Review: Witchcraft for Wayward Girls by Grady Hendrix

It’s always a challenge for me to describe a Grady Hendrix novel - I feel like I never do it justice. But I’m going to try.

His latest novel, Witchcraft for Wayward Girls, includes some of the characteristics I have come to expect from his novels - a touch of humor, a touch of the supernatural, a touch of horror - all served up in a Southern setting.

Neva is a “wayward girl". The year is 1970, she is 15 years old, and she is pregnant. This means that she has to leave her home, secretly have her baby, and then return to her life in Alabama like it never happened. The Wellwood House in St. Augustine, Florida is where she will live until her baby is born and where her secret will be kept.

Neva arrives at Wellwood and is promptly introduced to many other “wayward girls” - some older than her, some younger - but all of them are there for the same reason. All of them are told that they are an embarrassment to their families and their babies will be better off without them. They are told very little about what is happening to their bodies and Neva (who is now known as Fern) realizes that she has no power over her life. Then she meets Miss Parcae, the librarian who drives the bookmobile to Wellwood House. Just like Neva/Fern, there is more to Miss Parcae than meets the eye. She recommends a book to Neva/Fern but it is unlike any other book in the library. It is a book of witchcraft, and it promises to give Neva/Fern and the other “wayward girls” some of the power they are lacking. But witches and spells require payment in return.

Grady Hendrix uses the supernatural to explain a deeper, more serious theme. Hendrix did the same in his other novels, including How to Sell a Haunted House, in which possessed puppets force siblings to deal with memories surrounding their childhood home. He manages to put a little bit of humor into his books and that lightens the darkness in the plot. In Witchcraft for Wayward Girls, the humor comes from the other girls in the home, especially Rose who claims to be “on strike” to get out of doing work around the home.

This book will not be for everyone. There is an element of horror and a very detailed description of a birth. But if you are looking for a unique story about girls finding their community and using their voice to advocate for themselves, then this book is for you. It was definitely a book for me.

Witchcraft for Wayward Girls will be available to purchase on January 14, 2025 from Neighborhood Reads.