There’s power in a book…

They call them wayward girls. Loose girls. Girls who grew up too fast. And they’re sent to the Wellwood Home in St. Augustine, Florida, where unwed mothers are hidden by their families to have their babies in secret, give them up for adoption, and most important of all, to forget any of it ever happened.

Fifteen-year-old Fern arrives at the home in the sweltering summer of 1970, pregnant, terrified and alone. Under the watchful eye of the stern Miss Wellwood, she meets a dozen other girls in the same predicament. There’s Rose, a hippie who insists she’s going to find a way to keep her baby and escape to a commune. And Zinnia, a budding musician who knows she’s going to go home and marry her baby’s father. And Holly, a wisp of a girl, barely fourteen, mute and pregnant by no-one-knows-who.

Everything the girls eat, every moment of their waking day, and everything they’re allowed to talk about is strictly controlled by adults who claim they know what’s best for them. Then Fern meets a librarian who gives her an occult book about witchcraft, and power is in the hands of the girls for the first time in their lives. But power can destroy as easily as it creates, and it’s never given freely. There’s always a price to be paid…and it’s usually paid in blood.

I received an advance galley of this book courtesy of the publisher via NetGalley. All thoughts are my own.

I love Grady Hendrix’s books, so naturally, I was really excited to get my hands on an advance copy of this one. I love how he infuses humor and horror while also saying something important about society. While I’ve loved every book of his that I have read thus far, I think that this is hands down my favorite.

Set in the summer of 1970 at the Wellwood Home in St. Augustine, Florida, the novel follows fifteen-year-old Fern – a young girl who wound up pregnant and completely devastated when the boy she loved broke ties with her the moment he found out he was about to be a dad. Completely humiliated by their Jezebel of a daughter, Fern’s parents send her to Florida to stay in a home with other sinful girls as soon as she begins to show. The home offers a place for young women to live and work away from the public eye and then give up their babies for adoption before returning back home as if nothing ever happened.

Despite the strict rules (never share your real name or info about the baby daddy and always listen to the doctor) imposed by the adults at the home, Fern makes a few friends and one day meets a friendly, though mysterious librarian who introduces her to the world of witchcraft through an occult book. When a morning sickness spell actually works, Fern and her new friends realize they have a newfound power that might help them gain the upper hand over the adults who dictate their every move. As they navigate this newfound magic, they discover that said magic comes with a price, and they must be willing to pay it no matter the cost.

One thing that I loved about this book was the way Hendrix expertly weaved together themes of female empowerment, sisterhood, and the resilience of women – topics that are always important, but even more so in today’s times. While the book is set in the 1970s, so many of its themes are still relevant today. The novel is especially powerful after all that has happened in the last few years as far as the stripping away of women’s rights and the continued pursuit to take away the rights of anyone who isn’t straight, white, and male. We really are going backward.

Hendrix frequently writes from the perspective of females, but this book felt different – the voice felt authentically female simply because of the way the rage plays out. As the coven grapples with moral dilemmas, strict rules, and increasing pressure to conform, lines are crossed, and the line between what is truly right and wrong becomes hazy.

All the characters are vividly drawn, and I loved each of them – even the ones I loved to hate. The writing, as expected, is top-notch. The sense of place pours off the page. I felt the sweltering heat and humidity of the Florida summer. I heard every sound, felt every touch, and smelled every smell. The pacing – while a bit slow in the beginning – really takes off about a third of the way through, and by that point, I couldn’t stop reading.

As I mentioned earlier, I think this is now my new favorite novel by Hendrix. This is a powerful and immersive read that had me riveted. It’s a story of female resilience, empowerment, and friendship, all told with an urgency that will resonate with readers who are worried about what the future holds regarding autonomy over one’s body and personal choices. Read it, and then find you a coven to help take down the patriarchy.