Winner of the Ladies of Horror Fiction Award for Best Novel, this is a deliciously dark feminist tale of witches, bad ex-boyfriends, good coffee and friendly spiders.
All her life, Annie has played it nice and safe. After being unceremoniously dumped by her long-time boyfriend, Annie seeks a fresh start. She accepts a teaching job that moves her from Manhattan to a small village upstate. Her new home is picturesque and perfect. The people are all friendly and warm. Her new apartment is lovely too, minus the oddly persistent spider infestation.
Then Annie meets Sophie. Beautiful, charming, magnetic Sophie, who takes a special interest in Annie, who wants to be her friend. More importantly, she wants Annie to stop apologizing and start living for herself. That's how Sophie lives. Annie can't help but gravitate toward the self-possessed Sophie, wanting to spend more and more time with her, despite the fact that the rest of the town seems... a little afraid of her. And, okay. Sophie's appearance is uncanny and ageless, her mansion in the middle of the woods feels a little unearthly, and she does seem to wield a certain power . . . but she couldn't be . . . could she?
Staff Choice: Emma
Get yourself a cup of tea and put on your fluffy socks, because it is time for a real autumn read (featuring witches)! Protagonist Annie is a sympathetic, hopeless thirty-year-old who has lost everything and decides to move to “a small village upstate'', where people are friendly and life is simple. But of course, life in this cute village turns out not to be that simple! Where there are witches, there is magic and danger. Through Annie’s eyes, you will discover what is actually going on in this place, meanwhile Annie is learning more about herself and her feminine strength. The story’s scary bits add excitement and mystery to the coziness of porcelain garden frogs and Rose's raspberry jelly. Perfect for lovers of all things witchy and feminist!