August 2021 Monthly Motif Reading Challenge: Bag of Tricks

August's motif was "Bag of Tricks," and it asked you to "Read a book featuring any kind of magic, illusion, super powers, or enchantments." I chose to read A Secret History of Witches, by Louisa Morgan. I really enjoyed this book. It walks through several generations of a family of witches and the good and bad that each woman experiences. It particularly focuses on the discrimination that women who practice witchcraft experience and how that affects current and future generations of women. It's also interesting to see how the choices the women make affect their futures and the futures of their children. Each woman discovers that there is a cost to their magic and has to deal with the consequences, which sometimes happen immediately and other times happen after years. The book is richly detailed, drawing me into the lives and settings, and I was impressed by how much information there was about the practice of witchcraft. I do not personally practice Wicca (which I think is the correct term for modern people who practice traditional witchcraft?), but the rituals and terminology in this book seemed to me to be correct.

The characters are relatively well-rounded, having both flaws and virtues, and most of them are likable and easy protagonists. The only true villains in the story are what can basically be called witch-hunters. Some characters are more likable than others, and the various ways in which mothers and daughters interact are well represented. I particularly liked the author's idea that each new generation has a whole history of forebears who go with her, providing help in their own way (sort of reminds me of the Christian idea of the "cloud of witnesses"). These forebears give their descendants strength to continue the craft and make it through difficult times in their lives. There are also some objects that pass through the various generations, which appeals to the romantic part of me that finds meaning in heirloom objects.

In general, it's a good book, and I would recommend it, especially if you have an interest in witchcraft and/or generational histories.

Buy it here.