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The Winter Witch
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Expected 27 Jan 26Two sisters set sail on a bride ship from Normandy hoping to leave a curse behind them and find better lives in the wilds of 17th-century Quebec, only to meet a mysterious witch who forces them to confront the truth about magic—and their past. For fans of Emilia Hart, Sarah Penner, Alix E. Harrow, Ami McKay, and Roberta Rich.
Élisabeth Jossard boards a bride ship to New France with her sister Marthe, forced to start a new life after a scandal in her village in Normandy. She’s harbouring a dark secret and hopes that by coming to Montreal—the holiest place in the world, she’s been told—the saints will hear her pleas and lift the curse that plagues her.
When Élisabeth’s prayers go unanswered and she is unable to banish the spirit she believes is tormenting her, Marthe encourages her to turn to a powerful witch for help, the enigmatic stowaway Jeanne Roy. But Jeanne has secrets of her own, and when she refuses to help, Élisabeth’s resentment kindles a dangerous fire.
Inspired by the tales of Canada’s Filles du Roi, The Winter Witch examines how lies, arrogance, and ignorance can lead to witch hunts in any society.
Élisabeth Jossard boards a bride ship to New France with her sister Marthe, forced to start a new life after a scandal in her village in Normandy. She’s harbouring a dark secret and hopes that by coming to Montreal—the holiest place in the world, she’s been told—the saints will hear her pleas and lift the curse that plagues her.
When Élisabeth’s prayers go unanswered and she is unable to banish the spirit she believes is tormenting her, Marthe encourages her to turn to a powerful witch for help, the enigmatic stowaway Jeanne Roy. But Jeanne has secrets of her own, and when she refuses to help, Élisabeth’s resentment kindles a dangerous fire.
Inspired by the tales of Canada’s Filles du Roi, The Winter Witch examines how lies, arrogance, and ignorance can lead to witch hunts in any society.
384 pages, Paperback
Expected publication January 27, 2026
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Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews
November 5, 2025
A few years before the Salem Witch Trials in America, superstitious and oppressed people in France and Canada were also chasing shadows and pointing fingers. Senior producer at CBC and debut novelist, Jennifer Chevalier, sets out to show that lies, arrogance, and ignorance can lead to witch hunts.
Inspired by Canada’s filles du roi, Chevalier invites readers along for the journey as two sisters, Marthe and Elisabeth (Lili) Jossard board the Saint-Jean-Baptiste along with other girls who have accepted the King’s dowry in exchange for a promise to marry a settler in New France. These girls, Montrealistes, are headed to Ville-Marie, a missionary village on an island called Montreal in Canada. Some are adventurous, some are afraid of becoming spinsters, and some, like the Jossard girls, are escaping scandal.
Readers soon discover that naïveté, secrets and societal expecations/constraints are the root cause of Lili and Marthe’s predicament. Unable to outrun these ties, the girls are unsuccessful transplants in the new world until they are forced to confront the truth about their past, confront their fears, and confront their beliefs concerning magic.
Chevalier’s storytelling is sublime, her characters feel like you already know them, and the attention she gives to the setting creates a feeling of place that anchors the story. I thoroughly enjoyed this thought-provoking read centered around my country's history. I hope we hear more from Marthe and Lili and Ville-Marie.
I was gifted this copy by Simon&Schuster Canada and was under no obligation to provide a review.
Inspired by Canada’s filles du roi, Chevalier invites readers along for the journey as two sisters, Marthe and Elisabeth (Lili) Jossard board the Saint-Jean-Baptiste along with other girls who have accepted the King’s dowry in exchange for a promise to marry a settler in New France. These girls, Montrealistes, are headed to Ville-Marie, a missionary village on an island called Montreal in Canada. Some are adventurous, some are afraid of becoming spinsters, and some, like the Jossard girls, are escaping scandal.
Readers soon discover that naïveté, secrets and societal expecations/constraints are the root cause of Lili and Marthe’s predicament. Unable to outrun these ties, the girls are unsuccessful transplants in the new world until they are forced to confront the truth about their past, confront their fears, and confront their beliefs concerning magic.
Chevalier’s storytelling is sublime, her characters feel like you already know them, and the attention she gives to the setting creates a feeling of place that anchors the story. I thoroughly enjoyed this thought-provoking read centered around my country's history. I hope we hear more from Marthe and Lili and Ville-Marie.
I was gifted this copy by Simon&Schuster Canada and was under no obligation to provide a review.
January 8, 2026
super intéressant mais Élisabeth était vraiment déplaisante haha
November 25, 2025
I wanted to read this as soon as I read the synopsis. I was really excited when Simon and Schuster approved my request on NetGalley. Elisabeth and her sister Marthe are driven from their village in Normandy due to a scandal. They board a bride ship to Canada in hopes to start over. Things take a turn from there and Elisabeth ends up accusing a neighbour of being a witch. It was scarily easy to turn the village against her. If any of this is of interest to you go read The Winter Witch by Jennifer Chevalier.
January 2, 2026
Winter Witch follows sisters Elisabeth and Marthe as they leave France aboard a bride ship bound for Quebec after a scandal between Elisabeth and a local boy forces them to leave home. Along with other women sent to populate the New World, they face harsh conditions, strict religious rules, and the ever-present fear of witchcraft. Elisabeth believes the journey will lift a witch’s curse that has left her barren, allowing her to return to France to be with the man she loves
Jeanne Roy becomes a key figure in their lives, offering knowledge outside the Church’s rules and showing how quickly suspicion can spread. The story moves at a slower pace, but it lets the characters and their world come alive and kept me engaged throughout.
Overall, Winter Witch was a great read and I think anyone who enjoys historical women’s fiction with rich detail and well-drawn characters will really enjoy it as well.
Jeanne Roy becomes a key figure in their lives, offering knowledge outside the Church’s rules and showing how quickly suspicion can spread. The story moves at a slower pace, but it lets the characters and their world come alive and kept me engaged throughout.
Overall, Winter Witch was a great read and I think anyone who enjoys historical women’s fiction with rich detail and well-drawn characters will really enjoy it as well.
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January 10, 2026I am so grateful my request was approved to read this early. I saw the author speak of her inspiration via social media and I was convinced I needed to read this immediately.
What unfolds is an intriguing, layered story about superstition, belief and the dynamics of power. The book beautifully, skillfully paints an image of life in the early colonies. How they were a rough place of hardship, loneliness…and way too many men. The way Ms Chevalier describes this setting is utterly believable.
I felt I was given insight into the minds and hearts of the women of that time. Their limited options for living out their lives as poor women with no family. I could feel the various yokes of oppression, their limitations for expressing themselves or even understanding the world around them. All the invisible lines drawn for them to stay within to be considered a “proper, devout” woman were so tangible you could feel their strangling presence.
There is a dual POV between two sisters, Marthe and Lili who could not be more different. I felt like I was gazing directly out of their eyes, feeling everything they felt. I was bereft, despairing one minute then utterly furious the next. They were complex, multi-layer girls forced to be women so young. They had experienced so much pain and sorrow but still knew so little of the world. Which, to be honest, most people of their status were trapped within their ignorance and had it leveraged against them. Rumours and suspicions became deadly sentences at the hands of fearful, miserable neighbors and townspeople. Humans have the capacity to be the greatest monsters.
However, this book showed that humans also have the capacity to be the greatest champions of what is right. It had a wonderful twist, moments of light and hope and women seizing what little power they had through intelligence and daring. I won’t spoil it but it was SO empowering and satisfying. I was so fearful and worried the first portion of the book that when the climax came I raced through to the end. I feel I need to go back and properly revel in the turn of events.
What unfolds is an intriguing, layered story about superstition, belief and the dynamics of power. The book beautifully, skillfully paints an image of life in the early colonies. How they were a rough place of hardship, loneliness…and way too many men. The way Ms Chevalier describes this setting is utterly believable.
I felt I was given insight into the minds and hearts of the women of that time. Their limited options for living out their lives as poor women with no family. I could feel the various yokes of oppression, their limitations for expressing themselves or even understanding the world around them. All the invisible lines drawn for them to stay within to be considered a “proper, devout” woman were so tangible you could feel their strangling presence.
There is a dual POV between two sisters, Marthe and Lili who could not be more different. I felt like I was gazing directly out of their eyes, feeling everything they felt. I was bereft, despairing one minute then utterly furious the next. They were complex, multi-layer girls forced to be women so young. They had experienced so much pain and sorrow but still knew so little of the world. Which, to be honest, most people of their status were trapped within their ignorance and had it leveraged against them. Rumours and suspicions became deadly sentences at the hands of fearful, miserable neighbors and townspeople. Humans have the capacity to be the greatest monsters.
However, this book showed that humans also have the capacity to be the greatest champions of what is right. It had a wonderful twist, moments of light and hope and women seizing what little power they had through intelligence and daring. I won’t spoil it but it was SO empowering and satisfying. I was so fearful and worried the first portion of the book that when the climax came I raced through to the end. I feel I need to go back and properly revel in the turn of events.
December 4, 2025
The Winter Witch by Jennifer Chevalier is a historical fiction novel set in 17th century Quebec, about witches, curses, and the magic of courage.
Elisabeth and Marthe set sail to New France from Normandy after a scandal banishes them to the cold wild lands of Quebec. Elisabeth believes she is cursed and clings tightly onto her faith hoping she will be saved by her religion. Once the sisters arrive in New France, Elisabeth's secret becomes harder and harder to contain, especially when whispers of witchcraft and demonic activity begin to unravel her tightly kept curse. Marthe recommends Jeanne Roy, a witchy woman to help rid Elisabeth of her secret, but when Jeanne's mysterious past threatens the lives and safety of the village, Elisabeth will need to decide if it's safer to keep her own secret while exposing another.
I always enjoy reading stories about New France as I studied this period of Canadian history quite a lot when I was in school. The tension of a pioneer village witch craze made this story a page turner with suspicion and mystery creating a dramatic atmosphere. I liked how this was not a typical witch hunt story, with science and medicine playing a larger role. It's always interesting to read about the fears, folklore, and ignorance of the early settlers without a fantasy element as it can sometimes overshadow the real traumas innocent women experienced. While there is nothing fantastical about this story, I couldn't help but wonder if there was indeed something witchy going on with Elisabeth, as there were suggestions and hints that perhaps she was bewitched? The details and depictions of life in seventeenth century Montreal were very well researched, and I thought the author's inspiration for this story was original.
Overall if you are a fan of historical fiction, I would recommend The Winter Witch by Jennifer Chevalier.
Thank you to the publisher for providing me with a free arc via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. The opinions expressed are my own.
Elisabeth and Marthe set sail to New France from Normandy after a scandal banishes them to the cold wild lands of Quebec. Elisabeth believes she is cursed and clings tightly onto her faith hoping she will be saved by her religion. Once the sisters arrive in New France, Elisabeth's secret becomes harder and harder to contain, especially when whispers of witchcraft and demonic activity begin to unravel her tightly kept curse. Marthe recommends Jeanne Roy, a witchy woman to help rid Elisabeth of her secret, but when Jeanne's mysterious past threatens the lives and safety of the village, Elisabeth will need to decide if it's safer to keep her own secret while exposing another.
I always enjoy reading stories about New France as I studied this period of Canadian history quite a lot when I was in school. The tension of a pioneer village witch craze made this story a page turner with suspicion and mystery creating a dramatic atmosphere. I liked how this was not a typical witch hunt story, with science and medicine playing a larger role. It's always interesting to read about the fears, folklore, and ignorance of the early settlers without a fantasy element as it can sometimes overshadow the real traumas innocent women experienced. While there is nothing fantastical about this story, I couldn't help but wonder if there was indeed something witchy going on with Elisabeth, as there were suggestions and hints that perhaps she was bewitched? The details and depictions of life in seventeenth century Montreal were very well researched, and I thought the author's inspiration for this story was original.
Overall if you are a fan of historical fiction, I would recommend The Winter Witch by Jennifer Chevalier.
Thank you to the publisher for providing me with a free arc via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. The opinions expressed are my own.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
Elizabeth (Lili) and Marthe Jossard, who set sail from Normandy on a "bride ship" bound for New France hoping to leave a scandal behind. As part of a group of young women known as "girls for marrying", they have been provided with a dowry by the king in exchange for a promise to marry a settler in New France and populate the French colony. Lili, however, believes she has been cursed and hopes it can be lifted in the settlement of Ville Marie/Montreal which she has heard is the holiest place on earth. When her prayers aren't answered, Lili turns to Jeanne Roy, a stowaway midwife from their ship who Lili is convinced is a witch who could use her powers to lift the curse.
This was quite an enjoyable historical fiction read. I particularly enjoyed the Canadian setting, the insight into the experience of the young "Filles du Roi" and the depiction of life in 17th century Quebec with its harsh conditions in the settlement and powerful religious authorities controlling the community. The aspect of the plot revolving around the belief in witchcraft was also quite interesting and kept me turning the pages as this would have been around the same time as the Salem witch trials and there was an element of suspense to how it would all turn out. Lili can be quite a frustrating character but representative of her time when outlandish beliefs resulting from naivete and ignorance/lack of education too often led to tragic witch hunts. Overall a compelling debut novel!
Thank you to NetGalley and Simon & Schuster Canada for providing a digital ARC of this book for review purposes. All opinions are my own.
This was quite an enjoyable historical fiction read. I particularly enjoyed the Canadian setting, the insight into the experience of the young "Filles du Roi" and the depiction of life in 17th century Quebec with its harsh conditions in the settlement and powerful religious authorities controlling the community. The aspect of the plot revolving around the belief in witchcraft was also quite interesting and kept me turning the pages as this would have been around the same time as the Salem witch trials and there was an element of suspense to how it would all turn out. Lili can be quite a frustrating character but representative of her time when outlandish beliefs resulting from naivete and ignorance/lack of education too often led to tragic witch hunts. Overall a compelling debut novel!
Thank you to NetGalley and Simon & Schuster Canada for providing a digital ARC of this book for review purposes. All opinions are my own.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
I guess I’m in the (early) minority on this one.
My thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.
This was just not good. The title and blurb is very misleading IMO.
I didn’t enjoy any of the characters. Elisabeth was incredibly annoying and ignorant to the point of being dumb. None of her actions/reactions made sense and I hate characters deliberately withholding information as a plot device. Marthe had a bit more sense (not much though) but was boring once she was married. The widow was a ridiculous caricature of a MIL. All the husbands are just sort of there and although Francouer plays a more important role in the story, he is just the cliche farmer/solider with a heart of gold and very 21st century ideas about marriage *eye roll*.
Elisabeth’s past was not a shock or surprise but somehow took half the book to be revealed (to a single person and the reader).
Nothing in the story was about the girls’ struggles in New France or even witchcraft; which you would assume would be central since the book is literally called Winter Witch. All the witch stuff, of which there is very little, just pops up occasionally when it’s convenient for the story. It’s not the focus. There is no “witch hunt” or even magical realism. It’s just about one ignorant, naive, stupid annoying girl who is obsessed with the idea that she’s cursed and possessed and how she ruins the lives of those around her.
The ending made zero sense. Everyone is acting out of character and yet Elisabeth is somehow able to make everything better and everyone forgive her within a couple hours.
This book started with a lot of promise but quickly fell apart.
My thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.
This was just not good. The title and blurb is very misleading IMO.
I didn’t enjoy any of the characters. Elisabeth was incredibly annoying and ignorant to the point of being dumb. None of her actions/reactions made sense and I hate characters deliberately withholding information as a plot device. Marthe had a bit more sense (not much though) but was boring once she was married. The widow was a ridiculous caricature of a MIL. All the husbands are just sort of there and although Francouer plays a more important role in the story, he is just the cliche farmer/solider with a heart of gold and very 21st century ideas about marriage *eye roll*.
Elisabeth’s past was not a shock or surprise but somehow took half the book to be revealed (to a single person and the reader).
Nothing in the story was about the girls’ struggles in New France or even witchcraft; which you would assume would be central since the book is literally called Winter Witch. All the witch stuff, of which there is very little, just pops up occasionally when it’s convenient for the story. It’s not the focus. There is no “witch hunt” or even magical realism. It’s just about one ignorant, naive, stupid annoying girl who is obsessed with the idea that she’s cursed and possessed and how she ruins the lives of those around her.
The ending made zero sense. Everyone is acting out of character and yet Elisabeth is somehow able to make everything better and everyone forgive her within a couple hours.
This book started with a lot of promise but quickly fell apart.
January 12, 2026
3.5 stars.
Élisabeth and Marthe are forced to board a ship to New France from Normandy to start a new life after a village scandal. Élisabeth is harboring a dark secret and hopes that Montreal – the holiest place in the world – will lift the curse that plagues her. When her prayers go unanswered, Marthe encourages her to seek help from a powerful witch.
THE WINTER WITCH is a book I was really excited about reading in 2026. It is an incredible debut that is inspired by Canada’s Filles du Roi. The story is set primarily in New France within the village of Ville-Marie (aka Montreal, QC) in 1670.
The storytelling alternates between Élisabeth and Marthe’s POVs whom are two girls-for-marrying fleeing Normandy, France for a fresh start. I enjoyed both sisters as the narrators for this novel. Élisabeth and Marthe are well-written and interesting, though I did find Élisabeth to be a bit tiresome. It is clear from early on that she is suffering from mental illness, making her irrational and not open to other’s thoughts or directives.
The marriages these two women embark upon are not love matches, but there is a certain romance that develops between the two couples that is sweet and heartwarming.
I was hoping for a bit more witchiness within these pages, but I did love the attention the author gives to how easy lies and ignorance can lead to witch hunts.
I would like to thank Netgalley and the publisher, Simon & Schuster Canada, for the opportunity to read this advanced digital copy in exchange for an honest review! All opinions expressed are my own.
Élisabeth and Marthe are forced to board a ship to New France from Normandy to start a new life after a village scandal. Élisabeth is harboring a dark secret and hopes that Montreal – the holiest place in the world – will lift the curse that plagues her. When her prayers go unanswered, Marthe encourages her to seek help from a powerful witch.
THE WINTER WITCH is a book I was really excited about reading in 2026. It is an incredible debut that is inspired by Canada’s Filles du Roi. The story is set primarily in New France within the village of Ville-Marie (aka Montreal, QC) in 1670.
The storytelling alternates between Élisabeth and Marthe’s POVs whom are two girls-for-marrying fleeing Normandy, France for a fresh start. I enjoyed both sisters as the narrators for this novel. Élisabeth and Marthe are well-written and interesting, though I did find Élisabeth to be a bit tiresome. It is clear from early on that she is suffering from mental illness, making her irrational and not open to other’s thoughts or directives.
The marriages these two women embark upon are not love matches, but there is a certain romance that develops between the two couples that is sweet and heartwarming.
I was hoping for a bit more witchiness within these pages, but I did love the attention the author gives to how easy lies and ignorance can lead to witch hunts.
I would like to thank Netgalley and the publisher, Simon & Schuster Canada, for the opportunity to read this advanced digital copy in exchange for an honest review! All opinions expressed are my own.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
The Winter Witch by Jennifer Chevalier is a slow-paced read at the beginning when we first meet the main characters - Elisabeth and Marthe who are sisters travelling from France to Quebec (the new World) after a scandal that Elisabeth was embroiled in necessitating their departure from their home to prevent further embarrassment and potential violence. Their adventure starts on the ship once they set sail and the readers are then introduced to a slew of characters who each have a role in shaping the lives of the Jossard sisters. The allusion to witchcraft and its occult elements involving demonic possession is introduced into the storyline early on with the advent of Jeanne Roy in the lives of the sisters and we see its effect on Elisabeth as she deals with the repercussions of her past actions; she starts believing that her mistakes involving her lover, Remy, has initiated the curse that she is now bearing on her shoulders even though Marthe tried her best to dissuade her of this notion. They arrive in Quebec and from there, the storyline continues with each girl from the ship transported to the nuns where they remain for a time until they are wedded off. Marthe meets and marries a baker but soon afterwards gets involved in a dispute and a violent altercation with the governor of Montreal while Elisabeth continues dealing with her horror that a demon is living inside of her causing her infertility and this becomes entrenched in her mind after an altercation with two men at the pier. Both sisters deal with their situation as best as they can but Jeanne Roy’s inability to assist Elisabeth in exorcising her demon spirit soon leaves the latter to lash out and take punitive action resulting in the imprisonment of the witch, Jeanne-Roy. The situation resolves when Elisabeth comes to certain truths about her past especially in relation to Remy, and takes the corrective measures to make it up to Jeanne Roy. She finds eventual love with her husband, Francoeur while Marthe emerges victoriously from her harrowing experience of giving birth to twins and resumes a happy life with her family. The story was good and well written and I felt that certain historical aspects specific to Quebec and the island of Montreal was true to form. I considered this novel to be a refreshing take on history and well researched. I hope to read more of this author’s books in the future. DISCLOSURE: I received a free copy of this book from NetGalley to review.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
This historical fiction is a story occurs in the 17th century. A time where there are fears of witchcraft, where powerful religious authorities searched and hunted down any “suspicious”behaviors. I enjoyed reading about New France and the story starts off based by Canada’s Filles du roi. Reading of the hardships and how fear and ignorance can perpetuate gossip and false stories off a tiny spark of doubt. This is not the typical witch hunt story and one of the main characters, Elizabeth is exhausting at times, but during those times her fears and actions are believable that her naivety led her to do such things. This was slow moving and the ending seemed a bit rushed with everything tying together a little too neatly, but the story all in all is a good one and seemed throughly researched.
Thank you Jennifer Chevalier, NetGalley and Simon & Schuster for gifting me this ARC for my honest opinion.
Thank you Jennifer Chevalier, NetGalley and Simon & Schuster for gifting me this ARC for my honest opinion.
January 12, 2026
The history of the French colonies in Québec, specifically the Filles du Roi braving the unknown to join them, is a part of Canadian history that I am drawn to as it is fascinating and an important part of my own family’s history. I hadn’t read a work of fiction about the Filles du Roi since Anne Hébert’s Premier Jardin and when this period and its people are brought to life through fiction it is particularly engaging and moving.
The Winter Witch is a fantastic work historical fiction based on real events and people of this chapter of Canadian history. It is touching and empowering with complex characters and a gripping storyline with a hint of magic. I do wish that we had delved a bit deeper into life on the colonies and Indigenous culture and history. However this was overall a great read and I am excited to see what Chevalier writes next!
Thank you NetGalley and Simon and Schuster for the ARC!
January 7, 2026
Thank you to Goodreads Giveaways for an ARC.
I thoroughly enjoyed reading about the historical settlement of New France and the filles du roi of Canada’s seventeenth century. Learning about our Canadian history in an interesting dramatic work of fiction based on careful research is my favourite kind of read!
I thoroughly enjoyed reading about the historical settlement of New France and the filles du roi of Canada’s seventeenth century. Learning about our Canadian history in an interesting dramatic work of fiction based on careful research is my favourite kind of read!
November 4, 2025
This is going to be the book of the winter
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
Thank you to Simon & Schuster Canada for the digital ARC. Full review to come.
Review of advance copy received from Goodreads Giveaways
I won this ARC through a Goodreads giveaway!
I needed to let this sit overnight because the ending really bothered me.
The beginning of the book is fantastic: characters on a perilous journey across the ocean to an unknown land with some real stakes. BUT as soon as the boat lands and the story actually begins, I found it dragged with some pacing issues. There are bits and pieces of really great writing, but I found the characters somewhat lacking (and one of them downright annoying). The ending, although much faster paced, had one of the lead characters acting completely out of character, so much so that it bothered me a great deal. I just didn't understand her complete about face (although necessary for the story, it was jarring). Overall, the book is well written and I would read another book by the same author. I just wish the ending make more sense to me.
I needed to let this sit overnight because the ending really bothered me.
The beginning of the book is fantastic: characters on a perilous journey across the ocean to an unknown land with some real stakes. BUT as soon as the boat lands and the story actually begins, I found it dragged with some pacing issues. There are bits and pieces of really great writing, but I found the characters somewhat lacking (and one of them downright annoying). The ending, although much faster paced, had one of the lead characters acting completely out of character, so much so that it bothered me a great deal. I just didn't understand her complete about face (although necessary for the story, it was jarring). Overall, the book is well written and I would read another book by the same author. I just wish the ending make more sense to me.
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