This mesmerizing novel explores how three women—from the same family over five centuries—learn to use magical powers to fight back against the patriarchal worlds they inhabit. In 17th-century England, Altha is on trial for witchcraft after she's found at the home of her long-ago friend when her husband dies. Violet, Altha's granddaughter, lives in her father's estate in the English village of Crows Beck. A lover of insects and nature, she's kept under careful watch by her father, who worries she'll exhibit the same strange behaviors as her mother. And, in modern day, a pregnant woman named Kate is on the run, after leaving her abusive husband. She finds refuge in her great aunt Violent's cottage in Crows Beck.

Each of these women's stories are powerful, with themes of trauma and abuse fueling their growth into their abilities and their self-confidence. Unlike other "witch" stories, this one is more literary-fiction-ish, which I really liked. Hart's descriptions of animals and nature are especially vivid and add to the moody, magical feel of the book.

I did my usual read/listen mix with this one and the three narrators who speak the women's stories are especially engaging.

If you like magical stories about witchy women finding their powers (and using them to smash the patriarchy), this is a good one!