Review by Kelly Jarvis: A Secret History of Witches by Louisa Morgan

A Secret History of Witches, by Louisa Morgan, tells the sweeping story of the Orchiére women, a line of powerful witches descended from a Romani tribe of Gypsies. Divided into books named after five generations of mothers and daughters (Nanette, Ursule, Irene, Morwen, and Veronica), the novel begins in the 19th century as the matriarch of the family, the original Ursule, sacrifices herself to ensure her line can continue. Her descendants escape persecution and begin a new life on a secluded farm located along the Cornwall coast. Only a child at the time, Nanette grows up under the watchful eyes of her sisters whose magic is limited. When Nanette comes of age and is gifted with the ability to use the family’s crystal, new hope is born that the family’s magic will survive. Each gifted woman born into the Orchiére line must navigate the border between her individual desires and her commitment to the craft, and each generation faces both social challenges to and questions about their cultural and spiritual identities.

I loved Morgan’s tale of generational love and trauma. Although the individual women all possess unique personalities and outlooks on their roles in life, they are united in their desire and hope to continue the line of magic by giving birth to daughters who will propel their powers forward. Although Morgan’s witches are gifted with a second sight and use both a family grimoire and a magic crystal to harness their power, they are real women who adhere to a faith rooted in traditional practices, and this allows readers to understand their individual gifts and flaws as inherently human. There are stark differences between the women; Ursule loves working with the land while Irene desires a life of luxury, Morwen finds true love while Veronica initially believes she must place duty over romance, but each woman struggles to understand and embrace their legacy, and each woman is tempted to use the power of the crystal to alter their fate and the fate of those they love. The result is a beautiful legacy of faith and learning passed down from mother to daughter, and Morgan’s movement through successive generations will keep readers turning pages in their quest to know more.

A Secret History of Witches has many recognizable moments of family conflict and strife, but pulsing beneath the novel is an acknowledgment of the connections we all have to those who come before us. Like the characters in Louisa Morgan’s recent release The Ghosts of Beatrice Bird, the Orchiére women are haunted by the past, and this makes them enticing protagonists who reflect the reality of human life. The novel begins in the middle of a tense family drama, but by its moving conclusion, readers will see how individual power can be used to bring about positive social change, and they will rethink the way people of all backgrounds and faiths are connected in a fabric of humanity that contains both darkness and light, both sorrow and hope.

I loved this beautiful book about five generations of women struggling to find themselves in a world often positioned against them. Louisa Morgan’s expert storytelling illustrates the way we carry the trauma of the past inside our hearts, and it inspires us to pass on love to those who come after us. If you enjoy historical narratives, family drama, mother-daughter relationships, magical realism, and an exploration of female-centered religious practices, then A Secret History of Witches is the novel for you! You can find it here.

Kelly Jarvis works as the Assistant Editor for The Fairy Tale Magazine where she writes stories, poems, essays, book reviews, and interviews. Her poetry has also been featured or is forthcoming in Blue Heron Review, Mermaids Monthly, Eternal Haunted Summer, Forget Me Not Press, The Magic of Us, A Moon of One’s Own, Baseball Bard, and Corvid Queen. Her short fiction has appeared in The Chamber Magazine and the World Weaver Press Anthology Mothers of Enchantment: New Tales of Fairy Godmothers. You can connect with her on Facebook (Kelly Jarvis, Author) or Instagram (@kellyjarviswriter) or find her at https://kellyjarviswriter.com/