For fans of Sarah Penner’s The Lost Apothecary and Alix E. Harrow’s The Once and Future Witches
this lush atmospheric novel from the author of Where Ivy Dares to Grow blends witchcraft
queer love a vibrant Edinburgh setting and Scottish folklore for a propulsive and emotional
story exploring what it means to resist the patriarchy and find your voice. “A lyrical and
hauntingly beautiful new voice.” —Hester Fox Author of A Lullaby for Witches In an alternate
Edinburgh of 1824 every woman lives in fear that she will be the next one hanged for
witchcraft. All it takes is invoking the anger or the desire of the wrong person. Nellie
Duncan beautiful and unwed keeps to herself until she encounters the Rae Women’s Apothecary.
There fiery Jean Rae and the other women provide cures and teach others that they too can aid
the winter deity the Cailleach embracing her characteristic independence agency and craft
in turn becoming witches themselves. Nellie finds a place and a purpose at the shop and a
blossoming romance with Jean as she learns about nature-based craft and a witch’s ability to
return to life after death. But the Cailleach has an ancient enemy intent on stripping the
power of the deity and all her witches leaving a wake of patriarchal violence and destruction.
When heart-breaking disaster strikes Nellie flees and spends the next two centuries hiding
from the world—until love gives her the courage and the motivation to come back. Nellie’s past
is waiting for her there and hanging witches is no longer the only means of oppression. But
this time Nellie refuses to run—either from her foes or from her resolve to awaken others to
the unimaginable power that can come with fighting the patriarchy in its many forms—and finding
one’s own magical inner-strength.
