A dystopian novel with an interesting plot line - where women are closely monitored in case they are witches, where they have to marry by the age of 30 or enrol in a registry that allows them to be monitored.

Josephine Thomas has grown up knowing that her mother disappeared, and having to hear different theories into why and where she has gone. Josephine also knows that her behaviour - an independent woman who is ambivalent towards the thought of marriage and, despite her father’s pressure, has not yet enrolled with the registry.

I love a dystopian novel (anything to make the current world seem better) and what isn’t to love about the thought of witches being real

This is a strong novel which focuses around women’s relationships with family, friends and society. It covers sexism, racism, homophobia. It’s a world where women cannot chose, where their rights are curtailed by men who are clearly afraid of their power and want to keep them under control. All themes that are, unfortunately, too close for comfort in the current day.

A good, strong read.

Thank you to Netgalley for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review.

Jo Thomas lives in a world in which witches are real. Approaching her 28th birthday when at this point she will be actively ‘monitored’ for signs of witchcraft.

Jo’s mother mysteriously disappeared when she was a younger child and being a BIPOC women she knows her freedom is slipping away.

An utterly terrific book full of so much character. I adored the fact that witches walk among the general population and furthermore the witches are feared so much that they have to be ‘monitored’.

A really cleverly written book that had me immersed from the first page.

The premise for this book really intrigued me - witches are an accepted part of reality but they’re heavily regulated by the government (much like many women’s rights!). Josephine is the lead character whose mother has disappeared leading to a lot of trauma and unanswered questions.

A great premise, but the book itself fell short of the mark for me. The island seemed hideous, Jo’s mum was unbearable, and some things just didn’t add up (it seemed to take Jo weeks/months to think about the repercussions on her dad, Angie, Preston, her job etc). A lot of it was very abstract without any real acknowledgement of the weirdness from the main character.

That being said, I loved the women’s rights and anti-capitalist vibes. Overall, it’s three stars from me, an easy read that wasn’t lighting any major sparks! Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC in return for an honest review.

Challenging but fascinating read. Deeply creative and uncompromising. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the advance copy.

This is a little bit unusual for me but regrettably I will have to DNF this book at 57%. I don't think there is anything wrong with the narration per se, but not much is happening. So far, there has been a plot twist around the 40% mark that has felt so predictable it wasn't really a plot twist at all. The main character is now at a point where she has a big choice to make but this is presented with so little tension (almost detachment, in fact) I don't care about what she is going to pick.

I will rate 3 stars because I can see what this book is trying to do - it's certainly raising important points about racism, bodily autonomy, and patriarchal standards. However I didn't enjoy the execution. I may pick it up again in future but right now I am just not rooting for the main character and feel rather indifferent to the outcome of her big decision.

On point for the current trends. Women and their lack of control over themselves. Their futures. Their independence. How can you know if you really love your husband if you must marry by your thirties? Mandated by a government. Watched by your neighbors. Family. Friends. For any behavior leading to witchcraft.
An island on Lake Superior offers a retreat from the world. From the treat of burning. An opportunity for women to establish themselves.
Men have been terrified of women from the conception of the human race. In our thousands of years, our long history- nothing has changed.

There's something slippery and difficult about this relatively short novel. I found myself wavering between loving the depth of feeling, power and magic that is expressed through community and self-worth, and also feeling puzzlement and frustration at the setting and environment that the women in this novel are living.

The beginning of the story is just as fractured as Josephine is - coming to terms with her mother's disappearance - death? - 14 years ago as she fears the intervention of the state in the rest of her life marriage to a man becomes a mandate, but she can't picture her future with anyone. And certainly not a life where she loves out of coercion. As she sets out on one final journey as outlined in her mother's will, her story becomes somewhat dreamlike, somewhat trippy, but somehow smoother and making more sense, as she gains a sense of self-identity and comes to terms with what Josephine wants on her own terms.

The standards set of women in this novel - to be mild, obedient housewives and caregivers, as the protection of men is the only thing that will prevent them turning to evil and becoming witches - is a little jarring when compared with the freedoms that are apparently allowed until the age of 28. We see women in settings that are virtually identical to what we expect - in education, at parties, drinking, doing drugs, travelling freely - and just where existing is a high risk at times, and asking for catcalling and accusations at others.

I understand what's going on here, but it feels too 'now' to be able to fully engage in these issues when there are questions of witchcraft and magic around this story.

There are also an awful lot of experiences meshed together in this novel - and I couldn't quite tell whether they were dealt with fully, or just enough. These are all experiences that are constantly and rightly intertwined - being Black, being queer, not being rich in a society that favours capitalism. Again, I think part of that is the realistic-fantasy setting of seemingly modern-day America, but against this backdrop of witches and witch-specific oppression, which means that I couldn't quite tell whether I was reading a book about women's rights in general, Black women's rights specifically, or a critique of how modern-day laws and oppression are no better than witch trials, and that it's only through community and distancing ourselves from such a society that we can experience a truer kind of freedom. Or even all of these things.

But it was what made this tough to read, what made it good. This feels like the kind of book a literary discussion group could really get its teeth into, and I imagine will divide quite a few opinions too. I don't think I enjoyed reading it all the time, but it has given an awful lots of snippets of ideas to consider further.

My thanks to NetGalley and Macmillan publishing for the opportunity to review this book.
Struggled with the writing style to begin with but this didn't detract from the enjoyment of the basic storyline.
A fascinating witchy look at prejudice in all its forms.
Loved the ending. Can highly recommend this especially now we're heading into darker nights and Halloween approaching.

Perfect for fans of The Mercies, Outlander, When Women Were Dragons and The Memory Librarian.

In Megan Gidding's dystopian novel, Jo has been raised in a modern world not too different from our own, but where witches are real and women are tightly controlled in order to prevent them becoming witches. Or, as her mother believed before she disappeared, as an excuse to control and oppress women. Women must marry by age 30, or lose their autonomy, and at 28, single black bisexual woman Jo's life has to change soon either way.

The Women Could Fly would make a perfect readalong or Book Club pick; it is strikingly thought-provoking, yet Jo has a dry gentle sense of humour that I loved. There are so many themes to discuss; from loss, grief, complicated adult-child and parent relationships, to the oppression and disempowerment of women, promotion of toxic masculinity and fear of a surveillance society, all encouraged by the Church. Throw in some magical realism and my mind was buzzing for days after reading it.

I really liked that it is based on historical fact and reflects intensified versions of current societal expectations e.g. women being married by 30. Marginalised people are also more likely to be persecuted; those from ethnic minorities, LGBTQ+ or not cis-gendered. The rules do not seem to apply to the wealthy either.

My mind is still spinning with questions. How is your every relationship impacted when the role of the men closest to you; father, boyfriend, husband, is to "protect" you and guide you away from "evil"? When their foremost duty is to report you to the authorities if they suspect you of being different? If that is the primary job of everyone around you? How can communities be built if you live in a culture of fear? Especially of the marginalised? How do you know if it is truly love if your way of life, your right to work, right to own money and your safety itself depend on it? Can there be love if you cannot choose freely?

Favourite Quotes:
- “Sometimes, I wonder how anyone can know a relationship is real,” I said.”
- “Maybe the ideal circumstance is, quietly, unconsidered. I’m walking with someone, they say something, I laugh, and suddenly I think, oh, I love you, and then I can’t stop thinking it.”
- “People kept saying things like death doesn’t matter when the cake is this good.”
- “Pizza is not emotional penicillin.”

This is a beautifuly writen novel with decriptions so clear you can clearly see what the author is, which i find is rare. Im not a massive fan of dystopian but i thought the mix of magic was a nice adaption how ever much i wanted to like this book i didn't. Its quite dull which is strange as it does have an interesting story line its just not executed well

For me, the best kind of dystopian fiction is where our world is only tilted slightly on its axis; a world where you close one eye and there you are, just a few small, but significant steps away from what we have.
Mingle that with witchcraft and magical realism and we have the makings of a perfect novel.

What Megan Giddings has created here is completely spellbinding (pun intended).

Josephine Thomas is 28, her father is white, her mother was black. She is single, bisexual and a creative. She doesn't fit into any of the required boxes of a what a woman is expected to be. Her mother disappeared 14 years ago under the suspicion of being a witch, Jo and her father, now believe her to be dead.

Born into a world where witches are still burned at the stake, where the State mandates that all women marry by the age of 30, or enroll in a registry that allows them to be monitored - either way, their autonomy is effectively forfeited. A place where 'odd' behaviour should be reported and women are interrogated and tortured on the suspicion of witchcraft.

.Amidst this subtly crafted world of the most terrifying patriarchy, we are blessed with a deeply affecting meditation on what it truly means to be a woman. Giddings accentuates the individuals living in the margins with dexterous sensitivity and masters the bigger issues at play today. Simultaneously, she produces a personally centered tale of romantic and familial love, one woman's search for who she actually is, in a world that is telling her who she should be at every turn.

Questions posed are wide reaching and captivating; what is the reality of true love when there is inequality in some form... where is morality and what are societal norms if you can do anything if you have enough money....just two from a myriad of wise and thoughtful prose.

And then, there is this idea of magic, of what it could be, a way of living, a community working together, a world that is at one with nature, a place where the emphasis is on learning and creating, not being rich or special. Not a utopia as such, as it isn't perfect - but what is perfection anyway...?

This book has a lot of perfection in it for me. If you like your literature to be speculative and your realism to be magical, if you enjoy a societal commentary with a heart at its centre, then this could be for you.

I loved it, this was truly stunning.

I love how this book is set in the 'real world' while at the same time accepting as read the significant differences in a society where witches are commonplace and commonly repressed. The different issues that are covered, from societal acceptance to race and sexuality, give you pause for thought throughout, causing a major dissonance which makes the witches' position even more outrageously unfair. I loved the healing and acceptance that was possible as the characters look to the future, but thought the witches might have done more to challenge the status quo rather than sidestepping its many injustices.

Actual Rating: 3.5/5 stars

“This is the story of the witch who refused to burn."

I seem to be of a minority opinion on this one, in not falling head over heels in love with this novel. Instead, for a novel with so much emotional potential, I felt unexpectedly mellow about it; hence my smack-down-the-middle 3 star rating. In short: The Women Could Fly is the latest addition into the quickly saturating genre of feminist dystopia’s, that fails to stick out amongst the bunch by playing it surprisingly safe.

Megan Giddings’ alternate America is an authoritarian, highly patriarchal society, where women are under constant oppression and surveillance, and run the risk of being trialled as witches if they don’t conform. Especially if they happen to be single, black, poor, or otherwise “divergent” from the ideal housewife. Josephine’s mum was one of these “witches”, who disappeared and was never seen for 14 years. Was she executed as a witch, murdered or did she escape to live a life somewhere free of these societal constraints? With queer, black and single Josephine approaching the age of 30, more and more suspicious glances are being cast her way, and the answer to those questions might be the only thing that could save her. When she’s offered the opportunity to honour one last request from her mother’s will (to travel to a magical island sanctuary for witches that only presents itself once every 7 years), Jo embarks on a journey for answers.

What I liked:
The Women Could Fly is a feminist dystopian novel first, and a generational tale of the relationship between the women in Jo’s family secondly. It was that secondary plotline however, that drew my attention at first, and throughout offered the most powerful moments of the story. Jo’s was only 14 when her mother went missing, and as such, her mother’s absence is as much of a presence in her life as anything. This “chalk-outline-of-a-mother” shaped her teenage years, the bond with her dad, and her future relationships. As someone who lost a mother at a young age, this was where the novel shone and related to me the strongest. From trying to gleam any information about your missing parent through stories of others and mundane objects and “creating a narrative around them”, to falling in the risk of creating an idealized image in your mind: Giddings did an incredible job of writing this dynamic. I especially also loved the part of the story that take part on the island, where the ideas that Jo created about her mother are challenged. It tackles a fascinating, but scary question that many of us have asked ourselves: what if we could meet our missing loved once again for a conversation, after all these years have passed? Would it be the way we remember? Would they be the way we remember…?
Unfortunately, after this section, Giddings quickly shifts focus back to society at large, which is where the story began to lose me.

What I didn’t like:
Despite many others calling this novel “timely”, to me it felt actually like the wrong book at the wrong time. As mentioned: I feel this particular genre is becoming quite over-saturated and I’m starting to burn out on reading the same story of “women rebelling against patriarchy” over- and over again. There was the YA-trend of “forced marriage” in the early 2010’s (think Wither), classics like The Handmaid's Tale and The Crucible, and recent big releases like The Bass Rock, Sorrowland and one of my latest reviews: The Seawomen. The Women Could Fly feels a dime a dozen and didn’t quite manage to add anything new to the mix.
I also struggled with the worldbuilding quite a bit. For starters, there are big sections of info-dumping that disrupt the pacing throughout and made the whole feel disjointed. Despite that there were still some plotholes left, especially when it came to the world at large. Many questions are left unclear: what is society like in different parts of the world? Why don’t more women simply leave the country? What exactly are the LGBTQ-implications like, since it is mentioned that only women can be witches and therefore men aren’t persecuted. But what about trans- and non-binary people? And what about same-sex couples? What about other kinds of intersectional discrimination? The painful part is that all of these questions are touched upon in the novel itself, but never explored in depth. We cannot resent the author for not thinking of these topics (after all: they are mentioned in passing), but it feels more like a namedrop than an exploration. Personally, I would’ve hoped for a bit more depth and the subsequent spice that might have come with that.

Many thanks to Pan MacMillan for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

3.5 stars

i love the premises of witches exist in present and have that dysfopian element in it where women are controlled by the govt.

the idea is interesting! and also the theme of this book carries are racism, women's bodily autonomy, sexism and homophobia which had turn to be more relatable to nowadays. a critism to these themes.

however, i can't adapt with the meandering style in writing. i need to be at least entertaining something at 30% of the book and more.

but some people will totally love this book.

I liked the premise of this book and the writing at parts was quite endearing. I thought the idea that witches exist but the rest of society operated the same as the real world hard to believe. It sometimes felt like I was being hit over the head with clumsy social commentary but it had nice moments that saved it as a 3 star for me.

The Women Could Fly follows Josephine Thomas, a woman whose mother mysteriously disappears when she is a teenager. Rumours swirl regarding what actually happened, but Josephine lives in a world where witches are real and that’s the most dangerous rumour of all. Hers is a dangerous world for women – especially Black women – who don’t conform, and can therefore find themselves on trial for witchcraft at any moment. The State further mandates that all women marry by the age of 30 or register so that they can be monitored, effectively forfeiting their autonomy.

14 years later, Jo finally decides it’s time to declare her mother dead. At 28, with her ability to control her own life and future on the line, Jo can understand her mother’s potential need to escape. So, when her mother’s will offers her an opportunity to honour one last request, Jo leaves her life behind in the hope of finding closure.

I really wanted to love this book. It’s witchy, feminist and political, which I love, and I thought the premise was so intriguing, especially in light of the current discussion of womens’ rights and bodily autonomy. However, it took me ages to get into and I got about 50% in before the pace really picked up for me. I enjoyed the growth of Jo’s character and her relationships with Angie and Preston, and while the prose was often poignant and thought-provoking it just didn’t blow me away like I thought it would!

The Women Could Fly is out now. Thank you to Netgalley and MacMillan for the E-arc.

The Women Could Fly has an interesting premise for a feminist dystopian story; there is widespread fear that women are capable of and engaging in witchcraft, burning at the stake is back and all women are required to be in heterosexual marriages by the age of 28 or else their freedoms are curtailed and they are assigned monitors. The story is centred on the life of Josephine, a young woman whose mother has been missing for years. Josephine’s mother is a Black woman, and the prevailing racist culture means that Josephine’s every move has already come under intense scrutiny.

This was a novel that almost worked for me. It explored many issues that are of huge interest to me, such as compulsory heterosexuality; for bisexual Josephine and her lesbian best friend, the legal requirement to marry men was obviously deeply problematic. The exploration of this was muddied, though, by the author’s habit of using terms like ‘queer’. Often, when describing injustices towards women, this would be quickly followed up by a sentence referring to gender presentation, or using terms like cis and trans. I was frustrated so many times while reading this novel, to find that a feminist point was hastily undone by an almost apologetic follow-up sentence bundling other groups in with what was effectively only happening to women in the story.

As a lesbian feminist, then, the writing was not for me. I think that to have a clear understanding of the impacts of something like compulsory heterosexuality, we need an accurate definition of who is, and is not, a lesbian. We cannot reach a sensible understanding of this topic by using muddled language like ‘queer’ or by referring to gender rather than sex.

Had these references, which I think will date this novel quickly, been edited out then it would otherwise have been a very well-written and interesting dystopian tale.

This is such an interesting concept and I was super intrigued.
The premise was better than the actual book though for me. I found the writing to be a little too descriptive at times, which slowed the pacing down, and I lost interest at these times.

Despite not loving this book, there are so many questions this book poses - so it would be a great one for a book club.

Overall, i did enjoy this book, but I didn't love it.

I really enjoyed this story and felt that I knew the thoughts of the main character, Jo Thomas, inside out.

Witches must complete their paperwork if they wish to 'live' in this world. They'll have to sacrifice most other things too. People are constantly reminded to look out for signs that they - and others - are witches. If they are incriminated, they will be interrogated (by men), and then burned at the stake (by men). It's Big Brother for witches.

This world is ruled by men. Women who are unmarried must register by age 28, and must be married by age 30. Non-conformity to gender roles is illegal. Women of colour are treated as less than human. As a bisexual, mixed race woman, therefore, Jo hasn't got a snowflake's chance in Hell of a positive outlook for a long life. Her mother disappeared when she was 12, firmly putting the question mark of a witch on mother AND daughter. When Jo follows one last request from her mother's will, it turns her world and everything she believes about herself upside down. I adored the ending.

This was an easy read and the writing was very good. One thing that niggled me was the portrayal of the men. Rather than being frightening, I found them to be totally idiotic, almost comedic. That could be just me, though.

I chose this ARC from a selection which I voluntarily read and honestly reviewed. All opinions are my own. My thanks to the publisher, NetGalley, and the author.

A novel with dark themes of witchcraft and domination of women, that has echoes of Victorian patriarchal society in its attitudes towards the fairer sex. A very witty and playful read, with relatable characters that rouse sympathy and ire on their behalf.
The narrator is Josephine, she is twenty eight, unmarried and employed at the Museum of Cursed Art. Unfortunately, all females must be married by the age of thirty, or they have to register with the Bureau of Witchcraft and all their activities overseen by a man. They will not be allowed to have a career. If they remain wilfully single, they will be registered as a Witch, and be sterilised. If they are sensible, get married, they are permitted to continue with their job, with the permission of said husband.
Women are told to be alert to the possibility of magic from the age of fourteen, just at the time the body experiences puberty and menstruation starts. Men are fearful that their power is diminished due to the hidden wonder and magic of the female form.
A multi layered story that reminds us of the dark days of wise women and herbalists being accused of being witches and subjected to torture and the flames. This is a thoughtful and analytical look at past history of women being treated with fear by men, that manifests itself in current attitudes of coercion and prejudice.
A definite page turner of a novel, deserving of a five star rating.
My thanks to Netgalley and the publishers, Pan MacMillan for my advance digital copy. This is my honest, unbiased review.