Review: Witchcraft for Wayward Girls - Grady Hendrix

Review: Witchcraft for Wayward Girls - Grady Hendrix - January 2025

Set against the haunting backdrop of a 1970s unwed mothers home in St. Augustine, Florida, Witchcraft for Wayward Girls is Grady Hendrix at his most chilling—and most heartbreaking. Combining the author’s signature horror-tinged storytelling with a devastating slice of social history, this novel struck an especially personal chord with me. Like the girls in this story, my own mother had her child taken from her as a teenager under the guise of “what’s best,” a story so many women in that era know too well.

We follow 15-year-old Fern, frightened, pregnant, and utterly alone as she enters the rigid confines of the Wellwood Home. Girls like Fern are labelled “loose” and “troubled,” stripped of their autonomy and made to follow a life path dictated by shame and control. But what begins as a bleak narrative of conformity slowly morphs into something powerful, strange—and even a little magical.

When a mysterious Mobile Librarian quietly hands Fern a tattered book on witchcraft, something awakens not only in her but in the other residents too. Rose, a free-spirited hippie; Zinnia, a dreamer with a guitar; and the silent, broken Holly—each girl finds hope in the whispered rituals and incantations of the occult. For the first time, they begin to imagine a life beyond Wellwood. A life with their babies. A life where they choose.

Magic comes with a price, and the cost here is steep. As the girls delve deeper into their newfound power, the lines between resistance and ruin blur dangerously. This isn’t just a story of rebellion; it’s a story of consequences, sacrifice, and the terrifying beauty of reclaiming control in a world that would rather see you silent.

Witchcraft for Wayward Girls is a harrowing yet empowering read. This book also pays tribute to the forgotten girls of history—the ones hidden away, silenced, and shamed—by giving them a voice, a spellbook, and a chance to burn the system down.

For readers who love historical fiction with a dark twist, tales of sisterhood and rebellion, and narratives steeped in social commentary, this one’s for you. Just be prepared: this book cuts deep.

Amazon: https://amzn.to/4jkHfU5