Cover Image: The Women Could Fly

The Women Could Fly

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Member Reviews

Stunning
Beautiful
Just wow

The writer completely captivated me and I couldn’t resist devouring this book. If you haven’t read it yet you are in for a treat

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My favourite thing about this book was the nuance, thoughtful portrayal of a complicated mother-daughter relationship. Jo’s mother is incredibly present in the story, both in flashbacks to Jo’s childhood (before her mother went missing) and in the ways Jo navigates the world. Related to this was an interesting kind of remoteness in the narration. Jo often felt slightly detached from everything, in a way that emphasised her otherness within the story — as a mixed-race black woman in a white community, as a queer woman in a litigiously heteronormative society, as the daughter of a women suspected to be a witch in a place where witchcraft could result in execution. There was also a thoughtful inquiry about the nature of love and relationships within the confines of coerced states (eg penalised for not marrying by thirty).

I found it difficult to get into at the beginning — I kept putting it down only to forget I was reading it — and in general the pacing was a bit all over the place, but once I got into it (maybe the ~40% mark?) I REALLY got into it. I absolutely loved the tangential way it’s told, where you have the main plot in the present, interrupted by flashbacks with a ‘let me tell about the time this happened’ tone, that made it feel like a real person had sat you down and was telling you their story. The effect was hypnotic.

Minor spoilers for halfway-ish — there is an isolated community that’s basically getting away with magic, and the vague approach to worldbuilding left me unsatisfied in this regard: how was the island able to function the way it did? What prevented outside interference, because there were clearly visitors to the place? It just didn’t make sense to me. I had unanswered questions about the world throughout the book (in the sense that I was underwhelmed rather than intrigued) but this was the most pressing aspect.

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I really wanted to like this book especially as it was supposed to appeal to Margaret Atwood fans but I just didn't.

Set in a dystopian world where unmarried women at 30 become wards of the state I just didn't warm to the main character. I rarely give up on a book before the end but I didn't finish this.

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In a world where any woman can be suspected of being a witch, and must be married by the age of thirty, Josephine is starting to worry even more about her future as a 28-year-old black, bisexual woman. Her mother disappeared when she was a teenager, suspected of witchcraft and this has hung over Josephine as she grew into her own womanhood.

This book definitely has a bit of The Handmaid's Tale feel as we are in a world very similar to our own but an extremely patriarchal society where it seems women don't have a huge amount of free will and are expected to choose a life where a man controls most of what they do.

I liked some of what this book explored in terms of a heteronormative society, patriarchy, motherhood and womanhood and then Josephine's experience as a bisexual and biracial woman.

I think this book just didn't give me a huge amount of strong feelings and I thought that the way magic was explored in this book was at times a bit vague. The book was a bit depressing in terms of the continuation of a very patriarchal society and I don't feel there was much of an uprising or showdown in a way I would have liked but I also understand why the author/character made certain decisions.

I think I just wanted more from this book and didn't get it but it might be more of a me problem.

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I could not get into this book, ultimately it was not form me and I could not finish it. It may be one for other readers

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I have to confess I didn't finish this one. It was an interesting premise and well written but I just didn't engage enough with the characters to be invested in the outcome. Raises important issues in an unconventional way and I think as a teen I'd have really loved this one.

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Really great read (although a bit more metaphorical than the title suggests) - I would recommend to contemporary fantasy fans.

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I started this book but could not get into it. Afraid to say it was just not for me but surely will be for others.

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This book contained so many elements in a book that I love: dystopian fiction, discourse around current issues such as the rights of underrepresented people, witchcraft! It was sold towards fans of Margaret Atwood and Shirley Jackson, who are my all time favourite authors and I had seen so many good reviews leading up to reading it that I was really excited.

But somehow, this didn't hit the mark for me and I can't quite put my finger on why.

I wasn't sure about the culture in where women are feared and killed for being witches, and yet you could register as a witch and gain a certain kudos. I don't know whether I was missing it, but it seemed like Giddings was trying to have it both ways.

I really disliked Jo's mother, and the fact that she just left her daughter to deal with whatever would come to her as a result of her vanishing. I thought parts of it were vague and there were various parts where the writing almost seemed to interrupt itself as she thought of something else. I didn't understand the relevance of Jo's mother not being able to access certain parts of the island, as though she hadn't been fully accepted anywhere - and yet the island was sold as this inclusive place where women could be safe.

I know it is fantasy, but it is written as a real world where witches exist, and yet the island in the middle of civilization where these women can just disappear to and become invisible to society seemed too far fetched.

I liked the premise of the book, but felt like the execution let it down somewhat and although I read and finished it, it didn't fully engross me and I was already looking at what I could read next.

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Only really giving this a rating because I am DNF'ing this book at 60% after it's sat on my paused shelf for too long and now too much time has passed.

Although I couldn't finish this book, I didn't have a bad experience reading it. I did get a little bored at the halfway mark, and then life circumstances made me put it down for a while, and now it's been over 6 months since I stopped reading it and I can't bring myself to read it from the beginning again to write a more thoughtful review - sorry about that.

Here are a few things I do remember - I enjoyed the prose. The writing style flowed well, I felt like I was in the world along with the main character, and the premise was very interesting. On the other hand, I felt like her musings got a bit repetitive quickly, and the storyline started to lose me at around the halfway point.

If I ever do come back to this book then I will update this review, but until then this is my half complete opinion.

Thank you to the Pan Macmillan and NetGalley for an early copy (whoops) in exchange for my honest opinion.

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Jo doesn't fit in anywhere, and in a world that still persecutes witches, that is a very dangerous things.
Her missing-suspected-dead-mother leaves her an inheritance. The journey might finally reveal some answers.

I received a free copy from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

This is set in the modern world, where witches exist. It is not illegal to be a witch, but their freedoms are greatly reduced, and in some areas they are still attacked.
As with the original witch-hunting craze, the proof of witches is questionable. The existence of magic has not been proven, except in the testimonies of their 'victims'.
In this toxic version of the world, equality doesn't exist. Women are expected to marry by the age of 28, at which point they can only work if their husband allows it.

Jo doesn't fit in. The world isn't designed for her to fit in. She's a black, bi woman. She could fold and follow the strict rules for women, but she doesn't see why she should have to.
Her mother railed against a normal life, and she disappeared when Jo was young. From Jo's perspective, and the following investigations - it's equally likely that her mother was murdered; or that she deserted her husband and child to be a witch.
Ever since, Jo has felt like everyone is watching her, waiting for her to show signs of magic.

On paper, this sounded like the perfect read for me. Witches and persecution and women defying a patriarchal world...
In reality, it was so dense with powerful meaning and assessments that I couldn't make any track with it. It just hits you again and again, driving home the author's point. I found it very hard to make any progress.
It's such a promising story, but suffered from constant heavy-handedness.

Away from 'The Meanings' nothing happened. Jo goes through the mundane aspects of life - which I am totally fine with, but they were drowned in Points and Meanings.
She's always musing about the now, the future and the past - to the point where I couldn't decipher what was actually happening and what wasn't.

I did actually like the world that the author created, and the questionable existence of witches and magic, and the fear-driven society that perpetuates it. Which is why I was so very disappointed this book was a miss for me.

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This is a very different kind of witch story and I thought it worked really well. Focusing on the persecution of witches but placing everything in a modern setting, the narrative draws parallels with the struggles for minorities across all sectors of society. The intersectionality of female, black and queer plays a big part in the plot and I thought that Megan Giddings did a fabulous job of examining this whilst still wrangling the issues within the narrative framing. Jo is a fascinating protagonist - funny, abrasive, emotionally closed off, she feels very authentic throughout and is totally un-apologetic about her personality, which is always refreshing. I thought the interactions between her and Preston were really well done and I loved the friendship with Angie. Overall, this is a much more character based book than a plot heavy one, but the themes are dealt with respectfully and the descent to dystopia is shown to be an easy path of small steps.
I received a free copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for a fair and honest review.

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I love novels about witches and this was no exception. It was beautifully written written and I was gripped from the start. Nothing else to say other than loved it 5 stars

Thank you to Netgally and the publisher for a copy of the novel in exchange for an honest review

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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.

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

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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

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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