Becca Reviews: Witchcraft for Wayward Girls by Grady Hendrix

After reading and loving a couple of other Hendrix books I was actively waiting for the release of this, which in itself felt totally exciting!

The story follows teenage (in some cases, JUST) girls in 1960/70s Alabama who are sent to a 'Home for unwed mothers'.

I'm not sure what I was expecting but I think it was more witchcraft. I was disappointed when the witches, to some degree, became the antagonists. I'm being purposely vague so as not to give spoilers but I felt the witches fell into the category of witches: women labelled as such by men who fear them and their power. I imagined a load of young women brought together by circumstance learning about and harnessing their power. We do see this but only to a certain degree. However, I did LOVE the turn around from the witches and it did bring some tears to my eyes. As done anything when women come together against society, the norm, the patriarchy, whatever it may be.

I could have done with a few trigger warnings; some of this book was hard to read. I've seen other reviewers say they didn't enjoy this book or DNF'd it purely because it's 'pregnant teenagers struggling for 400 pages' and they're not wrong. BUT there comes the truth, the fact that they were just pregnant teenagers struggling, some as a result of silly boys, some from true lovers, and some from horrible, abusive men. There were, I think, three separate scenes that I had to skim read because it was too much, but I get it. We had to feel their pain, their suffering, the love they felt for their unborn baby (or not), their desire for a 'normal' life, and the toughest decision ever.

It is, OF COURSE, bold for a middle-aged man to write about this topic and Hendrix knows it. He explains a lot in the author's note at the end and it helped me enjoy the book more. He did a great deal of research and spoke to many knowledgeable people, all with the intention to understand what those girls went through to at least some degree.

Whilst reading, I kept returning to the thought that so often in a news report about a man abusing girls, or a celebrity acting inappropriately towards girls, the victims or subjects in question are always referred to as 'young women'. 'So and so celebrity accused of acting inappropriately towards a member of staff, a young woman, on set' or WHATEVER. But sorry, what is a young woman? When the subject in question is so often under 18, they are not young women, they are A CHILD.

The witchy elements are so rich but I wanted more of them. The calling to the line of Hecate and Diana etc. gave me goosebumps—gimme more! Hendrix does mention that witches were not even in the first couple of drafts, so this is likely why! As a woman, I truly feel a connection to the women who came before and believe in the power of your matrilineal heritage. The timing of this novel is poignant, with references to Roe v. Wade, the mention of which made me cry, as it always will.

The characters are 100% spot on, flawless, no notes. The girls are all so 3D and unique. Thinking back, there's a vague physical description of each one but I can clearly picture every girl and her vibe. The house staff are powerful additions being women of colour, as is the owner of the house, with her own complex story (as we all have!).

The conceit of taking what you want from the world, because the world is how it is and that is what it is, struck me BIG TIME. This book goes hand in hand with Weyward by Emilia Hart, title aside the concept is largely the same but in the more traditional sense of women being labelled as witches because they(we) are powerful and men wish to keep them(us) down—which, to me at least having done a fair amount of research and writing on this, is the origin of witches.

The term 'witch' came about as a label for women who acted out of the norm, perhaps they were healers or they happily lived alone without a husband (crazy!). Any form of straying from norms gives women new found autonomy and also means they no longer fit neatly into a box. Think of the women so often criticised and berated by men; loud women, women who run businesses, women in control of their finances, women who don't conform to the male gaze or a 'normal' look; perhaps they shave their head or they DON'T shave anywhere. Why is it that these are often the women some men put down? Because they fear them, they fear the power they see these women have now found. The easiest way to attempt to regain the power? Demonise them, claim they are evil for being different. This goes for many people who don't fit into the middle-class white man box. The thing about being 'othered' is that when you look around, there are a lot more 'others' outside the box than inside.

The one thing Fern, Rose, Zinnia, and Holly did was reclaim themselves and their power. Hendrix summarises the characters' progression by stating that, they are no longer girls or women, they are witches! As so many who identify with witchcraft or wicca have, they have reclaimed a label once used to demonise them and that is POWER.

I could keep talking about this book forever but I'll stop. The characters are great, the plot is captivating, I wanted more witchcraft and a deeper insight into the witches (I got over the specific portrayal of them by the end). As I often find with Hendrix novels, I feel he could have gone even further with this idea, but I also think that actually comes from him hitting such an interesting topic from such a great angle that I will always want more? So, really this is a testament to how he forms conceits and plots and I want to read another 400 pages minimum about every one of his concepts.

Go have a read.

Read: 06/04/2025

Published: 14/01/2025

ISBN: 9780593548981

Price: £17.99 (GBP)