WITCHY WOMEN
Book weaves spells with feminism
Q Tell us about your book.
A The Witches of New York is historical fiction with a twist — it is part Victorian fairy tale, part penny dreadful, part feminist manifesto.
Set in the autumn of 1880, the story centres around three women who run a tea shop near Madison Square Park and who dare to call themselves witches. They sell remedies, potions, cures and divinations to an upscale female clientele, but in a larger sense what they’re really peddling is empowerment.
The rights that women of that era fought for were much the same as the ones women around the world are still fighting for today — equality, voice, respect. They found connection and strength in their traditions, stories and rituals, but they also ran the risk of being shunned by society if what they believed went against the norm.
It’s always been a risky thing for a woman to declare herself a witch.
As one character in the book says: “Where there are witches, there are ghosts.”
Q What inspired you to write about witchcraft?
A The original meaning of the word witch didn’t carry all the negative connotations it does today. Once upon a time it meant one who is strong and lively, a seer, a diverter of evil and she who knows.
I’ve always loved witches. As a child I was obsessed with them. Not only did I watch The Wizard of Oz every year, I read all the books in L. Frank Baum’s Oz series several times over. The characters of Glinda and Ozma are amazing role models — powerful, independent, otherworldly, confident and wise. I’ve wanted to write a book about witches my entire life.
Q What drew you to this particular time period?
A New York City in 1880 was a place of tremendous change. It was an era of great scientific discoveries, marvellous inventions and technological advances. The streets of Manhattan were about to be lined with electric light, the Brooklyn Bridge was nearing completion and an enor- mous obelisk dubbed Cleopatra’s Needle had just arrived from Alexandria to make a herculean trek through the streets of New York to Central Park.
At the same time, the women’s suffrage movement was gaining strength. As well as seeking the vote, they fought to gain access to avenues they’d rarely (if ever) been allowed to pursue — big business, higher education, free thought, free love.
Religious leaders and medical practitioners cried foul. Women who were too intelligent, too outspoken, too old, too beautiful, too talented, too other, were soon labelled as new witches or hysterical, using rhetoric that was frighteningly close to the language used to condemn women during the witch hunts of old. Instead of being burned at the stake they were locked up in asylums, sometimes for life.
Q Did anything magical happen to you while writing the book?
A There were a few spine-tingling moments along the way, but one stands out from the rest. About halfway through the writing process, I took to tracing my family tree as a way to take a break from the novel. While following a branch on my mother’s side, I discovered that my ninetimes great aunt was accused, tried and hanged at Salem for witchcraft.