This is a slow burn historical fiction family drama. Yep. All of that. Oh...and some magical realism/fantasy as well. The story follows a family of witches, with the POV switching to each subsequent descendant through time. The narrative is atmospheric and really draws out the historical element in a lovely way, but this is a book that will take some time.

The writing style feels a little like Phillipa Gregory, but the story is focused more on the characters than the plot. The characters are written very richly and I loved the care taken with them. I will admit that the storyline for Irene was not my favorite, but I don't think she's really meant to be enjoyed.

There is a lot of repetition in some ways, as the women are all followed through similar phases of life and at times when they are making decisions about similar topics, but I loved Morgan's writing and the gentle way the narrative moved forward. I could have used a bit more of the magic element. It was a very light piece of the story in some ways, making it so the book could nearly be classified as magical realism rather than fantasy. In fact, some readers may categorize it that way.

I enjoyed my read and I am excited to read more about this world in Morgan's other witch novels. It worked for me and I had a great time.