The Witch’s Kind follows Barrie Anne Blythe and chapters switch between her life in the present and her life before, during, and after World War II. Barrie lives with her aunt Charlotte in Washington. In the opening chapter, a young baby is found at the water's edge. Barrie decides to keep the baby rather than notifying the police and fakes adoption papers. They decide to name the baby Emma, and discover that Emma has something unusual about her.

While Emma is easily accepted by her found family, Barrie and Charlotte must take measures to protect her from those who would be less than accepting. When men from the government come to their door with questions, they need to quickly decide how far they will go to ensure that no one ever finds out that Emma is different. This becomes difficult when Barrie’s vanished husband Will decides to reappear. However, before these events occur, we learn about how Barrie and Will met and how their marriage unraveled.

“I considered myself a patriot. I had done my share of war work. I was the wife of a veteran, though he had vanished. I loved my country, and I respected my government. But they couldn’t have my daughter.”

This book was an interesting slice of life: historical with romance, betrayal, and a dash of science fiction. This book was a detailed glimpse into rural life in Washington (Barrie learns to farm and sustain herself independently) and what it was like to be a woman during a turbulent time period. Another reason that I enjoyed this book was the fantastic characters. It is revealed that Barrie and Charlotte are both water witches, adding a touch of magic to the tale. Baby Emma, aunt Charlotte, and the community of people that surround Barrie and her farm are delightful to read about. While the book has darker moments, this depiction of rural farm life is painted clearly and brightly.

“Reality seemed to blur around me. It was as if Will were a magician, an evil sorcerer who could call up a fog, distort my vision, confuse the whole world. I mistrusted my memory of the day, my understanding of what had happened. I mistrusted my own feelings.”

Important trigger warnings to be aware of: gaslighting, physical abuse, verbal abuse, and miscarriage. There is also discussion of homophobia and discrimination of a lesbian woman. I think you really need to be in the right frame of mind to read this book, as it does deal with many heavy and important topics. The underlying theme that escalates throughout the book is that Barrie’s husband is very manipulative and controlling- despite initially appearing to be charming. By the time Barrie realizes who he really is, she is in far too deep. Luckily, Barrie has her fierce Aunt Charlotte looking out for her and Barrie learns to trust in her own power and instincts.

“It was interesting for my new, wiser self to watch him try to deceive me again.”

There is a sense throughout the book that it is building towards something inevitable and it delivers with a tense and satisfying conclusion. I thought the way chapters cut between present and past was effective and the delicate unveiling of secrets keeps you guessing on what really happened. The book was vivid and descriptive, at times it felt like you could feel the rain drenching your skin or the sun burning the back of your neck. The idea of water magic was an intriguing concept and well-executed. I loved the growth that Barrie went through and the ending was incredibly satisfying. At the heart of it all, this was a touching story about the bond between mothers and daughters, aunts and nieces, and what being a family can truly mean.

Thank you so much to Goodreads, the author, and publisher for providing me with a free copy of this book, in exchange for an honest review. Looking forward to reading more from this author!