Men fear women's magical powers, and the witches fight back
The Women Could Fly — Megan Giddings
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The Women Could Fly by Megan Giddings
Content warnings included in the footnote of this newsletter.1
What It’s About
Josephine’s mother went missing fourteen years ago — and she’s been a topic of town gossip ever since. But the scariest accusation is that she was a witch, disappeared to harness her magical powers and eschew the laws. Josephine knows she has to be careful because of this accusation, because in this world, that could mean the end of her own life.
In a world where witches are real, men are petrified of women gaining magical abilities they don’t understand, so they keep them under wraps. Each woman is under the charge of her father or her husband, and if a woman isn’t married by 30, she’s kept on a national watch registry — for safety, of course. They want to make sure women don’t develop magical powers to harm themselves or others.
Jo is 28, inching closer to the mandated registry, and feeling iffy on the concept of marriage, but she knows it’s what will keep her safe. When her mother’s will is finally found, Jo is given one last opportunity to honor her. She can pay her respects to her mother and finally move on, settling into a safe and secure life with a husband.
Or so she thought.
Why You Should Read It
In a world not unlike our own, men are terrified of women performing magic—witches. According to men, women can use their powers to seduce, convert to evil, cause disease and rashes and death, make men cheat on their wives, and much, much more. Sound familiar? Eerily so, to me. This is an important read amid the book bans, the talks of “grooming,” and other fights over who gets to control what people read, consume, and do with their lives.
Many things get compared to The Handmaid’s Tale, but this one does warrant the description, and if you enjoyed books like this in the past — like The Power or Red Clocks — I’d encourage you to try this one.
Thank you so much to my sweet friend Betsy for sending me a book from my wishlist! I cannot wait to read and review this one! Betsy writes the incredible Spark newsletter, bringing writers and readers inspiration, motivation, and book recommendations to help spark your next idea.
I loved this recent piece, which asked lots of great questions about picking books for friends, picking books for book clubs, and who gets to decide what others read.
Go say hello to Betsy!
Can’t get enough, or looking for a different recommendation? Browse the archives, or check out some popular past recommendations:
Read about the dark history of an Oregon desert town and the ghosts that haunt it
Read a haunted house novel with a family crime at its center
A full-contact haunted house offers a cash prize for finishers — but someone doesn’t make it
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Content warnings include violence against women, interrogation of child without adult present, racism, homophobia, transphobia, panic attack and general anxiety (main character), suicidal ideation (adults and teens), depression, reference to death by fire and scenes of burning women, death penalty, forced marriages.
I loved this book but I’m truly a sucker for women who are witches or dragons.
I really liked this one