Kindle app logo image

Download the free Kindle app and start reading Kindle books instantly on your smartphone, tablet or computer – no Kindle device required.

Read instantly on your browser with Kindle for Web.

Using your mobile phone camera, scan the code below and download the Kindle app.

QR code to download the Kindle app

Follow the author

Alix Harrow
Follow
Something went wrong. Please try your request again later.

The Once and Future Witches Hardcover – Oct. 13 2020

by Alix E. Harrow (Author)
#1 Most Gifted in Historical Fantasy
See all formats and editions
{"desktop_buybox_group_1":[{"displayPrice":"$8.00","priceAmount":8.00,"currencySymbol":"$","integerValue":"8","decimalSeparator":".","fractionalValue":"00","symbolPosition":"left","hasSpace":false,"showFractionalPartIfEmpty":true,"offerListingId":"M%2BmTfPYNggjLcwYay51OZ2J3PVg2lX%2FscvGwwUnY6VWVN7HE20JBYoWMfxDMiZuf9ku8CxYCm50pN29huWdW3zoOHEPHa7KewZHsUbGJqhix0HrRjposayg9xzHJC7uieRwaOGd7b1g%3D","locale":"en-CA","buyingOptionType":"NEW","aapiBuyingOptionIndex":0}]}

Purchase options and add-ons

"A gorgeous and thrilling paean to the ferocious power of women. The characters live, bleed, and roar. "―Laini Taylor, New York Times bestselling author

A NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • Winner of the British Fantasy Award for Best Fantasy Novel • Named One of the Best Books of the Year by NPR Books • Barnes and Noble • BookPage

In the late 1800s, three sisters use witchcraft to change the course of history in this powerful novel of magic, family, and the suffragette movement. 

In 1893, there's no such thing as witches. There used to be, in the wild, dark days before the burnings began, but now witching is nothing but tidy charms and nursery rhymes. If the modern woman wants any measure of power, she must find it at the ballot box.

But when the Eastwood sisters―James Juniper, Agnes Amaranth, and Beatrice Belladonna―join the suffragists of New Salem, they begin to pursue the forgotten words and ways that might turn the women's movement into the witch's movement. Stalked by shadows and sickness, hunted by forces who will not suffer a witch to vote―and perhaps not even to live―the sisters will need to delve into the oldest magics, draw new alliances, and heal the bond between them if they want to survive.

There's no such thing as witches. But there will be.

An homage to the indomitable power and persistence of women, The Once and Future Witches reimagines stories of revolution, motherhood, and women's suffrage—the lost ways are calling.

Praise for The Once and Future Witches:

"A glorious escape into a world where witchcraft has dwindled to a memory of women's magic, and three wild, sundered sisters hold the key to bring it back...A tale that will sweep you away."―Yangsze Choo, New York Times bestselling author 

"This book is an amazing bit of spellcraft and resistance so needed in our times, and a reminder that secret words and ways can never be truly and properly lost, as long as there are tongues to speak them and ears to listen."―P. Djèlí Clark, author The Black God's Drum

For more from Alix E. Harrow, check out The Ten Thousand Doors of January.
Previous slide of product details
  1. Print length
    528 pages
  2. Language
    English
  3. Publisher
    Redhook
  4. Publication date
    Oct. 13 2020
  5. Dimensions
    15.88 x 4.13 x 24.13 cm
  6. ISBN-10
    0316422045
  7. ISBN-13
    978-0316422048
  8. See all details
Next slide of product details

Frequently bought together

The Once and Future Witches
$8.00
Ships from and sold by Amazon.ca.
+
Wild and Wicked Things
$8.00
In Stock
Ships from and sold by Amazon.ca.
+
Switchback
$3.00
In Stock
Ships from and sold by Amazon.ca.
Total price:
To see our price, add these items to your cart.
Details
Added to Cart
Some of these items ship sooner than the others.
Show details Hide details
Choose items to buy together.
Popular Highlights in this book
What are Popular Highlights?
Previous page
  1. Every woman draws a circle around herself. Sometimes she has to be the only thing inside it.
    Highlighted by 1,946 Kindle readers
  2. Bella informs her that this is the precise reason why women’s dresses no longer have pockets, to show they bear no witch-ways or ill intentions, and Juniper responds that she has both, thank you very damn much.
    Highlighted by 1,472 Kindle readers
  3. The rules aren’t written down anywhere, but the important rules rarely are.
    Highlighted by 753 Kindle readers
Next page

From the Publisher

alix e harrow, once and future witches, award winner

alix e harrow, once and future witches, award winner

alix e harrow, once and future witches, award winner

Product description

Review

"A gorgeous and thrilling paean to the ferocious power of women. The characters live, bleed, and roar. I adore them, and long for witchcraft to awaken in all of us. Harrow makes it feel possible, and even likely."―Laini Taylor, New York Times bestselling author

"A glorious escape into a world where witchcraft has dwindled to a memory of women's magic, and three wild, sundered sisters hold the key to bring it back....A tale that will sweep you away."―Yangsze Choo, NYT bestselling author of Night Tiger and The Ghost Bride

"This novel cleverly connects the dots between the suffragist movement of the past to the Me Too movement of today. Compelling, exhilarating, and magical, The Once and Future Witches is a must-read."―Booklist (starred review)

"A radiant masterpiece of pure storytelling magic! Meet the Eastwood Sisters and prepare to take the best book vacation you will have in a long time."―Gwendolyn Womack, USA Today bestselling author of The Fortune Teller

"Drawn from folklore and history, ­Harrow's lyrical prose immerses readers in a story of power and secrets that is not easily ­forgotten."―Library Journal (starred review)

"The magical tale of imperfect heroines, fractured sisterhood, and shadowy undying villains you never knew you needed. Alix Harrow crafts a delightfully bewitching story with familiar but ingeniously recrafted histories and deft worldbuilding as rich as the prose that leaps off the page. This book is an amazing bit of spellcraft and resistance so needed in our times, and a reminder that secret words and ways can never be truly and properly lost, as long as there are tongues to speak them and ears to listen."―P. Djèlí Clark, author The Black God's Drum

"A love letter to folklore and the rebellious women of history."―Publishers Weekly

"This is a delightful, satisfying novel, a tale of women's battle for equality, of fairy tales twisted into wonderfully witchy spells, of magics both large and small, and history re-imagined. All of it is told in Alix Harrow's exquisite language and with her vivid characterizations-a great pleasure to read."―Louisa Morgan, author of A Secret History of Witches

"A breathtaking book-brilliant and raw and dark and complicated. It's also, to be blunt, uncannily relevant."―Sarah Gailey, author of Magic for Liars

"A brilliant dazzle of a book. This story of sisters and witches, memory and power cracked open my heart and set down roots there. I devoured it in enormous gulps, and utterly loved it."―Kat Howard, author of An Unkindness of Ghosts

Previous praise for Alix E. Harrow:



"A gorgeous, aching love letter to stories, storytellers and the doors they lead us through...absolutely enchanting." --Christina Henry, national bestselling author of Lost Boys and Alice on The Ten Thousand Doors of January




"One for the favorites shelf... Here is a book to make you happy when you gently close it. Here you will find wonder and questions and an unceasingly gorgeous love of words which compasses even the shape a letter makes against a page." --NPR Books on The Ten Thousand Doors of January




"Harrow has created a gorgeous world of magic that is at once familiar and startlingly new. With lush writing and a sense of wonder, The Ten Thousand Doors of Januaryexamines power, progress, and identity. It is an adventure in the best and grandest sense." --Erika Swyler, author of The Book of Speculation




"A love letter to imagination, adventure, the written word, and the power of many kinds of love." --Kirkus on The Ten Thousand Doors of January




"A magical, spellbinding saga... A fantastical journey of self-discovery that reveals the true power of our imagination." --Women's World on The Ten Thousand Doors of January




"The Ten Thousand Doors of January is both whimsical and smart, using engaging writing and a unique plot to touch on serious topics. Harrow's debut reads like a love letter to the art of storytelling itself, and readers will be eager for more." --Booklist

About the Author

Alix E. Harrow is an ex-historian with lots of opinions and excessive library fines, currently living in Kentucky with her husband and their semi-feral children. She won a Hugo for her short fiction, and has been nominated for the Nebula, Locus, and World Fantasy awards. Find her at @AlixEHarrow on Twitter.

Product details

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Redhook (Oct. 13 2020)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Hardcover ‏ : ‎ 528 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0316422045
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0316422048
  • Item weight ‏ : ‎ 1.05 kg
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 15.88 x 4.13 x 24.13 cm
  • Customer Reviews:

About the author

Follow authors to get new release updates, plus improved recommendations.
Alix Harrow

Alix Harrow

Brief content visible, double tap to read full content.
Full content visible, double tap to read brief content.

A former academic, adjunct, cashier, blueberry-harvester, and Kentuckian, Alix E. Harrow is now a full-time writer living in Virginia with her husband and their semi-feral kids.

She is the Hugo Award-winning and NYT-bestselling author of THE TEN THOUSAND DOORS OF JANUARY (2019), THE ONCE AND FUTURE WITCHES (2020), a duology of fairytale novellas (A SPINDLE SPLINTERED and A MIRROR MENDED), and various short fiction. Her next book, STARLING HOUSE will be out on Halloween 2023.

Find her on instagram (alix.e.harrow) or subscribe to her newsletter: https://writtenworld.substack.com/

Customer reviews

4.4 out of 5 stars
4.4 out of 5
9,300 global ratings
A heartwarming and imaginative story!
4 Stars
A heartwarming and imaginative story!
This is a book that ignites your imagination and touches your heart. It captures the essence of what it is to be a woman in any time period. The strength, the vulnerability, the courage, the fear, the beauty, the ugly darkness and so much more! It is full of life and wild with wonder! A witchy read that will have you throwing your fist in the air, ready to march hand in hand with your sisters!
Hide
Thank you for your feedback
Sorry, there was an error
Sorry we couldn't load the review

Top reviews from Canada

binford
5.0 out of 5 stars Witches,past, present, and future.
Reviewed in Canada on September 29, 2021
Verified Purchase
This is a splendid book! The story is engrossing, the writing is wild and exciting, and the characters--oh, my! Three sisters, wise, loving, and wildly brave. Their troubles and adventures are many, requiring all of their wisdom, love, and courage. They spread their influence throughout their city and farther, changing their world.
3 people found this helpful
Helpful
 Report
Shannon Whitwell
4.0 out of 5 stars A heartwarming and imaginative story!
Reviewed in Canada on April 3, 2022
This is a book that ignites your imagination and touches your heart. It captures the essence of what it is to be a woman in any time period. The strength, the vulnerability, the courage, the fear, the beauty, the ugly darkness and so much more! It is full of life and wild with wonder! A witchy read that will have you throwing your fist in the air, ready to march hand in hand with your sisters!
Customer image
Shannon Whitwell
4.0 out of 5 stars A heartwarming and imaginative story!
Reviewed in Canada on April 3, 2022
This is a book that ignites your imagination and touches your heart. It captures the essence of what it is to be a woman in any time period. The strength, the vulnerability, the courage, the fear, the beauty, the ugly darkness and so much more! It is full of life and wild with wonder! A witchy read that will have you throwing your fist in the air, ready to march hand in hand with your sisters!
Images in this review
Customer image
Customer image
One person found this helpful
Helpful
 Report
Jess
5.0 out of 5 stars The Most Significant Book I've Ever Read
Reviewed in Canada on January 25, 2021
Verified Purchase
I've never read a book as beautiful as this, and I don't think I ever will again. I read this on my Kindle, but I immediately purchased it in hard copy so that I can hold it in my hands and pass it on to my daughters.
11 people found this helpful
Helpful
 Report
Shari Decter Hirst
5.0 out of 5 stars my only regret was I had to stop reading to sleep.
Reviewed in Canada on September 26, 2021
Verified Purchase
A magical, powerful book full of witchcraft, strong women, challenges, obstacles, and danger to overcome. It’s a glorious journey to a satisfying ending.
4 people found this helpful
Helpful
 Report
trudy
3.0 out of 5 stars Book club
Reviewed in Canada on October 11, 2023
Verified Purchase
Reading this book for a book club that I belong to. It was difficult to follow at first but after the 8th chapter it go a bit easier. Not sure I like the time frame that it is in. The book itself was not in great shape when I got it. The pages are tattered and are not uniform
2 people found this helpful
Helpful
 Report
Michael L.
5.0 out of 5 stars Loved it!
Reviewed in Canada on February 17, 2021
Verified Purchase
Very well written in an intelligent manner. Certainly a book that makes the reader want more from the talented author!
4 people found this helpful
Helpful
 Report
Debra Purdy Kong
5.0 out of 5 stars A Storytelling Masterpiece
Reviewed in Canada on December 13, 2022
In 1893, the estranged Eastwood sisters live difficult lives. The youngest, 17-year-old Juniper is an unrepentant warrior who joins the suffragist movement, despite being wanted for her father’s murder. She soon learns that her older sisters, Bella and Agnes, are also in New Salem and dealing with their own issues. An unusual set of circumstances results in a rocky reunion for the sisters. Determined to restore the old witching ways, Juniper forms a secret society, but enemies grow in numbers and life becomes perilous for the sisters.

This a haunting novel for two reasons. One is that the raw emotion and insurmountable odds experienced by the sisters are breathtaking in scope. I was drawn into this riveting story from page one and completely captivated to the end. The second reason is that the inequality and violent suppression of women depicted in this novel is depressingly relevant today.

The prose is exquisite and written at a thoughtful pace, not unlike the style of novels written in the late 1800s. The author’s use of fairy tales and rhymes throughout the book is brilliant. The secondary characters are as well drawn as the Eastwood sisters. I could go on about the layers of nuance and themes in this amazing novel, but read the book and see for yourself.
3 people found this helpful
Helpful
 Report
Mr-RDC
3.0 out of 5 stars Purchased as a gift
Reviewed in Canada on January 2, 2021
Verified Purchase
Purchased as a gift
2 people found this helpful
Helpful
 Report

Top reviews from other countries

Translate all reviews to English
valentina
5.0 out of 5 stars Great Book
Reviewed in Brazil on June 17, 2021
Verified Purchase
A story about family, love, loyalty, social injustice and women. I enjoyed reading this book tremendously. Definitely recommend it.
Report
Client d'Amazon
5.0 out of 5 stars Super
Reviewed in France on January 2, 2024
Verified Purchase
À l'époque où les femmes n'ont aucuns droits, et que les sorcières vont au bûcher... trop bien.
Report
Bere M.
5.0 out of 5 stars Empowering book
Reviewed in Mexico on May 23, 2021
Verified Purchase
I loveeeeed this book, is so empowering, there's a plot twist that you don't see coming at the end. If you have read "women that run with wolves" and you liked that one, you probably will find this just amazing, and easier to share with younger people or the ones that are not used to read more complex books - don't get me wrong in here, I'm not saying this one was an easy reading, there were moments in which I felt like nothing was going on, or I had to go back a few pages to read again some parts of it - been said that, this one is wonderfully written and if you are a fan of witchcraft, or just someone that is going through that moment in life in which you feel that sorority is kind of missing, this book will remind you that we are never alone, we are always there and we will always be as the once and future witches.
Report
Nellodee
5.0 out of 5 stars Incredible book
Reviewed in Italy on March 16, 2023
Verified Purchase
This book has everything.
Great story, amazing characters and an interesting, complex setting.
I was already in love with the short stories by this author but this book definitely seals the deal.
Report
Anthemusa Reviews
5.0 out of 5 stars Just exquisite writing. So powerful.
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on March 8, 2023
Verified Purchase
I don't normally gush about books (because, let's face it, I have impossibly high standards and very little impresses me any more) but I finished The Once and Future Witches by Alix E Harrow last night and I honestly cannot recommend it highly enough. Its incredible. The writing is just exquisite and I'm sure my partner would attest to the occasional squeeing and happy sighs over beautifully crafted sentences. And then there's the story itself, which seems so simple on the surface but encompasses themes that are ageless and timeless and still echo so strongly today with all that swallowed rage. If you're into symbolism, this hits so many highs, from religion, from occultism, from folklore... If you're into feminism, this book will speak to you on *so* many levels. The way witchcraft is essentially symbolic of any kind of power a woman has - from the meaning of it to the crushing of it by the patriarchy. I could keep going on about how the characters are so well-formed and the world is spectacularly gothic and rich, but instead I'll just tell you that you need to read it. Run, don't walk, to your book dealer of choice and get it at once. I loved it so much that at chapter 5 I found the French version and sent it to my belle-mere and when I got to the end I immediately downloaded Harrow's previous book without even reading the blurb. This is so powerful and gorgeous. Definitely one of my top 3 books of all time.
7 people found this helpful
 Report