Author Madeline Martin Shares 5 Witchy Historical Fiction Books for October: ‘Perfect for Spooky Season’
Need your next cozy read? The bestselling author shares 5 bewitching picks
Key Takeaways
- Bestselling author Madeline Martin shares 5 must-read witchy books for October.
- The atmospheric list includes everything from feminist witch tales to Salem-set sagas.
- Martin's own novel, A Time of Witches, was inspired by a recurring dream she had as a teenager.
Madeline Martin is beloved for her sweeping historical fiction novels centered on the power of books—including bestsellers The Secret Book Society and The Last Bookshop in London—but her latest novel, A Time of Witches, follows a dual-timeline story filled with supernatural intrigue and mystery. The themes are perfectly suited for fall, and when we caught up with Martin just after the book’s release, she said it’s the book she always knew she’d write.
“So it’s a bit macabre, but when I was in high school, I had a recurring dream that I was being burned alive at the stake. Horrible, I know,” Martin tells Woman’s World. “As a bit of an overly dramatic teenager with an overactive imagination, my immediate thought was that this is clearly either me from a past life or an ancestor. I knew this was a story I wanted to write someday.”
To celebrate the novel’s release, and spooky season, we asked Martin to recommend her favorite witchy historical fiction reads to curl up with this fall. “Reading is such a cozy pursuit,” she says. “It is all about comfort and fuzzy socks and sitting in your favorite chair next to your favorite pet and losing yourself in a good book—I enjoy nothing more than doing that with a cup of coffee or tea and one of my cats snuggled up next to me.”
Ready for her handpicked recommendations that are “perfect for spooky season?” Keep reading!
‘Once and Future Witches’ by Alix E. Harrow
Revered for her beautiful storytelling in recent bestsellers like The Everlasting and Starling House, Alix E. Harrow’s 2020 novel, The Once and Future Witches, is another thrilling tale. In 1893, no one believes in witches. In fact, the only way a woman can gain any sort of power is at the ballot box. So when the Eastwood sisters—James Juniper, Agnes Amaranth and Beatrice Belladonna—join the suffragists of New Salem, they start pursuing mysterious ways to turn the women’s movement into the witch’s movement.
Why Martin loved it: “I always enjoy a strong feminist theme and these three sisters joining ranks with the Suffragette movement was exactly the kind of witchy story I love to cheer on. This was an empowering book filled with the best kind of magic to unify women and fight against the patriarchy.”
‘The Year of the Witching’ by Alexis Henderson
In Alexis Henderson’s fantastical, moody 2020 debut, readers are transported to the strict lands of Bethel where the Prophet’s word is law. Immanuelle Moore has spent her life trying to conform to society despite her family’s disgrace. Then, a chance encounter with the spirits of four witches in the Darkwood leads her to her late mother’s secret journal. As Immanuelle uncovers the disturbing truth about her mother, the Church and Bethel’s history, she realizes the greatest threat to her community may be the very institution that claims to protect it.
Why Martin loved it: “We shouldn’t judge a book by its cover, but this cover is spooky, haunting and so beautiful—and that’s exactly what snagged my interest at first. A young woman is gifted her dead mother’s journals by the spirits of murdered witches, and she begins to see her male-dominated cult life for what it really is. This was atmospheric and haunting and had all the feminist vibes.”
‘Year of Wonders’ by Geraldine Brooks
Inspired by the true story of Eyam, a village in England, Geraldine Brooks’ 2002 bestseller Year of Wonders follows a community that makes the extraordinary decision to quarantine itself to stop the spread of the plague. After an infected cloth carries disease from London to a remote village, housemaid Anna Frith becomes an unlikely heroine. The year is 1666 and the story unfolds through Anna’s eyes as the villagers turn from peaceful prayers to dangerous witch-hunting. Can Anna summon the strength to help her community in this time of historic crisis?
Why Martin loved it: “This is probably my favorite book of all time. It is more of a plague book than a witchy story, but several characters in the story are accused of being witches and I’d always been fascinated by those women and their lives.”
‘The Great Witch of Brittany’ by Louisa Morgan
Spellbinding magic, family bonds and ancient history meld in Louisa Martin’s whimsical 2022 novel. In 1762 Brittany, Ursule Orchière discovers she has inherited the magical powers that once defined her family, making her the first witch born into the clan in generations. Guided by an ancient grimoire and her ancestors, Ursule must learn to control her abilities while protecting her family from a world where superstition and fear can mean persecution…or worse.
Why Martin loved it: “Generations of witches seemingly have died out until Ursule whose ancestors whisper in her ears, guiding her toward a legacy revered by some but feared by many. Set in the late 1700s, this book brings witch trials, magic, persecution, and legacy with all the witchy vibes and I’ve been obsessed ever since!”
‘Magic Lessons’ by Alice Hoffman
In 2020, Alice Hoffman released Magic Lessons, the prequel to her 1995 bestseller Practical Magic, which traces the origins of a centuries-old curse back to Maria Owens—who is facing accusations of witchcraft in Salem. As the matriarch of the magical Owens women and men, this novel unearths the history behind the mysterious family. After being abandoned as a baby, Maria is raised by Hannah Owens and learns about the “Nameless Arts” and one very important lesson: Always love someone who will love you back. But when Maria is abandoned by her love, she follows him to Salem and invokes the curse that will impact her family for generations to come.
What Martin says: “I recently watched and loved Practical Magic 2 and realized I had never read Magic Lessons. I immediately picked it up, so this one is a TBR read, but it’s the origin story of the beloved Owens sisters, tracing back to their ancestor whose broken heart led her to curse herself to never fall in love… and accidentally curses her entire line. I can’t wait to read this one!”
And don’t miss ‘A Time of Witches’—out now!
If you enjoy magically witchy dual-timeline sagas, Martin’s A Time of Witches delivers. The story follows Lilith Legare, who is facing strange occurrences ever since her mother’s death. Plus, she has a recurring nightmare of being burned at the stake. To search for answers, she travels from Savannah to England and eventually to Brackenmere Manor where the past and present meet. Meanwhile, in 1645 Suffolk, Sybil Brantham is accused of witchcraft and she must protect her younger sister at all costs. Across centuries, Lilith and Sybil discover they are bound by blood and danger.
“I’ve always enjoyed reading books about witches,” Martin says. “And when I was writing this novel I wanted to craft a story with magical realism that felt organic…like it could happen to anyone. That’s one of the reasons why I put spells and charms in the back of the book for people to do either by themselves or with friends or their book club.”
Pick up your copy of A Time of Witches here or wherever books are sold!
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