It’s not fair to say that things are worse today for women, people of color, LGTBQ+, or any other minority or oppressed group in the world than they ever have been. In many areas that is demonstrably untrue. That is not to congratulate my country or any other. Just because we may not be as bad as we were does not mean we are good.

Megan Giddings’ newest novel, The Women Could Fly, uses a fantasy trope to demonstrate that the present may not be worse than the past but for many people it still is not very good. Josephine Walker is a young woman living in Michigan. Although her father is white, she has inherited her mother’s dark skin and tight curls. She is on social media, she works in a museum, she is kind of in a relationship but they are not much more than friends-with-benefits, and she has a decent relationship with her father and her stepsister.

Still, she is entering a challenging period of her life. In this version of Michigan, indeed of the entire U.S., young women must make a choice before they turn 30. They can choose to renounce Satan and give themselves over to the holy pursuits of family and children. A harder option is to remain single but put themselves under the sponsorship and protection of a man, usually a father or other male relative, who promises to sponsor her and make sure she remains free from Satan’s influence. Or she can declare herself to be a witch and submit to being watched and guarded, never owning property or a credit card or a cell phone,

This may be better than in the old days or as things are in the south. Witches are seldom burned in Michigan. Women who practice witchcraft without a license are given a trial. Then they are burned. And falsely accusing someone of witchcraft is itself a crime. Proof of some sort is required. Still, young women, especially women of color, especially LGBTQ+ women (and men and non-binary persons), especially those without means, do get accused and do get burned. And Josephine checks basically all of those boxes. Black, bisexual, not-rich, single, young. Perhaps worst of all, abandoned by her mother as a young girl. The only way a woman could abandon her family was obviously to become a witch, and if she had left to practice witchcraft almost certainly her daughter must also be a witch.

Josephine’s mother had been missing for fourteen years. Missing and by now presumed dead. However, upon her being legally declared dead, a will is found. In the will, Josephine is required to take some things to Lake Superior and get on a boat. It sounds ridiculous, but the will is very clear that she will not inherit any money unless she makes this trip by a certain date. What Josephine does not know is that the trip will change everything she believes is true.

Including the central facts of her own life.

I’m somehow reminded of the fear we humans feel toward things like wolves and non-venomous snakes and spiders. Wolves may pose a threat toward livestock, but are seldom a threat to humans. Most snakes and most spiders are not only harmless for humans, they are beneficial, eating insects and rodents that pose much greater dangers. Yet we are an incredible threat to these creatures, often killing indiscriminately and without consideration to the ecological damage we are doing.

Historically, “witches” have been killed. Usually targeted for their differences rather than any real or suspected powers, women who dared to speak up against the systems that oppressed them were killed. Homosexuals, people of color, the poor, all have been the focus of violent oppression through history. Some people tried to hide who they were, to fit in regardless of the personal cost. Others simply could not or would not.

Giddings takes these very real oppressions and adds in another possibility: witchcraft. And, as with wolves and women, the violence done toward these witches affects the larger societal ecosystem far more severely than any possible harm done by people who could fly or transform or create inspirational art. A compelling story, an entrancing protagonist, and an altogether wicked-good book.

Mysterious, feminist and exciting. Full of social commentary on gender, racism, power, family and religion

this book was all over the place, in a good and bad way. it was dystopian and fantastical and full of family drama. the set building was incredible and i loved the historical set-up for the witches. like i said, at some points it was just a bit all over the place for me

This book was incredible! I could not put it down and was enthralled the entire way through. Anything with magic and witchcraft and I’m in, so I was so excited to get into this. The plot was so unique; I have read nothing like it before. I loved the blend of magic and dystopian, and thought the author did a great job of ensuring the world made sense and felt real.

The writing style pulled me in and refused to let go, making the book a compulsive page turner. It also dealt with difficult themes and really made me think outside the box.

I don’t think this book will be for everyone if I’m honest, but I loved it and can’t wait to see what the author writes next. Thank you to Netgalley, the author and publisher, for a chance to read and review this book.

This is a truly lovely, wonderful story. The combination of witchcraft with a fascinating dystopian world that combines the structures of a conservative, white, Christian world with the due exceptions to it. The main character was compelling and sympathetic, but my favourite part of it was showing how diversely people react to a complicated, unmanageable social structure.

I had The Women Could Fly on my TBR for quite a while, but I was very excited to read it. With comparisons being made to The Handmaiden’s Tale and having read some great feminist books this year (eg: The Change) I couldn’t wait to dive in. It was perhaps with these very high expectations I found that The Women Could Fly to be a bit of a disappointment.

I think one of my main issues was the world-building aspect. I didn’t really understand how we had come into a world where not only was magic real, but women were ok with seeing their own perpetrated for being accused of it. With so many real-life examples to draw on such as the Salem witch trials, I thought this was a bit of a missed opportunity.

I also didn’t feel that I had much empathy for our main character of Jo, she made a lot of bad decisions but also some choices that didn’t seem to make any sense. I didn’t understand why she did a lot of the things she did, even down to leaving the Island. She didn’t seem to like or trust any of the other characters throughout and we flip-flopped between potential love interests with too much frequency for me to get attached to anyone else. The narrative also skipped between flashbacks and cutesy fairy-tale type stories which did little to further the plot along. Although it is quite a short book, it felt like it dragged.

Overall, The Women Could Fly was a disappointment for me – no world building, a slow-moving plot and unlikeable characters. Thank you to NetGalley & Pan Macmillan for the chance to read the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC.

This book was an intriguing exploration of the links between misogyny and magic, with Giddings choosing to place her tale in a dystopic alternate universe rather than in the past. Jo is a very realistic character and it's terrifyingly easy to see how the situation she finds herself in could evolve in our society. Her mother's choices are also fascinating to explore, especially within the paradigm of motherhood and the expectations society has of women in that regard.

An unconvincing dystopia and a quite abrasive and unsympathetic central character made this a DNF for me, quite a rare occurrence.

Jo lives in a country in which women are required to wed by age 30 or be subject to state monitoring and where accusations of witchcraft are used to subjugate women and prevent subversion.

Sounds like the basis for a strong storyline but instead this is a personal search for a connection with Jo’s mother who disappeared many years earlier. Jo herself is quite self-centred and the author fails to engage the reader in her story. Very disappointing.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publishers for the ARC to review. I thoroughly enjoyed this book. I loved the storytelling, narrative voice, and the characters felt so real and full. Beautiful prose!

Josephine's mother, Tiana, has been missing for 14 years when the officials close her case and have her death registered. Despite this, Josephine has been aware of the strange whispering around her and the interest the same officials have in her life. Her life is closely monitored, as are all the single women who must live by a simple rule: Marry before the age of thirty, or become a ward of the state; for their own protection, and the safety of others of course. Because here, in the United States, it is a world where witchcraft is real and when it comes to missing persons (or rather missing women) there always seems to be more to the story.

A dystopian, feminist fiction, this is more of an acquired taste that tries to tackle multiple themes within the storyline including LGBTQ+ representation, racism and oppression. The first thought I had on finishing it is that I have never read anything like it before - with it being spooky October, a fiction in which witchcraft is real seemed apt and yet the author successfully flagged that witchcraft was a capital offence in Britain in the 16th Century. Women have been punished and killed because of it. I was compelled to read more because of this theme, the author is well-researched and brings some strong background to her writing in certain parts of the story which is why I gave it a four star rating. The women are all fierce and unapologetic, I'm here for that also.

The structure of the book felt shaky, although ambitious, there is no real explanation for this dystopia you find yourself in as a reader and I forgot the purpose of the book when I reached the half way point - the strongest writing for me was Giddings attempt at tackling a troubled mother-daughter relationship otherwise, this wasn't something I would read again.

Thank you @NetGalley @Pan Macmillan and @Macmillan for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

A riveting speculative novel set in a world where women are branded as witches if they’re not married before the age of 30. Giddings has a very natural writing style and I loved Jo’s narration. A seriously underrated read great for fans of Octavia Butler.

I enjoyed this book, if didn't have me overly gripped and took me awhile to finish but I did enjoy it in the end .

It took me a little while to get into this book if I'm honest, but persevered as I love anything to do with witches and magick. Well, am I glad I did. It was hard hitting with how things are still these days and it made me so angry, feeling how Jo felt and all these women. It's devastating to know that is how they feel and not just to do about the witch side. A great read that needed the time to digest it all, as it is super meaningful.

In a world where Black women could still be tried for witchcraft, Josephine has heard every theory about her mother’s disappearance. While she’s ready to let go of her painful past, Josephine has some new challenges to face. Women who aren’t married by the age of 30 need to be closely monitored by the state and Josephine has no interest in a wedding. She has never felt closer to the mother who escaped, so she honours one last wish in her mother’s will to regain that connection. This powerful novel has some beautiful, ethereal imagery and makes some strong commentary on misogyny and the control of women. It’s about the unique bonds between mothers and daughters as well as the powerful connections forged between female friends. The book is soaked in tragedy but it’s also strangely bittersweet. A battle cry for trapped, persecuted women everywhere!

A book about black queer witches? Sign me up! I absolutely adored this book. I've never read anything like it and at times felt like I was out of my comfort zone, reading social commentary dystopian isn't something I'm used to but this book is a gem.
Megan Giddings has such an intricate style of writing that took a little getting used to and I didn't always know exactly what was going on, but the way she incorporated such important themes into her plot such as racism, misogyny, homophobia kept me hooked.
I loved the world building and the magic system It's basically Handmaid's Tale but diverse, with magic. I loved how women were portrayed as strong, independently fierce characters despite living in a society that were desperate to control and dictate their lives. It's very much about female empowerment and the issues that are present today even though this is dystopian. It's perfect for this time of year and I would highly recommend it.

Not for me I am afraid and 1 so desperately wish that loved it. Dystopian literature is decisive in my opinion and I do not think that this eases you into the genre there are definitely going to be people out there that love it. So give it a go you might be surprised.

I was so excited for this one because once I read the synopsis I was so intrigued by the concept for the novel. However, I sadly didn't love the execution of that concept.
For me, the writing style felt very detached and because of that I struggled to connect with the characters and the story. I found in some places that the description was very long-winded and boring, but at other times it felt rushed and confusing.
I definitely still enjoy the ideas that are explored in the novel but overall I found the book to be convoluted, predictable and a bit rushed.

The premise of this book really sold me - a dystopian society where the witch trials have survived? A bisexual main character? Sign me up.
Unfortunately found the world building to be not quite enough, and rushed in places. Whereas the plot itself was pretty slow and I’m sorry to say not that interesting. I wish this had lived up to my expectations but I’ll definitely check out this author again!

I have just read this in one sitting, I was so enthralled by the beautiful writing and the overall premise of the novel. It was scarily reflective of the racism, sexism and homophobia that is still present in today's world, I truly believe that this is a book everyone should read, it's one of those books that has left such an impact on me.

I loved this mix of distopia and political commentary and witchcraft. It was like reading Handmaid's tale with a hint of witchery. It definitely took a while to get going, but I am glad I have stuck with it. The other part of the book was set on island, and this part was more challenging for me, however, I can see why it was there. This book is ever so topical, again portraying the ease with which things can change and become normal, taking power and voices from women. Totally recommend it as a thought-provoking read!