Witches, Witches, and More Witches: 7 Stories of “Witches” to Enthrall, Enrage, and Move You
Witches have always unfairly been given a bad reputation, but in these stories you will find witches (or women) of extreme and subtle power. They are defenders of justice, enactors of revenge, protectors, creators, or simply survivors. Witches and women are many things and these stories showcase their power and possibilities.
The Sapling Cage by Margaret Killjoy
In the gripping first novel in the Daughters of the Empty Throne trilogy, Killjoy crafts a beautiful tale of witches, earth, power struggle, self-invention in an own-voices story of trans witchcraft, and community. Lorel, our main character, discovers herself, her power, the importance of resistance, and a community of witches. It is a power-packed read that will make you crave powers to get the second book!
Women Without Men by Shahrnush Parsipur, translated by Faridoun Farrokh
A literary masterpiece banned in Iran follows the interwoven destinies of five women—including a wealthy middle-aged housewife, a sex worker, and a schoolteacher—as they arrive by different paths to live together in an abundant garden on the outskirts of Tehran. With elements of Islamic mysticism and recent Iranian history, this unforgettable novel depicts women escaping the narrow confines of family and society, and imagines their future living in a world without men.
Reservoir Bitches by Dahlia de la Cerda, translated by Julia Sanches and Heather Cleary
In the linked stories of Reservoir Bitches, thirteen Mexican women prod the bitch that is Life and become her. These women spit on their own reduction and invent new ways to endure, telling their own stories in bold, unapologetic voices. Social critique, humor, and striking language come together in Reservoir Bitches.
Sympathy for Wild Girls by Demree McGhee
A runaway seeks shelter from violence with a pack of wild coyotes. A young woman falls into a hypocritical crew of white Christian YouTube influencers. A mother witnesses her daughter’s prophecy about the end of the world come true. In Sympathy for Wild Girls, young Black women yearn for intimacy and hunt for belonging in a subtly warped version of our world, where social mores loom like shadows and bigotry shape-shifts.
Living on the Borderlines by Melissa Michal
In Living on the Borderlines, intergenerational memory and trauma slip into everyday life: a teenager struggles to understand her grandmother’s silences, a man contemplates what it means to preserve tradition in the wake of the “disappearing Indian” myth, and an older woman challenges her town’s prejudice while uniting an unlikely family. With these stories, comes a contemplative collection exploring what it means to be Indigenous.
The Silent Duchess by Dacia Maraini, afterword by Anna Camaiti-Hostert
In early 18th century Sicily, noblewoman Marianna Ucrìa is trapped in a world of silence after a terrible childhood trauma left her deaf and mute. Married off to a lecherous uncle, she struggles to educate and elevate herself against all convention—and find her true place in a world that sees her as little more than property.
The Naked Woman by Armonia Somers, translated by Kit Maude
When The Naked Woman was originally published in 1950, critics doubted a woman writer could be responsible for its shocking erotic content. In this searing critique of Enlightenment values, fantastic themes are juxtaposed with brutal depictions of misogyny and violence, as it discusses a women’s battle for autonomy and the dark power and potential of women.
An absolute classic, Sultana’s Dream, first published in 1905 in a Madras English newspaper, is a witty feminist utopia—a tale of reverse purdah that posits a world in which men are confined indoors and women have taken over the public sphere, ending a war nonviolently and restoring health and beauty to the world. It is beautiful, imaginative, thought-provoking and will leave you to dream of your own utopia.
