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The Healer's Daughter: A historical tale of love, loss, fear and magic
A captivating historical tale of witch trials, forbidden love, and survival in colonial America.
Late 17th century. Men are determined to keep women barred from medicine, yet for ages, the remarkable Galene mothers and daughters have healed where no man could. Naida is destined to follow her foremothers’ virtuous path, but when her grandmother is executed for reviving a stillborn, she flees to Charles Town, a raw and untamed colony where healers don’t burn, unless… But when love awakens her all-too-human heart, Naida commits the unthinkable. Will she honor her pledge and make the ultimate sacrifice, or will she defy the past from dictating her future and risk losing everything…?
Perfect for readers who
● Witch trials, persecution, and survival stories
● Strong heroines, midwives, and women healers
● Colonial America historical settings
● Feminist historical fiction with magical realism
● Atmospheric novels like those of Louisa Morgan, Paula Brackston, and Alice Hoffman
Fans of A Secret History of Witches and Practical Magic will be spellbound by The Healer’s Daughter , a story of resilience, family bonds, and the enduring fight for freedom and love.
Late 17th century. Men are determined to keep women barred from medicine, yet for ages, the remarkable Galene mothers and daughters have healed where no man could. Naida is destined to follow her foremothers’ virtuous path, but when her grandmother is executed for reviving a stillborn, she flees to Charles Town, a raw and untamed colony where healers don’t burn, unless… But when love awakens her all-too-human heart, Naida commits the unthinkable. Will she honor her pledge and make the ultimate sacrifice, or will she defy the past from dictating her future and risk losing everything…?
Perfect for readers who
● Witch trials, persecution, and survival stories
● Strong heroines, midwives, and women healers
● Colonial America historical settings
● Feminist historical fiction with magical realism
● Atmospheric novels like those of Louisa Morgan, Paula Brackston, and Alice Hoffman
Fans of A Secret History of Witches and Practical Magic will be spellbound by The Healer’s Daughter , a story of resilience, family bonds, and the enduring fight for freedom and love.
- GenresHistorical Fiction
313 pages, Kindle Edition
Published August 23, 2025
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Displaying 1 - 28 of 28 reviews
January 18, 2026
Vivid prose, emotional turmoil, and strong perseverance are just some of the adjectives to describe The Healer’s Daughter: A 17th-century tale of fear, love, loss, and magic by Myriana Merkovic.
Naida is a young woman on the run with her mother, Zephyr. She has witnessed the burning of her grandmother, Vesta, due to charges of witchcraft. Her mother is scared and knows that to save her and Naida, they must go somewhere else. Zephyr has heard of a place called Charles Town, where women who are healers are safe from the shackles of witchcraft. Along the way, Naida discovers the possibility of love and what sacrifices it will take to make sure she is not the last of the Galene women.
Merkovic’s prose is the highlight of The Healer’s Daughter. She does not shy away from imagery that may be less than appealing. In the first words of her story, she writes, “Carried by the breeze, the stench ripples around me – acrid, coppery, so thick I can taste it. You’d know it was burning flesh if you smelled it.” She describes the beauty Naida sees with words, “When I wake up, the horizon is burnt orange and purple, and the silky sea has turned to silver.” Naida’s keen awareness of the pain people feel is shared with these words, “Every part of her face bespeaks her suffering, but especially her eyes; they’re brutal to look at.” The poetic and vivid words the author uses are impeccable.
The Healer’s Daughter is wonderfully written and enlightening. The author is prudent in her theme of women’s rights. Throughout history, women have had to choose family or freedom. There was no room for both. Naida must make a choice to either experience love or sacrifice those feelings to fulfill a duty to her family. The ongoing struggle for women to achieve it all is echoed throughout Naida’s story.
Merkovic also enlightens readers to the idea that if we don’t understand something, then it is wrong. Naida was healing people with unconventional methods. Though she was not an educated doctor, she was still knowledgeable and successful in her own right. The idea that we can achieve the same thing by taking different paths was new in colonial America, and Merkovic makes us aware that 21st-century America still feels this way on certain issues.
The Healer’s Daughter is a story both entertaining and thought-provoking. The characters are relatable, the writing is impeccable, and the message is deep. Readers who enjoy historical fiction or magic are recommended to open the cover of The Healer’s Daughter.
Naida is a young woman on the run with her mother, Zephyr. She has witnessed the burning of her grandmother, Vesta, due to charges of witchcraft. Her mother is scared and knows that to save her and Naida, they must go somewhere else. Zephyr has heard of a place called Charles Town, where women who are healers are safe from the shackles of witchcraft. Along the way, Naida discovers the possibility of love and what sacrifices it will take to make sure she is not the last of the Galene women.
Merkovic’s prose is the highlight of The Healer’s Daughter. She does not shy away from imagery that may be less than appealing. In the first words of her story, she writes, “Carried by the breeze, the stench ripples around me – acrid, coppery, so thick I can taste it. You’d know it was burning flesh if you smelled it.” She describes the beauty Naida sees with words, “When I wake up, the horizon is burnt orange and purple, and the silky sea has turned to silver.” Naida’s keen awareness of the pain people feel is shared with these words, “Every part of her face bespeaks her suffering, but especially her eyes; they’re brutal to look at.” The poetic and vivid words the author uses are impeccable.
The Healer’s Daughter is wonderfully written and enlightening. The author is prudent in her theme of women’s rights. Throughout history, women have had to choose family or freedom. There was no room for both. Naida must make a choice to either experience love or sacrifice those feelings to fulfill a duty to her family. The ongoing struggle for women to achieve it all is echoed throughout Naida’s story.
Merkovic also enlightens readers to the idea that if we don’t understand something, then it is wrong. Naida was healing people with unconventional methods. Though she was not an educated doctor, she was still knowledgeable and successful in her own right. The idea that we can achieve the same thing by taking different paths was new in colonial America, and Merkovic makes us aware that 21st-century America still feels this way on certain issues.
The Healer’s Daughter is a story both entertaining and thought-provoking. The characters are relatable, the writing is impeccable, and the message is deep. Readers who enjoy historical fiction or magic are recommended to open the cover of The Healer’s Daughter.
September 19, 2025
Spoilers: The Healer's Daughter by Myriana Merkovic casts a spell on its Reader. It is a bewitching Historical Fiction novel about a healer and witch in 17th century North America.
In 1692, Naida Galene and her mother, Zephyr, had to flee Andover, Massachusetts when accusers from the Salem Witch Trials went witch hunting. They escape to Charles Town, South Carolina to start a new life. After Zephyr dies en route, Naida takes to the woods to live in solitude around nature. Her reputation as a healer is spread through word of mouth and she receives many loyal customers, particularly women, who visit her in secret. She also gets into a relationship with Ambrose Neville, a botanist and scientist. Unfortunately, she also meets with animosity from Sable, a local witch who doesn't like this new upstart and Lord Harrington, a nobleman who is suspicious of and lustful towards the young healer.
The Healer's Daughter is a brilliant character study of a woman who lives in the outer fringes of society and survives and even thrives because of her inner power.
Naida comes from a long line of healers and witches who taught her everything she knows. Her family is a matrilineal line where power is inherited and taught from mother to daughter. Naida not only remembers her mother, Zephyr, but her grandmother, Vesta, and other ancestors. She has inherited ancestral memories where she recalls their own experiences with different herbs and potions or the lessons that they taught their daughters.
Some of their interactions consist of Naida remembering them and others are actual conversations with their spirits, especially Zephyr and Vesta. While she respects their authority and her lineage, Naida isn't afraid to call them out for their lifestyle choices and that they expect her to carry on the tradition even if it's emotionally difficult for her. Among those choices are to live completely alone and only have sex for procreation. If the child is a daughter, they must raise them by themselves in isolation (the son is returned to his father).
When Naida weighs a romantic relationship with Ambrose, she wants to break the tradition to find a way to use her abilities while being happily married and openly involved with the community. She is someone who isn't afraid to question society and tradition, even when they are hers.
There are plenty of moments where Naida and her family help people with their healing experiences. She recalls many women going to Grandma Vesta for help with insomnia, pregnancy, or keeping their abusive drunk husbands away from them. She also bitterly remembers that these same women would either turn a blind eye or actively take part in the trials that would send her grandmother to her death and then run Naida and Zephyr out of town.
Naida herself uses her hedge witch abilities to help others. She treats Ambrose's injury which attracts him but also makes him suspicious where she learned her healing skills. She also helps soothe a pregnant woman’s physical and mental health.
One of the more traumatic moments occurs when a woman asks Naida for an abortifacient because she has several young children and an abusive husband. Naida has her own internal conflict with the request. She knows that this procedure could result in her arrest and the woman could get hurt or even murdered by her husband. But the woman's health becomes the most important deciding factor and she respects her choice, so she helps her.
There are strong conflicts between Naida and the society that surrounds her. Anytime that Naida interacts with Sable, the sardonic and potentially psychopathic town outsider who has her own bad reputation, Naida faces suspicions that she's in a witch's coven. Whenever she gets into an argument with Ambrose using her natural personally trained healing magic against his scientific education and training, the information points towards training in witchcraft. Above all Lord Harrington has his own vested interest in accusing the young woman, so he gathers his own evidence.
Naida knows that she is going to arouse curiosity and accusations no matter what she does, then she might as well be herself. She might as well do what she is trained to do. If they call her a witch, then a witch is who she will be. This self-awareness is what strengthens her as she faces accusers, her family legacy, and has to decide how to live her life.
The Healer's Daughter is a compelling outlook at what life was like for independent women in the 17th century and how they often became outsiders and accused witches. That this woman is actually a witch is neither here nor there.
Naida is using her abilities to heal people, create medicines and remedies, consult and advise others.
There are some implications that the male government establishment is threatened by her knowledge. She is a woman outside the community box and they can't place her or fit her inside. As with many women throughout history, if they can't place her and can't force her to conform, then they will do everything they can to silence her. But Naida is a woman who resists being categorized and won't be silenced. She is from a family legacy of strength, independence, mindfulness, talent, and spirit.
Naida is a truly bewitching presence throughout her fictional world and to the Reader.
In 1692, Naida Galene and her mother, Zephyr, had to flee Andover, Massachusetts when accusers from the Salem Witch Trials went witch hunting. They escape to Charles Town, South Carolina to start a new life. After Zephyr dies en route, Naida takes to the woods to live in solitude around nature. Her reputation as a healer is spread through word of mouth and she receives many loyal customers, particularly women, who visit her in secret. She also gets into a relationship with Ambrose Neville, a botanist and scientist. Unfortunately, she also meets with animosity from Sable, a local witch who doesn't like this new upstart and Lord Harrington, a nobleman who is suspicious of and lustful towards the young healer.
The Healer's Daughter is a brilliant character study of a woman who lives in the outer fringes of society and survives and even thrives because of her inner power.
Naida comes from a long line of healers and witches who taught her everything she knows. Her family is a matrilineal line where power is inherited and taught from mother to daughter. Naida not only remembers her mother, Zephyr, but her grandmother, Vesta, and other ancestors. She has inherited ancestral memories where she recalls their own experiences with different herbs and potions or the lessons that they taught their daughters.
Some of their interactions consist of Naida remembering them and others are actual conversations with their spirits, especially Zephyr and Vesta. While she respects their authority and her lineage, Naida isn't afraid to call them out for their lifestyle choices and that they expect her to carry on the tradition even if it's emotionally difficult for her. Among those choices are to live completely alone and only have sex for procreation. If the child is a daughter, they must raise them by themselves in isolation (the son is returned to his father).
When Naida weighs a romantic relationship with Ambrose, she wants to break the tradition to find a way to use her abilities while being happily married and openly involved with the community. She is someone who isn't afraid to question society and tradition, even when they are hers.
There are plenty of moments where Naida and her family help people with their healing experiences. She recalls many women going to Grandma Vesta for help with insomnia, pregnancy, or keeping their abusive drunk husbands away from them. She also bitterly remembers that these same women would either turn a blind eye or actively take part in the trials that would send her grandmother to her death and then run Naida and Zephyr out of town.
Naida herself uses her hedge witch abilities to help others. She treats Ambrose's injury which attracts him but also makes him suspicious where she learned her healing skills. She also helps soothe a pregnant woman’s physical and mental health.
One of the more traumatic moments occurs when a woman asks Naida for an abortifacient because she has several young children and an abusive husband. Naida has her own internal conflict with the request. She knows that this procedure could result in her arrest and the woman could get hurt or even murdered by her husband. But the woman's health becomes the most important deciding factor and she respects her choice, so she helps her.
There are strong conflicts between Naida and the society that surrounds her. Anytime that Naida interacts with Sable, the sardonic and potentially psychopathic town outsider who has her own bad reputation, Naida faces suspicions that she's in a witch's coven. Whenever she gets into an argument with Ambrose using her natural personally trained healing magic against his scientific education and training, the information points towards training in witchcraft. Above all Lord Harrington has his own vested interest in accusing the young woman, so he gathers his own evidence.
Naida knows that she is going to arouse curiosity and accusations no matter what she does, then she might as well be herself. She might as well do what she is trained to do. If they call her a witch, then a witch is who she will be. This self-awareness is what strengthens her as she faces accusers, her family legacy, and has to decide how to live her life.
The Healer's Daughter is a compelling outlook at what life was like for independent women in the 17th century and how they often became outsiders and accused witches. That this woman is actually a witch is neither here nor there.
Naida is using her abilities to heal people, create medicines and remedies, consult and advise others.
There are some implications that the male government establishment is threatened by her knowledge. She is a woman outside the community box and they can't place her or fit her inside. As with many women throughout history, if they can't place her and can't force her to conform, then they will do everything they can to silence her. But Naida is a woman who resists being categorized and won't be silenced. She is from a family legacy of strength, independence, mindfulness, talent, and spirit.
Naida is a truly bewitching presence throughout her fictional world and to the Reader.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 17, 2025
I went into this book not knowing what to expect. I had never read this author before and while I read novels in this genre they aren't usually my go to, but I wanted to try something different. I will be honest the first 11 chapters I had a really hard time getting into. Once I got past those I really liked this book.
As a female it really spoke to me and the way women have been treated and viewed through out history. While this book is set in the 1600's there were so many parts that made me go, "wow things really haven't changed that much from back then. It evoked a lot of strong feelings and some parts I had to stop and really think.
While it is labeled as romance as well that is very much a side aspect in this book, so if you pick it up for romance you will be disappointed. Pick it up expecting to have some very strong internal conversations with yourself.
I'm rounding up the stars to 4 because I can't give half marks. I would give it 3.5 because I did have such a hard time with the first 11 chapters and almost gave up. I'll leave with this quote from the book.
“You talk about staying safe, but when is a woman alone ever safe in this world?”
As a female it really spoke to me and the way women have been treated and viewed through out history. While this book is set in the 1600's there were so many parts that made me go, "wow things really haven't changed that much from back then. It evoked a lot of strong feelings and some parts I had to stop and really think.
While it is labeled as romance as well that is very much a side aspect in this book, so if you pick it up for romance you will be disappointed. Pick it up expecting to have some very strong internal conversations with yourself.
I'm rounding up the stars to 4 because I can't give half marks. I would give it 3.5 because I did have such a hard time with the first 11 chapters and almost gave up. I'll leave with this quote from the book.
“You talk about staying safe, but when is a woman alone ever safe in this world?”
July 27, 2026
On the surface, this is an intriguing, magical story of a healer, but it is also a loving tribute to nature and strong women.
Although there were moments where I felt the narrative of events could’ve been more clear, I enjoyed the detailed descriptions of the untamed wilderness and its flowers, plants, rivers, and animals. I loved how Naida honored everything she used in nature, thanking it for its gifts and help. I also enjoyed the honest, heartwarming, supportive characters like Oly, Lupa, and Hattie, as well as the band of seemingly fragile women who all support and aid Nadia.
Although there were moments where I felt the narrative of events could’ve been more clear, I enjoyed the detailed descriptions of the untamed wilderness and its flowers, plants, rivers, and animals. I loved how Naida honored everything she used in nature, thanking it for its gifts and help. I also enjoyed the honest, heartwarming, supportive characters like Oly, Lupa, and Hattie, as well as the band of seemingly fragile women who all support and aid Nadia.
December 15, 2025
A great fantasy novel that explores the world of magic and healing. Myriana's writing is vivid, and her characters are well-developed. I loved the story of the healer's daughter.
December 15, 2025
A well-written and engaging book. Myriana's concept of magic and healing is eye-opening. I appreciate the strong female protagonist.
December 15, 2025
I loved this book! Myriana's writing is warm and inviting. The story of the healer's daughter is inspiring, and the world-building is impressive.
December 15, 2025
I enjoyed this book! Myriana's writing is engaging, and her story is heartwarming. The world of magic and healing is fascinating, and the characters are relatable.
December 15, 2025
A beautiful story about family, love, and self-discovery. Myriana's writing is inspiring, and her characters are well-developed. I loved the story of the healer's daughter.
December 15, 2025
A well-researched and engaging book. Myriana's approach to world-building is comprehensive and inspiring. I appreciate the historical context of the novel.
December 15, 2025
I've read this book twice already! Myriana's writing is engaging, and her story is heartwarming. I've already recommended this book to friends.
December 15, 2025
A great book for anyone looking for a fantasy novel with a strong female protagonist. Myriana's writing is vivid, and her characters are relatable. I loved the story of the healer's daughter.
December 15, 2025
A beautiful story about family, love, and self-discovery. Myriana's writing is inspiring, and her characters are well-developed. I loved the story of Naida and her family
December 15, 2025
I heard about this book from the Glasgow Book Club, and I'm so glad I picked it up. Myriana's writing is engaging, and her story is heartwarming
January 25, 2026
Good book. Very descriptive and the author describes things beautifully. A good read.
August 1, 2026
I must forewarn you that the book has a binding disabling the pages. Hold with care to keep everything in tact. They need to work on the binding.
December 12, 2025
A great fantasy novel that explores the challenges of growing up with a special gift. Myriana's writing is vivid, and her characters are well-developed. I loved the story of the healer's daughter.
December 12, 2025
I enjoyed this book! Myriana's writing is engaging, and her story is heartwarming. The world of magic and healing is fascinating, and the characters are relatable.
December 12, 2025
A beautiful story about family, love, and self-discovery. Myriana's writing is inspiring, and her characters are well-developed. I loved the story of the healer's daughter.
December 12, 2025
A well-researched and engaging book. Myriana's approach to world-building is comprehensive and inspiring. I appreciate the historical context of the novel.
December 12, 2025
I've read this book twice already! Myriana's writing is engaging, and her story is heartwarming. I've already recommended this book to friends.
December 12, 2025
A great book for anyone looking for a fantasy novel with a strong female protagonist. Myriana's writing is vivid, and her characters are relatable. I loved the story of the healer's daughter.
December 12, 2025
A beautiful story about family, love, and self-discovery. Myriana's writing is inspiring, and her characters are well-developed. I loved the story of Naida and her family. .
December 12, 2025
I heard about this book from a friend who's part of the Glasgow Book Club, and I'm so glad I picked it up. Myriana's writing is engaging, and her story is heartwarming.
December 8, 2025
A captivating historical tale of love, loss, and magic. I heard about this book from the Glasgow Book Club, and I'm so glad I picked it up. Myriana's writing is engaging, and her characters are relatable.
December 10, 2025
A well-written and engaging book. Myriana's concept of magic and healing is eye-opening. I appreciate the strong female protagonist, Naida.
December 9, 2025
I loved this book! Myriana's writing is warm and inviting. The story of Naida and her family is inspiring, and the historical context is well-researched.
October 29, 2025
This review was written for Reedsy Discovery
With stunning imagery and prose, first love and familial duty clash in this feminist tale of a woman healer during the colonial period
The Galene women have always sacrificed love for duty, using their gifts for healing. Never have they been at greater risk than during the witch trials of 1693 and the years that followed. Naida's grandmother is condemned for her healing art and burned as a witch, so she and her mother, Zephyr, flee Massachusetts toward Charles Town, a city rumored to be safe. Naida's life must follow a particular path in order to ensure she is not the last of the Galene healers, but her heart awakens at the chance for love, leading her to fight for everything she desires.
The Healer's Daughter by Myriana Merkovic captivated me from the very first page. The challenges faced by the Galene family, and especially their bold confidence in the face of patriarchal society, were incredibly empowering to read. Naida's coming-of-age arc and her fight to claim all that she wants from life led to intense scenes and fierce displays of fortitude. Historical fiction does not often set my heart racing, but I found myself furiously reading, chasing the storyline to its end.
Written with modern language and terms, the book is accessible to readers, but sacrifices period accuracy. For example, Zephyr is referred to as "Mom" in the first-person narration, though the term "mom" was not used in English for another 150 years. Nonetheless, the prose is incredible. Filled with emotional imagery, many phrases lingered with me. Furthermore, many of the men Naida meets in Charles Town have progressive attitudes, which was refreshing to read. I will definitely be reading other novels by this author.
There is violence, though not overly gratuitous, and the romance is closed-door and non-explicit, so the book is appropriate for most audiences. I highly recommend it to readers who enjoy feminist literature, historical fiction, women's fiction, and magical realism.
With stunning imagery and prose, first love and familial duty clash in this feminist tale of a woman healer during the colonial period
The Galene women have always sacrificed love for duty, using their gifts for healing. Never have they been at greater risk than during the witch trials of 1693 and the years that followed. Naida's grandmother is condemned for her healing art and burned as a witch, so she and her mother, Zephyr, flee Massachusetts toward Charles Town, a city rumored to be safe. Naida's life must follow a particular path in order to ensure she is not the last of the Galene healers, but her heart awakens at the chance for love, leading her to fight for everything she desires.
The Healer's Daughter by Myriana Merkovic captivated me from the very first page. The challenges faced by the Galene family, and especially their bold confidence in the face of patriarchal society, were incredibly empowering to read. Naida's coming-of-age arc and her fight to claim all that she wants from life led to intense scenes and fierce displays of fortitude. Historical fiction does not often set my heart racing, but I found myself furiously reading, chasing the storyline to its end.
Written with modern language and terms, the book is accessible to readers, but sacrifices period accuracy. For example, Zephyr is referred to as "Mom" in the first-person narration, though the term "mom" was not used in English for another 150 years. Nonetheless, the prose is incredible. Filled with emotional imagery, many phrases lingered with me. Furthermore, many of the men Naida meets in Charles Town have progressive attitudes, which was refreshing to read. I will definitely be reading other novels by this author.
There is violence, though not overly gratuitous, and the romance is closed-door and non-explicit, so the book is appropriate for most audiences. I highly recommend it to readers who enjoy feminist literature, historical fiction, women's fiction, and magical realism.
Displaying 1 - 28 of 28 reviews