A Secret History of Witches

As a fan of multigenerational sagas and fantasy, I was thrilled to hear that a book liked A Secret History of Witches was being published. The book spans over a hundred years across five women in the Orchiére line, from their initial homes in France to living in England and then Wales. While I loved the strong sense of place and the descriptive elements of nature, food, and the homes, I felt that the character development was a bit frustrating. The five women's stories felt a bit too alike at times, and two characters' petulance or selfishness ended up placing others in serious danger. It highlights the power of continuity but not the power of change or growth.

Men also are considered fairly secondary, and the manipulation that men typically exhibit against women is turned on its head in this book. I thought it was interesting to see how certain relationships were more nuanced than others, but overall I felt like the romantic relationships in this book felt problematic.

I enjoyed this book and felt like it was a pleasant diversion and a good way to spend a Saturday in early fall. I'm curious to see what Louisa Morgan writes next under this pseudonym. In doing a little side research, I was intrigued to find that she is a practicing Roman Catholic given the subject matter and the Orchiéres' relationship to both Anglican and Catholic priests.

I will admit that I am generally skeptical of witchy books because I expect them to focus on magic too much and forget about the plot and character development.

But... I LOVED THIS BOOK.

The atmosphere Louisa Morgan creates in this book is so romantic. I absolutely loved the entire story as well. The characters are very well developed and connected. The interweaving of generational trauma and individual stories was so subtle and realistic. The magic was almost just a side plot, so it felt like a natural part of this story that instead focused on the lives of the women in this family.. who just happened to be witches.

Perfectly done.