in Fern's child-like behavior and her motherly instincts after child birth - early on she called her baby "Charlie Brown," and wasn't even sure where the baby was supposed to come out of. After giving birth, she immediately had the motherly instinct to feed and care for her child. She dreamed of going back to normal throughout her entire pregnancy, and was not prepared for the emotional attachment that would develop right after the labor. It was in the conversation afterwards with Diane, that Fern realized her inability to care for the baby due to her age, despite the emotions and instincts she felt so strongly to keep her.
The magical elements in this novel were PHENOMONAL! With such vivid descriptions, it was easy to create a picture in my head of the "hippies in the woods" and Miss Parcae. The girls' hopelessness and immaturity were reiterated enough that it was clear to see why they were so drawn to the witches. Foreshadowing also hinted towards the ending, but I never could have guessed how this book was going to be wrapped up.
“Some things are so small but they make all the difference: a ring on your finger, three little letters in front of your name, a couple of birthdays. Tiny things, but they changed our entire lives.”
Final Thoughts
Grady Hendrix has such a unique way of capturing your attention and pulling you into a completely different world. This is the second book of his that I've read and once I finished, I immediately went to the library for a third. After four hundred pages of anxiety and heartbreak, I felt as if the story was complete when I closed the book. I loved it so much and know it will be lingering in my brain for a very long time - the impact that this story had on me has been really gripping. I HIGHLY recommend!
“‘If you’d kept them closed then’ he said, ‘you wouldn’t have to open them wide now.’”
