The Witches of New York: A Novel

I loved, loved, loved this book! But to quote the main characters “those averse to magic need not apply.” This was the perfect thing to read as the dry leaves swirl on the ground and the temperature gets brisk. I was thoroughly caught up in the characters, story, and place. This book reminded me of being a child and pretending to be a witch; the kind of witch who gathers herbs to make magic potions and casts (mostly) spells. This book takes place in New York City in 1800. This is historically a time when people were captivated by seances and science. The world was progressing at a quick pace, but not in all areas. Adelaide Thom and Eleanor St. Clair are the proprietors of Tea and Sympathy. Society women come to share their secrets, drink special teas, and receive help and guidance from Adelaide and Eleanor. They are also midwives and help with conceptions and terminations. The witches place an ad for a shop girl. Enter Beatrice Dunn, a powerful young witch who needs help understanding and developing her powers. But all is not well. Mr. Palsham, a creepy presence who is not what he seems, wants to destroy the witches. He enlists the help of Reverend Francis Townsend, who is easily influenced to do evil. Fancying himself as a savior and reading way too much about the Salem Witch Trials, Reverend Townsend captures young girls and tries to rid them of the devil. This does not bode well for Adelaide, Eleanor, and Beatrice. There are a lot of layers and so much good stuff in…

This was a very pleasant read. It took me no time to dive into the story and be enchanted. The writing is very detailed and diverse. There are different storylines but they all eventually connect beautifully. Each character has her own voice and isn't just a side character. The author shows the strength and fortitude of each lady which is great. I so enjoyed the fact of historical happenings and thought process was intertwined with the plot.

Seventeen year old Beatrice is excited to be on her way to make her life in New York. She has decided to answer an ad for a shop girl who is okay with magic. Beatrice has always had a curious mind and even when her trip doesn't get off to the most auspicious start, she still perseveres. When she reaches the shop, the owners are not there but she has her first experience with a ghost. Eleanor, who was not consulted about getting a shop girl, upon meeting Beatrice realizes that she is supposed to train her. Adelaide, the co-owner of the shop, is ready to promote the relationship. There is also a witch obsessed preacher who is determined to kill all the witches in New York. The preacher thinks that he is doing God's will but actually, he is just giving into his own sadistic impulses. He has killed one woman, driven one to suicide, and has it in for the other witches. This books was very well written. I enjoyed the stories of the witches and ghosts and detested the preacher and the organist. This was a very interesting book.

After reading reviews and waiting for this book to go on sale I was so excited to finally read it! It started out AMAZINGLY! The characters drew me in immediately and the author's descriptions of places, events and people were so vivid! About half way through the book I think she got distracted. The characters began to go their separate ways, the story began to go from a gossamer web to a rickety fisherman's net that had dry rot and from there it just fell apart. I wondered if it was left hanging for a sequel, albeit poorly so, and found it was. Unfortunately I've read the reviews for that book also and I can't say they were inspiring enough for me to purchase that book. If you can get this book for $1.99 like I did, do it, otherwise save your money and borrow it from someone who can lend from their kindle library.

If you haven't already figured it out, I am a huge fan of witches, books set in the 19th century (or any historical setting, if we're being honest), sharp writing, and incredible detail, so combining all of that together into this one book is one big 'yes please!' from me. The Witches of New York is a novel that showcases the strength and tenacity of women and the great lengths to which some men will go to in order to shut down anything that they fear or feel threatened by. There is a lot going on in this book, but McKay proves her brilliance by making every minuscule aspect of this story simply glow with charm and an engaging storyline. McKay's writing itself is incredibly sharp and full of wit, not to mention the sharp feminist themes that simply propel this book into being even more captivating and relatable than I thought possible. Adelaide, Eleanor, and Beatrice are our three leading ladies, and they are a force to be reckoned with. I was so impressed at how detailed and unique each one was. Not only does McKay give each woman a voice to be themselves, she also provides intricate backstories that bring so much life to each character. I also loved the range of additional characters that McKay included, from the skeptics to the believers to everyone in between. This, of course, includes characters who vehemently abhor witches and anything to do with witchcraft, whom McKay crafts to be so repulsive that it's almost difficult to read their chapters. Eleanor and Adelaide…