The Witches of Cambridge was my most-anticipated book release this fall. Alice Hoffman is one of my favourite authors, and her magical and atmospheric writing style makes her books perfect for fall. I love the books in the Practical Magic series, and I was excited to read another Alice Hoffman book that centers around witches.
The Witches of Cambridge takes place in the 1950s in Cambridge, Massachusetts. It centers on two women, Ava and Lauren, who are recruited into a secret group of witches called the Lilith Society.
The Witches of Cambridge gave me everything I wanted in a fall read. The main characters are strong, resilient witches. It’s also set at Radcliffe College, and I always associate the fall season with school. The plot was exciting. Alice Hoffman’s writing was in her usual dream-like style that I’ve come to crave each fall.
I love that Alice Hoffman’s novels focus on the empowerment of women, and this one certainly did. Another important theme throughout the novel is the importance of female friendships. In these ways, the novel reminded me of the Practical Magic series. If you like that series, then The Witches of Cambridge is for you.
I did have a couple of minor qualms with The Witches of Cambridge. One was that there were moments when it was repetitive. I don’t mind this when the repetition acts as a reminder to the reader about something from much earlier on in the book, but sometimes the repeated sentences happened really close together. There was also one point when the writing abruptly changed from first-person to third-person narration, which confused me and which I think was an error.
Even with those issues, The Witches of Cambridge was a five-star read for me. Alice Hoffman has a knack for writing novels with strong character development and interesting plots. Her novels are also full of sentences that are so articulate and true, they sometimes make me stop and process just how well-put and true they are.
The Witches of Cambridge is the first book in what will be a three-book series. I already can’t wait for the next book to be released.
I highly recommend adding Alice Hoffman’s The Witches of Cambridge to your fall TBR!
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