Set in a small Puritan colony in 1666, the main character Abitha lives with her husband, Edward. Known to be a woman who has a difficult time keeping her mouth shut and her head down, Abitha struggles immensely with the Puritan lifestyle. Though she was married young, and pushed by her father to do so, Abitha is deeply respected by Edward, which few other women could say during this time period. But when Edward disappears under mysterious circumstances, and Abitha is left to tend to the family farm on her own, strange things begin to occur. She begins to hear voices, and feel the presence of someone watching her.

It isn’t long before Abitha meets, and forms an intense bond with, an ancient Pagan deity. When the other inhabitants of the town begin to notice Abitha acting differently, someone cries witch.

This book weaves together magic and horror into the most beautiful tapestry. Brom’s exploration of the witch craze and Puritan culture makes your skin crawl, but in the best way possible. I couldn’t put this book down, and I became quickly very attached to the characters, especially Abitha, with her wildness and incredible strength. I loved the Pagan elements in this book, and how I got to see it clash with Christianity. One of Brom’s loudest messages in this book is the fact that we are all one, connected and part of nature, that we are all made up of life and death, lightness and darkness.

A violent feminist fairytale, this book checked every box for me; I will cherish it for a long time.