In my ever-so-humble opinion, all of the truly great fantasy stories are, at their core, about relationships – and not just any relationships. I’m talking about the kind of relationships that carry you through life’s ups and downs and make you better than you are on your own. The kind that turns strangers into the family that you’ve chosen, like the members of the Fellowship in the Lord of the Rings trilogy or Harry’s nearest and dearest in the Harry Potter novels. Ultimately, that is what The Witches of Moonshyne Manor by Bianca Marais is about.
When we first meet the witches – Ivy, the current owner of Moonshyne Manor and botanist; Jezebel, seductress; Ursula, clairvoyant; Queenie, inventor and leader of the pack; Tabitha, agoraphobic and animal expert – they’re in a bit of a pickle. The “witches of a certain age” are preparing for the homecoming of one of their own, Ruby, who’s been apart from them for over 30 years. In the midst of their preparations, they find themselves fending off the townspeople (mostly the men) who are trying to evict them so that the Critchley Hackle Megacomplex can be built on the site. As if that’s not enough to deal with, an agreement they made with dark wizard Charon the Ferryman is coming due, and they don’t have the powerful artifact that they promised him. It’s dark times, indeed, for the Moonshyne witches.
Fortunately, immediate disaster is averted when a young girl shows up on their doorstep, introducing herself as Persephone, the president of the Critchley Hackle chapter of the Young Feminists of the World Association, and her dog, Ruth Bader Ginsburg. Persephone, who is also the mayor’s daughter, handcuffs herself to the front door of the manor in protest, halting the demolition. The witches are given a reprieve on having their home obliterated, and now they need to get Ruby home, as she’s the only person who can solve all their problems.
As the story unfolds, we learn why Ruby has been gone, the part each witch played in the events leading to her leaving, and how their involvement and not having her around has affected each of them. We learn about each of the witches’ talents, the unique circumstances of how they came to be at the manor, and how the bonds of sisterhood were built. We also find that each of the witches has a potentially devastating secret that they’ve been keeping from their sisters. Ms. Marais does a masterful job of gradually peeling back each of the layers to reveal the secrets, weaving all of the individual stories together by the end of the book.
There is so much to love about this book. It covers the gambit of emotions, taking the reader through the highs and lows typical of a group of women living and maturing together in a single house. There are some singularly funny moments, as well as poignant ones. One of my favorite funny moments is when Jezebel turns her latest lover, Nigel, into a pig because he’s made the grave error of referring to her as an “old gal”. Before he can escape the house in his new form, Tabitha turns him back into a man, and the following interaction between a nude Ursula (long story) and the naked Nigel had me in stitches.
Not only are the scenes engaging and plausible, but the language the author uses makes the story shine. One of my favorite lines is written from the perspective of Persephone while she is watching the witches work with one another, and comparing it to time spent with her now-deceased mother: “She thinks of how sometimes the most sacred conversation we’ll ever have are the ones that require no words, and how there are very few people in our lives who we’ll ever speak that silent language with.” Another plus in the book is the recipes from the Moonshyne Manor Grimoire, covering everything from mixed drink recipes and gardening tips to Jezebel’s Full Bush Care (yes, it’s for what you think!).
For those of you who have watched the 1984 movie, Romancing the Stone, with Kathleen Turner, do you remember at the end of the movie when the publisher (played by the wonderful Holland Taylor) is crying as she finishes the author’s latest novel? I always want to be that invested in a book and it so rarely happens. I’m happy to report that this story made me cry. Amidst all the trials and tribulations, secrets, and strained relationships, the author has created a beautiful microcosm of love in its purest form with unequivocal forgiveness, absolute acceptance, and shared feminine strength. I highly recommend this book to anyone who loves stories about women who are feisty, flawed, funny, and fabulous!