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The Witches of Cambridge #1
The Witches of Cambridge
The brand-new series from the bestselling author of Practical Magic, following two brilliant young women in 1950s Cambridge, Massachusetts, as they become immersed in a mysterious secret group of witches at Radcliffe known as the Lilith Society.
Once upon a time, women were drowned in the river and the only witnesses were the crows in the trees. The Puritans blamed Eve for the sins of the world. That was when we began to meet in the name of Lilith, Adam’s first wife—banished for refusing to do as she was told.
We Fly Together…
By the 1950s, Cambridge, Massachusetts feels far removed from the legendary witch trials that marked its early days as a colony. Ava, a bright young woman from a small town in Maine, arrives for her first year at Radcliffe College. There, she meets Lauren, her opposite in every way—the wild and brazen daughter of a wealthy and well-established Cambridge family. But the two have more in common than they think. Both are recruited by the Lilith Society, a secret organization of witches at Radcliffe dating back to colonial times. As they learn more about their legacy, Ava and Lauren form a close bond that is put to the test as they learn to navigate their new power, friendship, and love.
While Radcliffe seems like a safe haven, the shadow of McCarthyism looms large, an ever-present threat to the flourishing creative and intellectual life in Cambridge. And as girls from the Lilith Society begin to go missing, Ava and Lauren realize the witch trials of the past may not be as deeply buried as they once believed.
Once upon a time, women were drowned in the river and the only witnesses were the crows in the trees. The Puritans blamed Eve for the sins of the world. That was when we began to meet in the name of Lilith, Adam’s first wife—banished for refusing to do as she was told.
We Fly Together…
By the 1950s, Cambridge, Massachusetts feels far removed from the legendary witch trials that marked its early days as a colony. Ava, a bright young woman from a small town in Maine, arrives for her first year at Radcliffe College. There, she meets Lauren, her opposite in every way—the wild and brazen daughter of a wealthy and well-established Cambridge family. But the two have more in common than they think. Both are recruited by the Lilith Society, a secret organization of witches at Radcliffe dating back to colonial times. As they learn more about their legacy, Ava and Lauren form a close bond that is put to the test as they learn to navigate their new power, friendship, and love.
While Radcliffe seems like a safe haven, the shadow of McCarthyism looms large, an ever-present threat to the flourishing creative and intellectual life in Cambridge. And as girls from the Lilith Society begin to go missing, Ava and Lauren realize the witch trials of the past may not be as deeply buried as they once believed.
416 pages, Kindle Edition
First published September 8, 2026
About the author
Alice Hoffman
120 books26.8k followersAlice Hoffman is the author of more than thirty works of fiction, including The World That We Knew; The Marriage of Opposites; The Red Garden; The Museum of Extraordinary Things; The Dovekeepers; Here on Earth, an Oprah’s Book Club selection; and the Practical Magic series, including Practical
Magic; Magic Lessons; The Rules of Magic, a selection of Reese’s Book Club; and The Book of Magic. She lives near Boston.
Magic; Magic Lessons; The Rules of Magic, a selection of Reese’s Book Club; and The Book of Magic. She lives near Boston.
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Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
simply cannot resist the charm of Alice Hoffman’s beautifully crafted historical fantasies. She has such a unique gift for creating memorable heroines—resilient, bold, powerful, and fiery women who refuse to accept the limitations society places on them. They are the kind of characters who inspire you deeply. You admire them, you root for them, and at the same time they push you to question your own path and search for your own purpose during your personal journey of self-discovery.
This brand-new series takes us on a magical journey to 1950s Cambridge, Massachusetts, where we are introduced to a very special college: Radcliffe. In this world, Radcliffe quietly accepts young women who possess unusual gifts—descendants of witches who have a chance to become members of the mysterious Lilith Society, named after Adam’s first wife, Lilith: the rebellious woman who refused to obey, who refused the destiny forced upon her, and instead chose her own path.
This story is not just about the power of witches or the dark history of women who were persecuted, tortured, and demonized for centuries. Instead, it is a powerful story about finding your own voice, discovering your purpose, and embracing your true identity in a world that constantly tries to silence you.
The novel beautifully captures the rigid social atmosphere of the time. During the 1950s, women were still expected to remain quiet, obedient, and invisible. Female students were sometimes forced to attend science lectures in hallways so they wouldn’t disturb the male students inside classrooms. In such a restrictive environment, Radcliffe becomes a rare sanctuary where young women can finally learn about their history, their powers, and their true potential.
At the heart of the story are two young women: Ava and Lauren, who could not be more different from each other.
Ava grows up in a small Maine town called Genesis, raised by extremely protective parents who constantly warn her to stay quiet and unnoticed. She is told never to wander into the woods, always to lock her door at night, and never to attract attention. Her childhood is filled with loneliness and isolation. The local children bully her for being different—because of her strange aura, her fiery red hair, and the mysterious scar on her hand that marks the removal of an extra eleventh finger.
Lauren, on the other hand, comes from wealth and privilege. She has always embraced her differences with confidence. But tragedy changes everything. When her parents die in a terrible accident, Lauren becomes emotionally hardened. She blames herself for their deaths, and grief slowly turns her heart into stone.
Her brother Lionel processes the loss very differently. Instead of withdrawing, he dedicates himself to science and medicine, determined to save lives. At the same time, Lionel is also navigating his own personal journey, exploring his identity and searching for love in a world that is not always accepting.
When Ava and Lauren finally meet at Cambridge, their relationship begins with tension and dislike. They are forced to share a dorm room, and their personalities clash immediately. However, their lives become permanently connected when Ava saves Lauren’s life. Their blood literally intersects in that moment, sealing a fate neither of them can escape.
Slowly, both young women begin to discover more about their abilities and about the secret societies quietly operating behind the scenes of the college.
Ava soon finds herself drawn toward the most dangerous possible connection: Jamie Mathers. His family has hunted witches for centuries, making them sworn enemies of everything Ava represents.
But Jamie is the black sheep of the Mathers family. After being arrested for marijuana possession, he is sent to Harvard to finish his education and repair the family reputation. Yet Jamie carries secrets of his own. Like Ava, he bears the mark of an eleventh finger removed at birth. He suffers from strange dreams and possesses mysterious abilities that suggest his connection to the witch world may be far more complicated than anyone realizes.
Their relationship becomes a forbidden love—two people destined to be enemies, yet drawn together by forces neither of them fully understands.
Beyond the romance, the novel offers many fascinating subplots. One of the most intriguing storylines follows Lionel and his relationship with Billy, which adds emotional depth and another layer of complexity to the narrative.
At the same time, the book functions almost like a historical exploration of the Ivy League system itself. Hoffman skillfully weaves real history into the story, touching on the origins of institutions like Harvard and Yale, and examining the deeply unequal foundations on which these prestigious universities were built—especially when it came to gender inequality.
The ending of the novel is absolutely perfect. It doesn’t feel like a conclusion at all—it feels like the beginning of something much larger and more exciting. The story leaves the reader with a sense that these characters’ journeys are only just starting.
This is not only a captivating historical fantasy but also an inspiring and thought-provoking exploration of identity, power, and self-belief. It reminds us that even though centuries pass, many struggles for equality remain surprisingly similar. Yet the story also carries a powerful message: when people embrace who they truly are, believe in their own abilities, and dare to challenge the limits imposed on them, every locked door can eventually be opened.
I truly loved this book. It reminded me once again why Alice Hoffman is such a remarkable storyteller. I definitely need to read even more of her work.
This is easily one of the best books of the year, and I strongly recommend adding it to your reading list and devouring it as soon as possible.
A very huge thanks to NetGalley and Scribner for sharing this inspiring and beautifully written historical fantasy digital review copy with me in exchange for my honest thoughts.
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This brand-new series takes us on a magical journey to 1950s Cambridge, Massachusetts, where we are introduced to a very special college: Radcliffe. In this world, Radcliffe quietly accepts young women who possess unusual gifts—descendants of witches who have a chance to become members of the mysterious Lilith Society, named after Adam’s first wife, Lilith: the rebellious woman who refused to obey, who refused the destiny forced upon her, and instead chose her own path.
This story is not just about the power of witches or the dark history of women who were persecuted, tortured, and demonized for centuries. Instead, it is a powerful story about finding your own voice, discovering your purpose, and embracing your true identity in a world that constantly tries to silence you.
The novel beautifully captures the rigid social atmosphere of the time. During the 1950s, women were still expected to remain quiet, obedient, and invisible. Female students were sometimes forced to attend science lectures in hallways so they wouldn’t disturb the male students inside classrooms. In such a restrictive environment, Radcliffe becomes a rare sanctuary where young women can finally learn about their history, their powers, and their true potential.
At the heart of the story are two young women: Ava and Lauren, who could not be more different from each other.
Ava grows up in a small Maine town called Genesis, raised by extremely protective parents who constantly warn her to stay quiet and unnoticed. She is told never to wander into the woods, always to lock her door at night, and never to attract attention. Her childhood is filled with loneliness and isolation. The local children bully her for being different—because of her strange aura, her fiery red hair, and the mysterious scar on her hand that marks the removal of an extra eleventh finger.
Lauren, on the other hand, comes from wealth and privilege. She has always embraced her differences with confidence. But tragedy changes everything. When her parents die in a terrible accident, Lauren becomes emotionally hardened. She blames herself for their deaths, and grief slowly turns her heart into stone.
Her brother Lionel processes the loss very differently. Instead of withdrawing, he dedicates himself to science and medicine, determined to save lives. At the same time, Lionel is also navigating his own personal journey, exploring his identity and searching for love in a world that is not always accepting.
When Ava and Lauren finally meet at Cambridge, their relationship begins with tension and dislike. They are forced to share a dorm room, and their personalities clash immediately. However, their lives become permanently connected when Ava saves Lauren’s life. Their blood literally intersects in that moment, sealing a fate neither of them can escape.
Slowly, both young women begin to discover more about their abilities and about the secret societies quietly operating behind the scenes of the college.
Ava soon finds herself drawn toward the most dangerous possible connection: Jamie Mathers. His family has hunted witches for centuries, making them sworn enemies of everything Ava represents.
But Jamie is the black sheep of the Mathers family. After being arrested for marijuana possession, he is sent to Harvard to finish his education and repair the family reputation. Yet Jamie carries secrets of his own. Like Ava, he bears the mark of an eleventh finger removed at birth. He suffers from strange dreams and possesses mysterious abilities that suggest his connection to the witch world may be far more complicated than anyone realizes.
Their relationship becomes a forbidden love—two people destined to be enemies, yet drawn together by forces neither of them fully understands.
Beyond the romance, the novel offers many fascinating subplots. One of the most intriguing storylines follows Lionel and his relationship with Billy, which adds emotional depth and another layer of complexity to the narrative.
At the same time, the book functions almost like a historical exploration of the Ivy League system itself. Hoffman skillfully weaves real history into the story, touching on the origins of institutions like Harvard and Yale, and examining the deeply unequal foundations on which these prestigious universities were built—especially when it came to gender inequality.
The ending of the novel is absolutely perfect. It doesn’t feel like a conclusion at all—it feels like the beginning of something much larger and more exciting. The story leaves the reader with a sense that these characters’ journeys are only just starting.
This is not only a captivating historical fantasy but also an inspiring and thought-provoking exploration of identity, power, and self-belief. It reminds us that even though centuries pass, many struggles for equality remain surprisingly similar. Yet the story also carries a powerful message: when people embrace who they truly are, believe in their own abilities, and dare to challenge the limits imposed on them, every locked door can eventually be opened.
I truly loved this book. It reminded me once again why Alice Hoffman is such a remarkable storyteller. I definitely need to read even more of her work.
This is easily one of the best books of the year, and I strongly recommend adding it to your reading list and devouring it as soon as possible.
A very huge thanks to NetGalley and Scribner for sharing this inspiring and beautifully written historical fantasy digital review copy with me in exchange for my honest thoughts.
Follow me on medium.com to read my articles about books, movies, streaming series, astrology:
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September 8, 2026
Happy Publication Day – September 8, 2026!
“For every book you could not find there is one waiting to be written.”
One thing readers can count on is that Hoffman always has a message woven through her stories. So, where will this new series take readers? Are there stories that were erased, burned, or deliberately left unwritten by history, thus leaving the responsibility of the living – especially women – to unearth the silenced voices and bring them back into existence?
Who am I, and why am I being denied my true authentic self?
These are the questions that have followed young Ava Abbott throughout her life, until she finds a place where “anything could happen now.”
In Hoffman’s new Cambridge series, Ava and her wealthy classmate Lauren are Radcliffe College students in the 1950s who become part of a secret society of witches. As they explore their magical abilities and form an unlikely friendship, members of the society begin to disappear.
The narrative moves between the girls’ college years and the 17th-century persecution of the original Owens family witches, linking the darker history of witch-hunting to the fears and political tensions of the 1950s McCarthy era.
Ava, a scholarship student from Maine, is determined to break free from her harsh upbringing. Lauren, her wealthy and wild classmate, offers a very different perspective on the world. Their friendship becomes one of the most compelling aspects of the story as they navigate their growing powers, the expectations placed on women, and the complicated legacies they have inherited.
Hoffman is a thoughtful and engaging storyteller. She brings emotional depth to her characters, creates an atmospheric academic setting, and weaves together magical realism, historical detail, and the darker consequences of power. The story explores women coming into their own, generational trauma, and the possibility of breaking cycles of violence.
There is also an ill-advised romance that adds another layer of conflict.
For fans of Hoffman’s “Practical Magic” series, this is an intriguing beginning to a new set of characters.
The timing of this book release coincides with the latest “Practical Magic 2” movie with Sandra Bullock and Nicole Kidman.
“Practical Magic 2” Movie trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ho10_...
“Practical Magic” Review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
“For every book you could not find there is one waiting to be written.”
One thing readers can count on is that Hoffman always has a message woven through her stories. So, where will this new series take readers? Are there stories that were erased, burned, or deliberately left unwritten by history, thus leaving the responsibility of the living – especially women – to unearth the silenced voices and bring them back into existence?
Who am I, and why am I being denied my true authentic self?
These are the questions that have followed young Ava Abbott throughout her life, until she finds a place where “anything could happen now.”
In Hoffman’s new Cambridge series, Ava and her wealthy classmate Lauren are Radcliffe College students in the 1950s who become part of a secret society of witches. As they explore their magical abilities and form an unlikely friendship, members of the society begin to disappear.
The narrative moves between the girls’ college years and the 17th-century persecution of the original Owens family witches, linking the darker history of witch-hunting to the fears and political tensions of the 1950s McCarthy era.
Ava, a scholarship student from Maine, is determined to break free from her harsh upbringing. Lauren, her wealthy and wild classmate, offers a very different perspective on the world. Their friendship becomes one of the most compelling aspects of the story as they navigate their growing powers, the expectations placed on women, and the complicated legacies they have inherited.
Hoffman is a thoughtful and engaging storyteller. She brings emotional depth to her characters, creates an atmospheric academic setting, and weaves together magical realism, historical detail, and the darker consequences of power. The story explores women coming into their own, generational trauma, and the possibility of breaking cycles of violence.
There is also an ill-advised romance that adds another layer of conflict.
For fans of Hoffman’s “Practical Magic” series, this is an intriguing beginning to a new set of characters.
The timing of this book release coincides with the latest “Practical Magic 2” movie with Sandra Bullock and Nicole Kidman.
“Practical Magic 2” Movie trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ho10_...
“Practical Magic” Review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
My two least favorite genres are romance and fantasy. So, it takes a special writer who can combine the two and I enjoy the book. Alice Hoffman is that writer. It’s because, at heart, her novels are all about the human condition. It’s the fight between good and evil, those who would persecute and those that resist. In The Witches Of Cambridge, we follow two young witches attending Radcliffe College in the 1950s. A time when it was more important that young women didn’t distract the male students than that they actually got a chance to learn anything. A time when they had to sit out in the hallways rather than be in the same science lab with the men or couldn’t go into the same libraries.
Ava and Lauren both share the unique traits that brand them as witches. They are both admitted into the Lilith Society, a secret society of witches dating back to the 16th century. Their backgrounds and personalities are very different, yet both refuse to accept the limitations society puts on them. Even as they clashed and fought, they remained bound to help each other. I was equally drawn to each.
Interspersed with the 1950s story is a journal from the 17th Century, telling of the witchcraft trials in Salem and beyond. It’s a reminder that human nature never changes, “by men like my master’s son, men who saw evil where there was none, who took it upon themselves to translate the words of God into a language that suited them”. The contrast between the witch hunts in the 17th Century and McCarthy’s witch hunts and the Purple Scare was especially striking. And here we are again, with men in power vilifying anyone not white, male and privileged.
I love the way Hoffman can blend historical facts in with a story without ever slowing the story down. I especially appreciated how she used real historical figures, Increase and Cotton Mathers, within the story. Her writing is lush, poetic even. It’s obvious this is meant to be the first in a series as the book finishes with an open ending for both our main characters.
My thanks to Netgalley and Scribner for an advance copy of this book.
Ava and Lauren both share the unique traits that brand them as witches. They are both admitted into the Lilith Society, a secret society of witches dating back to the 16th century. Their backgrounds and personalities are very different, yet both refuse to accept the limitations society puts on them. Even as they clashed and fought, they remained bound to help each other. I was equally drawn to each.
Interspersed with the 1950s story is a journal from the 17th Century, telling of the witchcraft trials in Salem and beyond. It’s a reminder that human nature never changes, “by men like my master’s son, men who saw evil where there was none, who took it upon themselves to translate the words of God into a language that suited them”. The contrast between the witch hunts in the 17th Century and McCarthy’s witch hunts and the Purple Scare was especially striking. And here we are again, with men in power vilifying anyone not white, male and privileged.
I love the way Hoffman can blend historical facts in with a story without ever slowing the story down. I especially appreciated how she used real historical figures, Increase and Cotton Mathers, within the story. Her writing is lush, poetic even. It’s obvious this is meant to be the first in a series as the book finishes with an open ending for both our main characters.
My thanks to Netgalley and Scribner for an advance copy of this book.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
We Fly Together…
Alice Hoffman is a MUST-READ author for me. I don't even need to read the description of the book; I'll request it and read it, no ifs, ands, or buts. I love Alice Hoffman's books (Magic Lessons and The World That We Knew being my favorites), but her books on witches are pure magic! The Witches of Cambridge is a blending of dark academia, magic, friendship, family, relationships, love, lust, secret societies, power, sexuality, and being true to yourself. As with her other books, Alice Hoffman has written some beautiful passages that I found myself reading and re-reading. The Characters are vividly drawn and easy to either like, root for, or dislike.
1950s, Cambridge, Massachusetts
At the heart of this book are two young women, Ava and Lauren, who are very different from each other. Both are recruited into the Lilith Society, a secret organization of witches at Radcliffe. This is a long running secret society which has gone back for ages. Although it was the 1950's, it was still a man's world. Women were mainly seen but not heard. Women were supposed to fit in, to be like other women, conform and be obedient. But for Ava, Lauren, and the women of the Lilith Society, they were different, they stood out, and they had their own minds. As Lauren and Ava become friends, their relationship changes as both grow into their magic, their relationships with others, and their friendships. As time goes on, girls from the Lilith Society go missing....
The Witches of Cambridge is an atmospheric book which is also full of facts about witches, the persecution of witches, those who hunted witches, and society's reaction to those who lived outside of the 'norm' of society. Although there are history of witches and their persecution especially in the New England area in this book, I found that I was not learning anything new. But if you are new to Alice Hoffman and her books on witches, you might learn a thing or two. I do wish that some of the history would have been inserted more smoothly.
Although this was not my favorite book by Alice Hoffman, I did find it to be captivating, atmospheric, tense, and hard to put down.
*This was a wonderful Witches Words buddy read with Mary Beth and Dorie - Cats&Books :). Please read their reviews as well to get their thoughts on The Witches of Cambridge.
3.5 stars rounded up
Thank you to Scribner and NetGalley who provided me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All the thoughts and opinions are my own.
Alice Hoffman is a MUST-READ author for me. I don't even need to read the description of the book; I'll request it and read it, no ifs, ands, or buts. I love Alice Hoffman's books (Magic Lessons and The World That We Knew being my favorites), but her books on witches are pure magic! The Witches of Cambridge is a blending of dark academia, magic, friendship, family, relationships, love, lust, secret societies, power, sexuality, and being true to yourself. As with her other books, Alice Hoffman has written some beautiful passages that I found myself reading and re-reading. The Characters are vividly drawn and easy to either like, root for, or dislike.
1950s, Cambridge, Massachusetts
At the heart of this book are two young women, Ava and Lauren, who are very different from each other. Both are recruited into the Lilith Society, a secret organization of witches at Radcliffe. This is a long running secret society which has gone back for ages. Although it was the 1950's, it was still a man's world. Women were mainly seen but not heard. Women were supposed to fit in, to be like other women, conform and be obedient. But for Ava, Lauren, and the women of the Lilith Society, they were different, they stood out, and they had their own minds. As Lauren and Ava become friends, their relationship changes as both grow into their magic, their relationships with others, and their friendships. As time goes on, girls from the Lilith Society go missing....
The Witches of Cambridge is an atmospheric book which is also full of facts about witches, the persecution of witches, those who hunted witches, and society's reaction to those who lived outside of the 'norm' of society. Although there are history of witches and their persecution especially in the New England area in this book, I found that I was not learning anything new. But if you are new to Alice Hoffman and her books on witches, you might learn a thing or two. I do wish that some of the history would have been inserted more smoothly.
Although this was not my favorite book by Alice Hoffman, I did find it to be captivating, atmospheric, tense, and hard to put down.
*This was a wonderful Witches Words buddy read with Mary Beth and Dorie - Cats&Books :). Please read their reviews as well to get their thoughts on The Witches of Cambridge.
3.5 stars rounded up
Thank you to Scribner and NetGalley who provided me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All the thoughts and opinions are my own.
Review of advance copy received from Edelweiss+
Loved this one
Review of advance copy received from Publisher
Alice Hoffman’s talent for creating a beautiful, atmospheric world is undeniable, and that’s one of the book’s biggest strengths. The historical setting is richly imagined, and I loved the way she blends magical realism with everyday life, giving the story that dreamy, slightly mysterious quality she does so well. Her writing is gorgeous, and Cambridge itself feels almost like a character, brought to life through her vivid descriptions.
Where I struggled was with the characters and the overall sense of connection to the story. I never felt as emotionally invested in them as I wanted to be, and I often felt more like an observer watching their lives unfold than someone truly immersed in their joys and struggles. I also found myself missing a stronger present-day storyline or plot thread to help ground the historical narrative and give the story a clearer sense of momentum. There’s so much to admire here, particularly Hoffman’s writing and her ability to create a world that feels both magical and grounded, but ultimately, the emotional connection just wasn’t quite there for me. If you love atmospheric historical fiction with a touch of magic, especially if you’re already an Alice Hoffman fan, there’s definitely plenty here to appreciate.
Where I struggled was with the characters and the overall sense of connection to the story. I never felt as emotionally invested in them as I wanted to be, and I often felt more like an observer watching their lives unfold than someone truly immersed in their joys and struggles. I also found myself missing a stronger present-day storyline or plot thread to help ground the historical narrative and give the story a clearer sense of momentum. There’s so much to admire here, particularly Hoffman’s writing and her ability to create a world that feels both magical and grounded, but ultimately, the emotional connection just wasn’t quite there for me. If you love atmospheric historical fiction with a touch of magic, especially if you’re already an Alice Hoffman fan, there’s definitely plenty here to appreciate.
August 22, 2026
No one is more surprised by this rating than I am.
This was one of my most anticipated books of the year. I LOVE Alice Hoffman. I literally grew up on the Practical Magic series and love Hoffman’s other books, like The Bookstore Sisters. So, I was primed to LOVE this book.
Unfortunately, that just wasn’t the case.
The biggest issue that contributed most to my rating was the fact that there wasn’t a single, driving plot. One of the reasons I loved the Practical Magic books so much is that they plunge you into a magical world where the stakes are high. The Witches of Cambridge doesn’t do that, in my opinion. There are a few issues for the characters to overcome, but at page 200, I still couldn’t really tell friends and family who asked me what this book was about.
I am 100% ok with books that don’t have a plot. In fact, they often end up being favorites. However, for books like that to work for me, they have to have deep character development. I did not feel any connection to these characters. They had backstories, but there was a lot of top-level description of their traits (especially physical traits, in the case of Ava). I never felt like I got to be part of their inner worlds, though.
As hard as it is for me to admit, The Witches of Cambridge lacked the spark of inspiration that made Practical Magic and Hoffman’s other novels such a wonder for me. I am sure many readers will love this book, but, unfortunately, I’m not one of them.
Thank you to the publisher for an advance copy of the book in exchange for a fair review.
This was one of my most anticipated books of the year. I LOVE Alice Hoffman. I literally grew up on the Practical Magic series and love Hoffman’s other books, like The Bookstore Sisters. So, I was primed to LOVE this book.
Unfortunately, that just wasn’t the case.
The biggest issue that contributed most to my rating was the fact that there wasn’t a single, driving plot. One of the reasons I loved the Practical Magic books so much is that they plunge you into a magical world where the stakes are high. The Witches of Cambridge doesn’t do that, in my opinion. There are a few issues for the characters to overcome, but at page 200, I still couldn’t really tell friends and family who asked me what this book was about.
I am 100% ok with books that don’t have a plot. In fact, they often end up being favorites. However, for books like that to work for me, they have to have deep character development. I did not feel any connection to these characters. They had backstories, but there was a lot of top-level description of their traits (especially physical traits, in the case of Ava). I never felt like I got to be part of their inner worlds, though.
As hard as it is for me to admit, The Witches of Cambridge lacked the spark of inspiration that made Practical Magic and Hoffman’s other novels such a wonder for me. I am sure many readers will love this book, but, unfortunately, I’m not one of them.
Thank you to the publisher for an advance copy of the book in exchange for a fair review.
Did Not Finish
September 1, 2026DNF @ 35% | Sadly, I cannot bring myself to continue reading this. I am terribly bored.
I feel like there is absolutely zero plot and I am not intrigued with any of the characters. I was very excited for this but the writing for this particular one is just not for me!
I feel like there is absolutely zero plot and I am not intrigued with any of the characters. I was very excited for this but the writing for this particular one is just not for me!
May 13, 2026
Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for the early copy of this book.
This is the perfect mix of witchy goodness and historical fiction. Alice Hoffman never failed me, and this book is no exception. The interwoven stories of past and present that appear within this book flow effortlessly, and the journey of each character is flawless in execution. There is nothing about this book I didn't love or enjoy. I might even re-read it in the fall, just to find my way back to Lilith House and Cambridge.
If you love a good story of magic and mystery and love, this one is for you.
This is the perfect mix of witchy goodness and historical fiction. Alice Hoffman never failed me, and this book is no exception. The interwoven stories of past and present that appear within this book flow effortlessly, and the journey of each character is flawless in execution. There is nothing about this book I didn't love or enjoy. I might even re-read it in the fall, just to find my way back to Lilith House and Cambridge.
If you love a good story of magic and mystery and love, this one is for you.
August 23, 2026
Thank you to NetGalley and Scribner for providing an ARC of this title. All opinions are my own.
Alice Hoffman excels, always, at creating interesting setups that are high on vibes: I'm not always a fan of her work, admittedly, but couldn't resist the notion of a secret society of witches existing at Radcliffe College in the 1950s. And in terms of the vibes, there was plenty here that worked: young women practicing witchcraft at a time when they aren't even allowed inside the lecture halls of Harvard (if they wish to take classes there, the novel tells us repeatedly, they must stand in the hallway outside the lecture hall, so as not to "distract" the men) is compelling. There are also some interesting, if surface-level, comparisons made between the way the witches have had to hide from witch hunters throughout the centuries and the era in which the novel is set, where the threat of McCarthyism hangs over everyone's heads.
However, the sum of these parts just really never became a cohesive whole for me. Hoffman's signature writing style is reliant on telling rather than showing, which some may not be bothered by; I personally found it frustrating. A lot of plot threads are just left to dangle where they could've been made into compelling side plots--for instance, Lionel, a minor character, experimenting with LSD, and the comparisons between that and the theory that ergot poisoning was responsible for the Salem Witch Trials (a theory that, by the way, has been THOROUGHLY debunked, but I'd have given it a pass if it was used as a way to explore magic use and LSD; it wasn't). The biggest sin of this book, however, rests on the way it claims to be about female friendship...but really just doesn't seem to care that much about female friendship. Our two POV characters, Ava and Lauren, have an instant dislike for each other when they meet--a dislike which quickly turns into friendship when they accidentally save each other's lives that very same day. And that's about all we get of the two of them until the last 25% or so of the book, apart from some brief interactions and the occasional assertion that the two of them are each other's best friends. If I'm reading a book about two women who become best friends, I'd like to actually see them interacting as friends, and it was really disappointing that the book focused instead almost entirely on their respective love stories.
Alice Hoffman excels, always, at creating interesting setups that are high on vibes: I'm not always a fan of her work, admittedly, but couldn't resist the notion of a secret society of witches existing at Radcliffe College in the 1950s. And in terms of the vibes, there was plenty here that worked: young women practicing witchcraft at a time when they aren't even allowed inside the lecture halls of Harvard (if they wish to take classes there, the novel tells us repeatedly, they must stand in the hallway outside the lecture hall, so as not to "distract" the men) is compelling. There are also some interesting, if surface-level, comparisons made between the way the witches have had to hide from witch hunters throughout the centuries and the era in which the novel is set, where the threat of McCarthyism hangs over everyone's heads.
However, the sum of these parts just really never became a cohesive whole for me. Hoffman's signature writing style is reliant on telling rather than showing, which some may not be bothered by; I personally found it frustrating. A lot of plot threads are just left to dangle where they could've been made into compelling side plots--for instance, Lionel, a minor character, experimenting with LSD, and the comparisons between that and the theory that ergot poisoning was responsible for the Salem Witch Trials (a theory that, by the way, has been THOROUGHLY debunked, but I'd have given it a pass if it was used as a way to explore magic use and LSD; it wasn't). The biggest sin of this book, however, rests on the way it claims to be about female friendship...but really just doesn't seem to care that much about female friendship. Our two POV characters, Ava and Lauren, have an instant dislike for each other when they meet--a dislike which quickly turns into friendship when they accidentally save each other's lives that very same day. And that's about all we get of the two of them until the last 25% or so of the book, apart from some brief interactions and the occasional assertion that the two of them are each other's best friends. If I'm reading a book about two women who become best friends, I'd like to actually see them interacting as friends, and it was really disappointing that the book focused instead almost entirely on their respective love stories.
September 6, 2026
**Happy Publication Day!**
*3.5 stars. This is the beginning of a new series for Alice Hoffman and it seems to have been based on studies she did while attending Harvard Divinity School. In her own words, 'What began as my term paper ended up as a novel about witches, love, magic, sorrow, betrayal, sisterhood and best friends.'
The best friends in this story are roommates at Cambridge in the fall of 1950. Lauren is from old money while Ava is a scholarship student who comes from a farm in Maine. Both are invited to Lilith House, a secret society where they and other budding witches can live and study in peace.
Of course for college girls of this age, falling in love is a major preoccupation--or, in Lauren's case, a distraction to be avoided. Class status becomes a major concern, as does who might be right for them, or who would only hurt them. Does a best friend have the right to meddle if she thinks she knows best? Does a parent? The magic and spells were an interesting part of the story but I felt the best aspects were the relationships and how much trouble they can cause.
Interspersed throughout this story are letters Ava finds from a woman calling herself 'the first witch of Cambridge.' They begin in the year 1692, when she is brought to Boston as a servant to Mistress Maria Mather, wife of Reverend Increase Mather, who will play a major part in the Salem witch trials, along with his son, Cotton. Interesting that the young man Ava loves is a descendant of this family. Trouble with a capital T!
As background to the girls' lives in the 50s, Senator John McCarthy is conducting what seem to be modern day 'witch hunts' of his own in Washington DC, searching for communists, socialists, homosexuals, etc, in government, the entertainment industry and American society at large. What an interesting comparison to earlier persecutions.
The pace of the novel plods a little at first, but all these threads come together to make for fascinating reading. I think witches could be called the original feminists!
Many thanks to the author and publisher for providing me with an arc of this novel via NetGalley.
*3.5 stars. This is the beginning of a new series for Alice Hoffman and it seems to have been based on studies she did while attending Harvard Divinity School. In her own words, 'What began as my term paper ended up as a novel about witches, love, magic, sorrow, betrayal, sisterhood and best friends.'
The best friends in this story are roommates at Cambridge in the fall of 1950. Lauren is from old money while Ava is a scholarship student who comes from a farm in Maine. Both are invited to Lilith House, a secret society where they and other budding witches can live and study in peace.
Of course for college girls of this age, falling in love is a major preoccupation--or, in Lauren's case, a distraction to be avoided. Class status becomes a major concern, as does who might be right for them, or who would only hurt them. Does a best friend have the right to meddle if she thinks she knows best? Does a parent? The magic and spells were an interesting part of the story but I felt the best aspects were the relationships and how much trouble they can cause.
Interspersed throughout this story are letters Ava finds from a woman calling herself 'the first witch of Cambridge.' They begin in the year 1692, when she is brought to Boston as a servant to Mistress Maria Mather, wife of Reverend Increase Mather, who will play a major part in the Salem witch trials, along with his son, Cotton. Interesting that the young man Ava loves is a descendant of this family. Trouble with a capital T!
As background to the girls' lives in the 50s, Senator John McCarthy is conducting what seem to be modern day 'witch hunts' of his own in Washington DC, searching for communists, socialists, homosexuals, etc, in government, the entertainment industry and American society at large. What an interesting comparison to earlier persecutions.
The pace of the novel plods a little at first, but all these threads come together to make for fascinating reading. I think witches could be called the original feminists!
Many thanks to the author and publisher for providing me with an arc of this novel via NetGalley.
September 21, 2026
As always in Hoffman’a writing, the atmosphere and magical realism were gorgeous and just right. The plot and characters… a little all over the place. I really wish this book would have focused more on the Lilith Society, their studies, and the disappearances. Unfortunately all of this was merely an often forgotten backdrop to the romance plotlines which I frankly did not care much for.
The characters felt surface level and I often did not feel part of their inner worlds. Hoffman’s writing style is very much telling, not showing, which sometimes works beautifully, but this time often left me feeling disconnected. The worst thing however was that this book claims to be about friendship. It barely is. The two female main characters hardly interact in the book and when they do, it’s to betray each other, even though the narrator keeps claiming they’re best friends. How? Why? When did that happen?
There were also so many random passages about the political background of the time, but it did not hold any deeper connection to the plot? Almost as if Hoffman had to remind herself sometimes that this book was set in the 1950s.
And, in the end, I guess I hoped for more of a witchy dark academia, secret societies and dark magic. Although this book was much darker than the practical magic series, it did center love/men way too much for my liking.
But her writing! I just want to bathe in some of these sentences.
The characters felt surface level and I often did not feel part of their inner worlds. Hoffman’s writing style is very much telling, not showing, which sometimes works beautifully, but this time often left me feeling disconnected. The worst thing however was that this book claims to be about friendship. It barely is. The two female main characters hardly interact in the book and when they do, it’s to betray each other, even though the narrator keeps claiming they’re best friends. How? Why? When did that happen?
There were also so many random passages about the political background of the time, but it did not hold any deeper connection to the plot? Almost as if Hoffman had to remind herself sometimes that this book was set in the 1950s.
And, in the end, I guess I hoped for more of a witchy dark academia, secret societies and dark magic. Although this book was much darker than the practical magic series, it did center love/men way too much for my liking.
But her writing! I just want to bathe in some of these sentences.
March 25, 2026
Alice Hoffman is back with another tale about witches, and I was not going to miss it. I will read every book she puts out on the subject of witches. She is the master of the subject. The story is very atmospheric & moody. It follows two girls’ college experiences at Radcliffe College in the early 1950’s. They have both been invited to live in the Lilith House, where only witches are allowed to reside. We get to see how women are still inferior to men and how men use that to their advantage. And if a man is wronged in any way, he can just accuse a woman of being a witch. Any woman who stood up for herself and spoke up was surely a witch! Imagine how insecure of a man you had to be to think like this. Get over it, men, we women are not going away.
Many thanks to NetGalley & Scribner for the opportunity to read an eARC of this book in exchange for my honest opinions.
Many thanks to NetGalley & Scribner for the opportunity to read an eARC of this book in exchange for my honest opinions.
September 8, 2026
DNF- I wanted to LOVE this book. I got to chapter 5 and realized there’s no way I’m finishing this book.
It is a feminist version of The Rules of Magic. I’m not an anti feminist, nor am I homophobic. I am, a live and let live person. I am exhausted by authors writing the same political theme in every newer book about witches (or in general!) We are the witches they didn’t burn, hooray, good for you; can someone come up with something ORIGINAL? PLEASE?!
The Witches of Cambridge is written for its market that is for certain and will be highly recommended. It’s being released three days before PM2 comes out in theaters. I have my suspicions that this is a put it in the blender of already used tropes, slap some new names on old characters, throw in some current political references via the guise of history and abracadabra, you have The Witches of Cambridge! Everyone will gobble it up because they loved PM, and someone will make a good bit of money. Great marketing!!!
Save yourself the trouble of condemning my review, because honestly, I care about as much as I liked this book. I don’t.
It is a feminist version of The Rules of Magic. I’m not an anti feminist, nor am I homophobic. I am, a live and let live person. I am exhausted by authors writing the same political theme in every newer book about witches (or in general!) We are the witches they didn’t burn, hooray, good for you; can someone come up with something ORIGINAL? PLEASE?!
The Witches of Cambridge is written for its market that is for certain and will be highly recommended. It’s being released three days before PM2 comes out in theaters. I have my suspicions that this is a put it in the blender of already used tropes, slap some new names on old characters, throw in some current political references via the guise of history and abracadabra, you have The Witches of Cambridge! Everyone will gobble it up because they loved PM, and someone will make a good bit of money. Great marketing!!!
Save yourself the trouble of condemning my review, because honestly, I care about as much as I liked this book. I don’t.
Read
July 18, 2026If you love atmospheric reads, especially magical ones, this book may be right up your alley. Alice Hoffman absolutely excels at creating rich atmospheres, and that is easily one of this novel’s greatest strengths.
I was thrilled to receive an eARC from Scribner via NetGalley ahead of publication because the description immediately reminded me of my longtime love for Practical Magic.
Once that initial excitement faded, though, I remembered that I actually enjoyed the movie more than the books. Oops! Add in the fact that historical fiction isn’t usually one of my go-to genres, and I found myself feeling a little uncertain going in.
Thankfully, Hoffman’s writing quickly swept me away. She has a remarkable talent for creating magical worlds that still feel rooted in reality. The setting is rich, vivid, and enchanting while remaining wonderfully grounded. I also found myself really enjoying the 1950s time period, which added another layer to the novel’s atmosphere.
While I didn’t connect with the characters, that was a minor disappointment rather than a dealbreaker. Sometimes a book wins you over purely through its vibes, and that was very much the case for me here.
I think Hoffman fans are going to love this female-empowering, secret-society-driven historical journey. Between the magical elements, the historical setting, and Hoffman’s beautiful prose, there’s something here for a wide variety of readers.
I was thrilled to receive an eARC from Scribner via NetGalley ahead of publication because the description immediately reminded me of my longtime love for Practical Magic.
Once that initial excitement faded, though, I remembered that I actually enjoyed the movie more than the books. Oops! Add in the fact that historical fiction isn’t usually one of my go-to genres, and I found myself feeling a little uncertain going in.
Thankfully, Hoffman’s writing quickly swept me away. She has a remarkable talent for creating magical worlds that still feel rooted in reality. The setting is rich, vivid, and enchanting while remaining wonderfully grounded. I also found myself really enjoying the 1950s time period, which added another layer to the novel’s atmosphere.
While I didn’t connect with the characters, that was a minor disappointment rather than a dealbreaker. Sometimes a book wins you over purely through its vibes, and that was very much the case for me here.
I think Hoffman fans are going to love this female-empowering, secret-society-driven historical journey. Between the magical elements, the historical setting, and Hoffman’s beautiful prose, there’s something here for a wide variety of readers.
August 11, 2026
I never would have connected this book with Alice Hoffman if her name wasn't on the front. This book reads like a Young Adult novel. I'm just appalled by the whole of this one. I can tell you what it's about but in all honesty it doesn't matter. The few characters that are explored are completely flat. The themes will make you roll your eyes again and again. The only thing interesting are the bits of history that are hurled at you in the middle of a scene and completely throw you off the story. This reads like bad teenage witch drivel to me. No magic to this one at all.
June 19, 2026
Thanks Scribner and NetGalley for the e-arc!
Witches of Cambridge follows two young women in the “Lilith Society” in 1950’s Cambridge. It is historical fiction with magic imbued in its bones.
While this book was deeply atmospheric and you can tell that Alice Hoffmans specialty is weaving magic in with history, I left this one feeling very disconnected.
Often times I felt like I was dropped in a scene without prior information on what was happening, other times things ended abruptly before we got any emotional depth from anyone. While this style sometimes works in literary fiction, I felt it was a detriment to my enjoyment of this story in particular.
This felt disappointing because it could have really worked. The atmosphere is rich, the story is one I would naturally be drawn to, and Alice Hoffman is at top form in her prose and ability to craft a magical setting but my inability to connect with the characters really took me out of the story itself.
If you’re a fan of Alice Hoffman give this a shot, maybe you’ll have better luck connecting with Ava and Lauren than I did.
Witches of Cambridge follows two young women in the “Lilith Society” in 1950’s Cambridge. It is historical fiction with magic imbued in its bones.
While this book was deeply atmospheric and you can tell that Alice Hoffmans specialty is weaving magic in with history, I left this one feeling very disconnected.
Often times I felt like I was dropped in a scene without prior information on what was happening, other times things ended abruptly before we got any emotional depth from anyone. While this style sometimes works in literary fiction, I felt it was a detriment to my enjoyment of this story in particular.
This felt disappointing because it could have really worked. The atmosphere is rich, the story is one I would naturally be drawn to, and Alice Hoffman is at top form in her prose and ability to craft a magical setting but my inability to connect with the characters really took me out of the story itself.
If you’re a fan of Alice Hoffman give this a shot, maybe you’ll have better luck connecting with Ava and Lauren than I did.
September 20, 2026
The perfect autumnal dark academia read about witches. I could vividly imagine the movie for this book in my head while reading.
Did Not Finish
August 11, 2026Thank you to Simon & Schuster Canada for the e-arc 🫶
DNF at 30%
I am so sad that this one didn’t work for me! I enjoyed Alice Hoffman’s Practical Magic series and The Dovekeepers so I really thought I’d enjoy this one. The synopsis sounded great but I struggled with the writing style. The characters also felt very flat to me and I couldn’t get invested in their story.
DNF at 30%
I am so sad that this one didn’t work for me! I enjoyed Alice Hoffman’s Practical Magic series and The Dovekeepers so I really thought I’d enjoy this one. The synopsis sounded great but I struggled with the writing style. The characters also felt very flat to me and I couldn’t get invested in their story.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Review to follow nearer publication date.
I was overjoyed to be asked to review an Alice Hoffman new book. I’ve loved her books since reading At Risk in 1988. Which I still have. The Witches of Cambridge is another fantastic historical book set in the 1950’s. It’s follows two women Ava and Lauren. Both are recruited by the Lilith Society, a secret organisation of witches. When girls from the Lilith Society begin to go missing, Ava and Lauren realise the witch trials of the past may not be as deeply buried as they once believed.
Another fantastic magical story which I thoroughly enjoyed.
Thank you to Netgalley and the author for the opportunity to read and review this book.
I was overjoyed to be asked to review an Alice Hoffman new book. I’ve loved her books since reading At Risk in 1988. Which I still have. The Witches of Cambridge is another fantastic historical book set in the 1950’s. It’s follows two women Ava and Lauren. Both are recruited by the Lilith Society, a secret organisation of witches. When girls from the Lilith Society begin to go missing, Ava and Lauren realise the witch trials of the past may not be as deeply buried as they once believed.
Another fantastic magical story which I thoroughly enjoyed.
Thank you to Netgalley and the author for the opportunity to read and review this book.
September 20, 2026
I loved this book. Alice Hoffman is a master and I have enjoyed all her books. I think that a lot of people instantly see her name on a book and then compare it to Practical Magic. This book is not Practical Magic, but it is magical.
I have come to learn that Alice Hoffman writes very elegantly with beautiful prose. However, this often leads to her books having a slower, almost meandering pace. I mainly listened to this one though I did follow the physical copy as well. Since I had it on audio, I was able to listen to it at a faster speed which greatly helps. Just know that the pacing is slow, but it is a beautiful journey.
I loved the characters in this book. Ava and Lauren were quite the pair. I found myself relating to Ava along the way and this helped deepen my love for this book. The Lilith society reminded me of many secret societies that I have read about, and wished that I could have been apart of, ha. Dark academia can be rather intense, and while that was the case here, the prose muted it which made it more palatable. The past and present timelines were magically done and the intersection of them was wonderfully woven throughout the book.
Don’t worry, this wouldn’t be a Alice Hoffman book without reference to magic. This is a book about witches after all. Magic is forefront in this one and it was fun to get some herbal medicine references.
Overall, this is a beautifully crated story that you will not want to miss if you are an Alice Hoffman fan.
I have come to learn that Alice Hoffman writes very elegantly with beautiful prose. However, this often leads to her books having a slower, almost meandering pace. I mainly listened to this one though I did follow the physical copy as well. Since I had it on audio, I was able to listen to it at a faster speed which greatly helps. Just know that the pacing is slow, but it is a beautiful journey.
I loved the characters in this book. Ava and Lauren were quite the pair. I found myself relating to Ava along the way and this helped deepen my love for this book. The Lilith society reminded me of many secret societies that I have read about, and wished that I could have been apart of, ha. Dark academia can be rather intense, and while that was the case here, the prose muted it which made it more palatable. The past and present timelines were magically done and the intersection of them was wonderfully woven throughout the book.
Don’t worry, this wouldn’t be a Alice Hoffman book without reference to magic. This is a book about witches after all. Magic is forefront in this one and it was fun to get some herbal medicine references.
Overall, this is a beautifully crated story that you will not want to miss if you are an Alice Hoffman fan.
September 10, 2026
this probably should’ve been a YA book and a lot shorter, the message was repetitive and simple, but still somehow not fully explored, it felt long, the characters were flat.
I haven’t read AH since Practical Magic came out in theaters but this was pretty disappointing
I haven’t read AH since Practical Magic came out in theaters but this was pretty disappointing
September 10, 2026
Got to 20%, no character development, no storyline.
September 11, 2026
Juvenile and an obvious rip off of ninth house. DNF
September 10, 2026
Cambridge Common is a wedge of grass with paths cut across it and traffic on three sides. In 1692 a tree stood on it that women were hanged from. In 1950 there is nothing but the paths, and on an October night a group of freshmen is summoned to stand where the tree used to be. The Witches of Cambridge by Alice Hoffman is built on that piece of ground and the two and a half centuries stacked on top of it, and the thread it pulls end to end is the least comforting one available: the machinery that hanged women in Massachusetts was never dismantled. It only changed clothes.
The Thread That Runs Through The Witches of Cambridge
Two strands, and they are not equal.
The modern strand covers four academic years, 1950 to 1954, one per section, following two Radcliffe students from the week they arrive to the morning they graduate. It is third person, roving, generous with everybody's interior life, the dogs included.
The older strand is a sequence of letters written by the first witch of Cambridge between 1692 and 1707, addressed to Dear Reader. She is a Londoner pulled out of Bridewell prison, shipped across the Atlantic as a servant in a famous Puritan household, and set loose on marshland that is now a university.
The braid works because the letters are not backstory. Objects cross between the strands. Something buried in the seventeenth century is dug up in the twentieth by a girl who has read about it, and by the fourth section it is clear the older woman has been writing to one particular reader all along.
The letters are also the better prose. Hoffman has been writing this voice her whole career and it is unimprovable, which is the one structural cost The Witches of Cambridge by Alice Hoffman never quite covers: the 1950s chapters can feel thin beside them.
Two Girls Who Should Not Have Been Roommates
Ava arrives from a town in Maine on a scholarship nobody can explain to her, with red hair, a scar where a sixth finger was removed in infancy, and twelve crows that follow her at a polite distance.
Lauren lives on Brattle Street, has money, white-blond hair cropped to nothing, sharp little teeth and a great deal of black ink under her clothes. She has kept her extra finger. She is rude to nearly everyone and correct about most of them.
Both are recruited into the Lilith Society, which has run out of a house near the Common since before Harvard had a president, and exists because the men's clubs would not have them.
What works in The Witches of Cambridge
The friendship refuses to be sweet. Lauren betrays Ava twice, deliberately, and the novel softens neither occasion.
The crows. Twelve of them, then thirteen. Hoffman gets startling structural mileage out of a bird count.
Lionel Bell. Lauren's brother, a medical student in love with a Boston detective in 1952, given the most quietly frightening plotline here.
The dogs. There is a black dog called Jack who will get his own paragraph from every reader.
What Alice Hoffman Does With Radcliffe
The Witches of Cambridge by Alice Hoffman is a campus novel before it is anything else, and the campus is specific.
Radcliffe women in 1950 attend Harvard's classes and are seated on chairs in the corridor outside the laboratory. There is a rulebook governing hemlines, curfews and gentlemen callers, and a separate library, yard and ceremony. Radcliffe College had been graduating women for sixty years by then and still could not get them past a lab door, and Hoffman lays this out without editorialising once.
Her acknowledgements thank the Schlesinger Library and the Peabody Museum, and the research shows in small things: the museum's dim upper floors, the exact humiliation of a thesis that goes into print under somebody else's name.
Salem in Gray Suits
The central argument is stated once, plainly, and then trusted.
The judges did not disappear after 1693. They changed venue. The Witches of Cambridge by Alice Hoffman sets its 1690s letters against a 1950s America of loyalty oaths, blacklists and neighbours who inform, and puts an ambitious professor in the middle who means to sell the federal government his expertise at identifying dangerous people on sight.
The parallel could have been a lecture. It is saved by being concrete. A woman in 1692 confesses to something she did not do so that she can sleep. A man in 1952 keeps a secret about who he loves because the alternative is his job, his family and possibly a hospital. The novel sets them side by side and lets the reader do the arithmetic.
Where The Witches of Cambridge by Alice Hoffman Gives Ground
Four things keep this short of the top shelf.
The villain is a type. A predatory academic with a laboratory and no interior contradictions, explained in one late expository burst.
Coincidence does heavy lifting. The parentage reveal, the artefact, the timely arrival: several third-act joins are visible from a distance.
The aphorisms are relentless. Italic second-person asides and a high per-page rate of pronouncements about love. Readers who love this mode will love it. Others will start counting.
The men are thinner than the women. The love interest in particular is charming, absent when it counts, and forgiven more readily than the text earns.
How Much Magic Is in It
Enough to matter, not enough to explain anything.
There are spells in Latin, a grimoire, a poison garden, familiars and a netherworld, but the magic in The Witches of Cambridge by Alice Hoffman is closer to inheritance than to a system. Nobody levels up. The one hard law is that you cannot take a life or return one without paying, and the plot is honest about the invoice.
There is also a late cameo, in a hospital garden, from a real American poet who is never named and does not need to be. Best scene in the novel, and I am not going to spoil it.
Do You Need to Have Read Alice Hoffman Before?
No. It shares no characters and no bloodline with Practical Magic or Magic Lessons, and the back matter announces no continuation. Owens readers will recognise the weather, the apples and the rule that magic has a price, and notice how much darker this one goes about institutions rather than families.
Content Notes for The Witches of Cambridge
Hangings, described. A fatal illegal abortion and the criminalisation of contraception. Forced psychiatric committal, involuntary sedation, the threat of electroshock. Medical experimentation on unconsenting subjects. On-page killing of a dog. Sexual coercion by men in authority, in both timelines. Homophobia and closeting. A suicide attempt, reported. Child death, death in childbirth, drowning. Misogynist slurs, and a cruel nickname challenged in the text.
Read it if / Skip it if
Read it if you want a witch novel about history rather than aesthetic; if the 1950s campus is the draw; if you have wanted Hoffman to write a friendship as hard as her sisters.
Skip it if you need a villain with an interior; if italicised life advice from a narrator sets your teeth on edge; if you want a magic system with learnable rules.
What Stays With You
Not the confrontation, and not the reveal. What stays is an image the novel returns to and never over-explains: a woman outside a locked window in the snow, her hand flat on the glass, warm enough to melt the ice, leaving a black apple on the sill and walking back to the bus.
That is what The Witches of Cambridge by Alice Hoffman is finally about. Not the hanging tree, not the society, not even the friendship, but the long, unglamorous business of one generation of women getting a message through to the next past everybody who would prefer it lost. Some of these letters arrive two hundred and fifty years late. The argument is that they still count.
The Thread That Runs Through The Witches of Cambridge
Two strands, and they are not equal.
The modern strand covers four academic years, 1950 to 1954, one per section, following two Radcliffe students from the week they arrive to the morning they graduate. It is third person, roving, generous with everybody's interior life, the dogs included.
The older strand is a sequence of letters written by the first witch of Cambridge between 1692 and 1707, addressed to Dear Reader. She is a Londoner pulled out of Bridewell prison, shipped across the Atlantic as a servant in a famous Puritan household, and set loose on marshland that is now a university.
The braid works because the letters are not backstory. Objects cross between the strands. Something buried in the seventeenth century is dug up in the twentieth by a girl who has read about it, and by the fourth section it is clear the older woman has been writing to one particular reader all along.
The letters are also the better prose. Hoffman has been writing this voice her whole career and it is unimprovable, which is the one structural cost The Witches of Cambridge by Alice Hoffman never quite covers: the 1950s chapters can feel thin beside them.
Two Girls Who Should Not Have Been Roommates
Ava arrives from a town in Maine on a scholarship nobody can explain to her, with red hair, a scar where a sixth finger was removed in infancy, and twelve crows that follow her at a polite distance.
Lauren lives on Brattle Street, has money, white-blond hair cropped to nothing, sharp little teeth and a great deal of black ink under her clothes. She has kept her extra finger. She is rude to nearly everyone and correct about most of them.
Both are recruited into the Lilith Society, which has run out of a house near the Common since before Harvard had a president, and exists because the men's clubs would not have them.
What works in The Witches of Cambridge
The friendship refuses to be sweet. Lauren betrays Ava twice, deliberately, and the novel softens neither occasion.
The crows. Twelve of them, then thirteen. Hoffman gets startling structural mileage out of a bird count.
Lionel Bell. Lauren's brother, a medical student in love with a Boston detective in 1952, given the most quietly frightening plotline here.
The dogs. There is a black dog called Jack who will get his own paragraph from every reader.
What Alice Hoffman Does With Radcliffe
The Witches of Cambridge by Alice Hoffman is a campus novel before it is anything else, and the campus is specific.
Radcliffe women in 1950 attend Harvard's classes and are seated on chairs in the corridor outside the laboratory. There is a rulebook governing hemlines, curfews and gentlemen callers, and a separate library, yard and ceremony. Radcliffe College had been graduating women for sixty years by then and still could not get them past a lab door, and Hoffman lays this out without editorialising once.
Her acknowledgements thank the Schlesinger Library and the Peabody Museum, and the research shows in small things: the museum's dim upper floors, the exact humiliation of a thesis that goes into print under somebody else's name.
Salem in Gray Suits
The central argument is stated once, plainly, and then trusted.
The judges did not disappear after 1693. They changed venue. The Witches of Cambridge by Alice Hoffman sets its 1690s letters against a 1950s America of loyalty oaths, blacklists and neighbours who inform, and puts an ambitious professor in the middle who means to sell the federal government his expertise at identifying dangerous people on sight.
The parallel could have been a lecture. It is saved by being concrete. A woman in 1692 confesses to something she did not do so that she can sleep. A man in 1952 keeps a secret about who he loves because the alternative is his job, his family and possibly a hospital. The novel sets them side by side and lets the reader do the arithmetic.
Where The Witches of Cambridge by Alice Hoffman Gives Ground
Four things keep this short of the top shelf.
The villain is a type. A predatory academic with a laboratory and no interior contradictions, explained in one late expository burst.
Coincidence does heavy lifting. The parentage reveal, the artefact, the timely arrival: several third-act joins are visible from a distance.
The aphorisms are relentless. Italic second-person asides and a high per-page rate of pronouncements about love. Readers who love this mode will love it. Others will start counting.
The men are thinner than the women. The love interest in particular is charming, absent when it counts, and forgiven more readily than the text earns.
How Much Magic Is in It
Enough to matter, not enough to explain anything.
There are spells in Latin, a grimoire, a poison garden, familiars and a netherworld, but the magic in The Witches of Cambridge by Alice Hoffman is closer to inheritance than to a system. Nobody levels up. The one hard law is that you cannot take a life or return one without paying, and the plot is honest about the invoice.
There is also a late cameo, in a hospital garden, from a real American poet who is never named and does not need to be. Best scene in the novel, and I am not going to spoil it.
Do You Need to Have Read Alice Hoffman Before?
No. It shares no characters and no bloodline with Practical Magic or Magic Lessons, and the back matter announces no continuation. Owens readers will recognise the weather, the apples and the rule that magic has a price, and notice how much darker this one goes about institutions rather than families.
Content Notes for The Witches of Cambridge
Hangings, described. A fatal illegal abortion and the criminalisation of contraception. Forced psychiatric committal, involuntary sedation, the threat of electroshock. Medical experimentation on unconsenting subjects. On-page killing of a dog. Sexual coercion by men in authority, in both timelines. Homophobia and closeting. A suicide attempt, reported. Child death, death in childbirth, drowning. Misogynist slurs, and a cruel nickname challenged in the text.
Read it if / Skip it if
Read it if you want a witch novel about history rather than aesthetic; if the 1950s campus is the draw; if you have wanted Hoffman to write a friendship as hard as her sisters.
Skip it if you need a villain with an interior; if italicised life advice from a narrator sets your teeth on edge; if you want a magic system with learnable rules.
What Stays With You
Not the confrontation, and not the reveal. What stays is an image the novel returns to and never over-explains: a woman outside a locked window in the snow, her hand flat on the glass, warm enough to melt the ice, leaving a black apple on the sill and walking back to the bus.
That is what The Witches of Cambridge by Alice Hoffman is finally about. Not the hanging tree, not the society, not even the friendship, but the long, unglamorous business of one generation of women getting a message through to the next past everybody who would prefer it lost. Some of these letters arrive two hundred and fifty years late. The argument is that they still count.
September 15, 2026
Somewhere between magic and history, The Witches of Cambridge feels like a reminder that the most powerful women are often the ones who refuse to be silenced.
A secret coven, two young women finding their place, and a world determined to control them—this sounds like the kind of story where friendship, courage, and magic become acts of rebellion. ✨
Witchy, atmospheric, and impossible not to be intrigued by.
A secret coven, two young women finding their place, and a world determined to control them—this sounds like the kind of story where friendship, courage, and magic become acts of rebellion. ✨
Witchy, atmospheric, and impossible not to be intrigued by.
September 17, 2026
The audio was very well done
Third person made this so hard for me to get into. I also feel like this was a bit boring but towards the end it picked up. I didn’t really buy into the relationships (including Lauren and Ava’s friendship) or just anything for that matter. I forgot there was a mystery.. it was meh
Third person made this so hard for me to get into. I also feel like this was a bit boring but towards the end it picked up. I didn’t really buy into the relationships (including Lauren and Ava’s friendship) or just anything for that matter. I forgot there was a mystery.. it was meh
Did Not Finish
September 11, 2026Dnf at 23%
I am a huge fan of witchy books and my love for Practical Magic, the movie, influenced this request. Unfortunately, I couldn’t find the magic in this story. It’s incredibly exposition heavy to the point that it often feels like the characters exist to info dump.
Thank you the NetGalley for the e-ARC but this one wasn’t for me.
I am a huge fan of witchy books and my love for Practical Magic, the movie, influenced this request. Unfortunately, I couldn’t find the magic in this story. It’s incredibly exposition heavy to the point that it often feels like the characters exist to info dump.
Thank you the NetGalley for the e-ARC but this one wasn’t for me.
September 9, 2026
When I heard Alice Hoffman was writing a new book, I immediately had it marked so that I was notified when it came out. I am so beyond sad to say that I’m DNFing this at 40%. To say that I’m bored is an understatement, and I can’t name a single character that I like, let alone feel connected to. The story jumps all over, person to person, time to time, with no redirection in between scenes. This one was an unfortunate miss for me.
August 8, 2026
The Witches of Cambridge by Alice Hoffman
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫
3.5 stars (rounded up.)
The Witches of Cambridge had me at Lilith House, which is basically a sorority house for a very specific, invitation only group of women who practice that which shall remain unnamed. Once a year, a select few are invited in. There’s also the small matter of two girls from Lilith House disappearing, so clearly nothing concerning happening here. Carry on. Alice Hoffman wraps the whole thing in a dark, gothic atmosphere that fits the secrets, magic and increasingly questionable behavior nicely. But this is a slow book. Very slow. Beginning, middle, end…same leisurely pace. At least it’s committed. Nobody can accuse this plot of suddenly getting a burst of cardio.
At the heart of it all are Ava and Jamie, two people who see each other so clearly and love each other so much that you’d think this would be fairly straightforward. Ava was raised by extremely Puritan “parents,” which explains a lot about her sheltered worldview and almost painful naïveté. Jamie has spent his life letting his family, especially his father, dictate his choices through pressure and threats. His preferred response to difficult situations is to walk away and hope they sort themselves out. Jamie, please locate your spine. How can two people love each other this much and still suffer so spectacularly? Ask Ava and Jamie. They’ve apparently made it a competitive sport. And thank goodness for Jack the wolf dog, who adores Ava, does his damnedest to protect his human, and frequently demonstrates better judgment than the humans.
Then there’s Lauren, Ava’s best friend and a major part of this whole tangled mess. Lauren is following that damn Crooked Path and she has some seriously sketchy moments involving secrets, questionable choices and betrayal. She’s complicated because despite occasionally making me want to launch her directly out a Lilith House window, she does love Ava. I just wouldn’t necessarily hand her the keys to my emotional security deposit. Her brother Lionel and Billy have smaller roles but I appreciated the LGBTQ+ representation woven into the story as well. And while we’re discussing men, Professor Sharpe can take his sleazy self several seats away from the women of Lilith House. Preferably in another building.
And Ava…sweet, painfully naïve Ava. Around 80% she made a decision that had me legitimately angry. I wanted to reach through the pages, grab her by the shoulders, and demand an explanation immediately. Between the missing women, the Crooked Path, betrayals, family manipulation, magic and whatever fresh nonsense Lauren or Professor Sharpe might contribute, there was plenty here to keep me interested . I just wish the plot had moved with a little more urgency. Still, the gothic atmosphere was strong, the characters were messy enough to make me care and Ava and Jamie’s relationship had that wonderfully frustrating PLEASE JUST FIGURE YOUR SHIT OUT quality. 3.5 stars for witches, missing women, complicated friendships, terrible decisions, gothic secrets and Jack, who deserves unlimited treats for surviving these people.
Thank you to NetGalley and Scribner for the digital advance reader copy in exchange for my honest opinion.
Expected publication date: September 8, 2026
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫
3.5 stars (rounded up.)
The Witches of Cambridge had me at Lilith House, which is basically a sorority house for a very specific, invitation only group of women who practice that which shall remain unnamed. Once a year, a select few are invited in. There’s also the small matter of two girls from Lilith House disappearing, so clearly nothing concerning happening here. Carry on. Alice Hoffman wraps the whole thing in a dark, gothic atmosphere that fits the secrets, magic and increasingly questionable behavior nicely. But this is a slow book. Very slow. Beginning, middle, end…same leisurely pace. At least it’s committed. Nobody can accuse this plot of suddenly getting a burst of cardio.
At the heart of it all are Ava and Jamie, two people who see each other so clearly and love each other so much that you’d think this would be fairly straightforward. Ava was raised by extremely Puritan “parents,” which explains a lot about her sheltered worldview and almost painful naïveté. Jamie has spent his life letting his family, especially his father, dictate his choices through pressure and threats. His preferred response to difficult situations is to walk away and hope they sort themselves out. Jamie, please locate your spine. How can two people love each other this much and still suffer so spectacularly? Ask Ava and Jamie. They’ve apparently made it a competitive sport. And thank goodness for Jack the wolf dog, who adores Ava, does his damnedest to protect his human, and frequently demonstrates better judgment than the humans.
Then there’s Lauren, Ava’s best friend and a major part of this whole tangled mess. Lauren is following that damn Crooked Path and she has some seriously sketchy moments involving secrets, questionable choices and betrayal. She’s complicated because despite occasionally making me want to launch her directly out a Lilith House window, she does love Ava. I just wouldn’t necessarily hand her the keys to my emotional security deposit. Her brother Lionel and Billy have smaller roles but I appreciated the LGBTQ+ representation woven into the story as well. And while we’re discussing men, Professor Sharpe can take his sleazy self several seats away from the women of Lilith House. Preferably in another building.
And Ava…sweet, painfully naïve Ava. Around 80% she made a decision that had me legitimately angry. I wanted to reach through the pages, grab her by the shoulders, and demand an explanation immediately. Between the missing women, the Crooked Path, betrayals, family manipulation, magic and whatever fresh nonsense Lauren or Professor Sharpe might contribute, there was plenty here to keep me interested . I just wish the plot had moved with a little more urgency. Still, the gothic atmosphere was strong, the characters were messy enough to make me care and Ava and Jamie’s relationship had that wonderfully frustrating PLEASE JUST FIGURE YOUR SHIT OUT quality. 3.5 stars for witches, missing women, complicated friendships, terrible decisions, gothic secrets and Jack, who deserves unlimited treats for surviving these people.
Thank you to NetGalley and Scribner for the digital advance reader copy in exchange for my honest opinion.
Expected publication date: September 8, 2026
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