What do you think?
Good Witch: In Search of Our Lost Feminine Power
A paradigm-shifting book that asks what the world might be like if divine feminine power had never been devalued. And shows us how it is being reclaimed.
Gardener. Gossip. Spinster. Healer. Nymph . . . Witch.
For centuries, the work of women was viewed with suspicion. Their knowledge – of bodies, nature, and community – posed a threat to a masculine order. To men who saw them as something to be contained and controlled.
Good Witch takes us back hundreds of years to the dark times when witch hunts were sweeping Europe and North America. From Salem to England, Scotland to the northern corners of Norway, tens of thousands of women were persecuted, prosecuted and killed.
Today, we can still feel the legacy of the witch In the way the natural world has been degraded. In the way humans have become disengaged from the things that make us truly happy. A campaign of disenchantment has sought to disconnect us from the earth – and from each other.
But enchantment was never truly lost.
Across the globe, women are reclaiming the skills, practices and stories that masculine societies have tried so hard to diminish or dismiss. Here, Tonti shows us how a return to feminine power is what the world desperately needs now, more than ever.
Good Witch is history and manifesto, reckoning and celebration. It is a powerful exploration of what was lost. And what can be reclaimed.
Gardener. Gossip. Spinster. Healer. Nymph . . . Witch.
For centuries, the work of women was viewed with suspicion. Their knowledge – of bodies, nature, and community – posed a threat to a masculine order. To men who saw them as something to be contained and controlled.
Good Witch takes us back hundreds of years to the dark times when witch hunts were sweeping Europe and North America. From Salem to England, Scotland to the northern corners of Norway, tens of thousands of women were persecuted, prosecuted and killed.
Today, we can still feel the legacy of the witch In the way the natural world has been degraded. In the way humans have become disengaged from the things that make us truly happy. A campaign of disenchantment has sought to disconnect us from the earth – and from each other.
But enchantment was never truly lost.
Across the globe, women are reclaiming the skills, practices and stories that masculine societies have tried so hard to diminish or dismiss. Here, Tonti shows us how a return to feminine power is what the world desperately needs now, more than ever.
Good Witch is history and manifesto, reckoning and celebration. It is a powerful exploration of what was lost. And what can be reclaimed.
Audible Audio
Published July 27, 2026
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Displaying 1 - 29 of 29 reviews
August 27, 2026
A powerful book. It delves into the reasons behind the witch trials and how King James and the emerging male-dominated capitalist society looked to take away power and independence from women as well as curb the magic of nature. The fallout is still affecting our society with workplace inequality, healthcare inequality, unsafe food production, destruction of our environment. It is well researched and written, and current.
August 24, 2026
A lot more detailed and intricate than I at first thought it was going to be. Especially enjoyed the section to do with healthcare, & the correlation of women being erased from the medical profession and how that now shapes the care provided to women today. “It haunts our footsteps as we navigate the medical maze of women’s health that was built by men whose ideas about women while sometimes well intentioned, were limited at best, paranoid, misogynist, and abusive at worst.”
July 18, 2026
Thank you to Libro.fm, Summit Books, and Simon and Schuster for the advanced listening copy of this title.
There is always something about a nonfiction title narrated by the author that resonates more with me than if it were narrated by anyone else.
PROS:
- Author narration
- The research regarding the witch trials and the effects they had on today’s economy and environment being done on a global scale instead of focusing on one area.
- In America, it is easy to whittle the witch trials down to Salem; but this author looked past that to other trials in the US.
- Linking the demonization of domestic tasks to industrialization
- The changes to scripture that were made to support this
- King James was a twat
CONS:
- Men really are the worst, historically.
FIVE out of five stories made up by men to destroy women
There is always something about a nonfiction title narrated by the author that resonates more with me than if it were narrated by anyone else.
PROS:
- Author narration
- The research regarding the witch trials and the effects they had on today’s economy and environment being done on a global scale instead of focusing on one area.
- In America, it is easy to whittle the witch trials down to Salem; but this author looked past that to other trials in the US.
- Linking the demonization of domestic tasks to industrialization
- The changes to scripture that were made to support this
- King James was a twat
CONS:
- Men really are the worst, historically.
FIVE out of five stories made up by men to destroy women
September 1, 2026
Gardener, Gossip, Spinster, Healer, Nymph. Witch.
This is a powerful and important book. Focusing on the history of witch trials and how they took power and independence away from women, while at the same time taking away the enchantment of nature.
I received the audiobook from Libro.fm and it is read by the author. Lucianne Tonti does a wonderful job of narrating her book. I will say in non-fiction I do appreciate the authors reading their work; it adds their emotion and lets you better understand their mindset.
On the surface, this is a book about the history of the witch trials around the world, at its heart, this is a book about how the witch trials took away the independence of women, how men took away everything they could from women, and how women are still struggling with these issues today. While the witch trials have long ended, women are still being burned.
This book brings the witch trials to the present, how events of the past are still dictating how women are being treated today. Highly recommend this book to everyone. It is important to know our past to better plan our future.
Vigilance is part of being a woman. It's not constant, but it is necessary if you want to survive. It's walking down the street at night and calculating how far behind you someone is without turning around. It's clocking the threat in a man's tone and smiling politely to defuse it. It's being wary of behavioral patterns, like a boyfriend who picks a fight every time you leave the house. It's the small moments of solidarity we share with each other, like choosing to sit with other women when someone is being weird on the train. Or making eye contact with someone because of the way a man is talking to them in a bar. It's cursing yourself because you misjudged an exit and ended up alone in a lift with a close talker. It's the imprint unwanted hands have left all over our bodies and trying to forgive ourselves and forget how they felt in turns.
This is a powerful and important book. Focusing on the history of witch trials and how they took power and independence away from women, while at the same time taking away the enchantment of nature.
I received the audiobook from Libro.fm and it is read by the author. Lucianne Tonti does a wonderful job of narrating her book. I will say in non-fiction I do appreciate the authors reading their work; it adds their emotion and lets you better understand their mindset.
On the surface, this is a book about the history of the witch trials around the world, at its heart, this is a book about how the witch trials took away the independence of women, how men took away everything they could from women, and how women are still struggling with these issues today. While the witch trials have long ended, women are still being burned.
This book brings the witch trials to the present, how events of the past are still dictating how women are being treated today. Highly recommend this book to everyone. It is important to know our past to better plan our future.
Vigilance is part of being a woman. It's not constant, but it is necessary if you want to survive. It's walking down the street at night and calculating how far behind you someone is without turning around. It's clocking the threat in a man's tone and smiling politely to defuse it. It's being wary of behavioral patterns, like a boyfriend who picks a fight every time you leave the house. It's the small moments of solidarity we share with each other, like choosing to sit with other women when someone is being weird on the train. Or making eye contact with someone because of the way a man is talking to them in a bar. It's cursing yourself because you misjudged an exit and ended up alone in a lift with a close talker. It's the imprint unwanted hands have left all over our bodies and trying to forgive ourselves and forget how they felt in turns.
August 23, 2026
I am awestruck by this book, everyone, men, women, all ages, should read this. It’s incredibly researched and so powerful, devastating but hopeful. Couldn’t recommend more.
August 31, 2026
This wasn’t what I expected, maybe would have been a higher rating if I was more prepared for what I was in for
September 13, 2026
I loved this as an audiobook (though admittedly the authors voice took a bit of getting used to).
A compelling long essay - fans of Anna Funder will love this similar style. An exploration of the history of the witch trials across the US & Europe, with a feminist and critical lens dissecting the ongoing socio-cultural relevancy into present day. The author concurrently ponders over her own experiences (the men she has gravitated to - yikes!) and her experience of travelling to the very places some witches were killed.
I thoroughly appreciated the humanising of the witches, who were often gardeners, early pharmacists, midwives, animal lovers and late night partiers. And the subsequent point made - perhaps by this definition, most modern day women are witches? Throughout, examples were given to help the reader empathise with both witches and people of the time (pre-technology, industrialisation, globalisation, etc).. Eg. Planting a seed, which you then can’t see, and then a plant growing might seem pretty magical, or, seeing a haze in the distance may look like a spirit.
Occasionally it felt like a bit of a stretch when the author seemed to suggest witches were directly related to current challenges (particularly bits on climate change and modern medicine - witches and men’s treatment of women aren’t necessarily the only or primary reason for the disconnect from natural farming or patriarchal modern medicine). Nonetheless, excellent points were made around these topics and I understood the witches were sometimes used to identify this era as a turning point socially and reflect on our patriarchal, modern society.
Would highly recommend - a nice blend of opinion and research - compelling, insightful and infectiously passionate.
A compelling long essay - fans of Anna Funder will love this similar style. An exploration of the history of the witch trials across the US & Europe, with a feminist and critical lens dissecting the ongoing socio-cultural relevancy into present day. The author concurrently ponders over her own experiences (the men she has gravitated to - yikes!) and her experience of travelling to the very places some witches were killed.
I thoroughly appreciated the humanising of the witches, who were often gardeners, early pharmacists, midwives, animal lovers and late night partiers. And the subsequent point made - perhaps by this definition, most modern day women are witches? Throughout, examples were given to help the reader empathise with both witches and people of the time (pre-technology, industrialisation, globalisation, etc).. Eg. Planting a seed, which you then can’t see, and then a plant growing might seem pretty magical, or, seeing a haze in the distance may look like a spirit.
Occasionally it felt like a bit of a stretch when the author seemed to suggest witches were directly related to current challenges (particularly bits on climate change and modern medicine - witches and men’s treatment of women aren’t necessarily the only or primary reason for the disconnect from natural farming or patriarchal modern medicine). Nonetheless, excellent points were made around these topics and I understood the witches were sometimes used to identify this era as a turning point socially and reflect on our patriarchal, modern society.
Would highly recommend - a nice blend of opinion and research - compelling, insightful and infectiously passionate.
September 3, 2026
🖤Good Witch by Lucianne Tonti 🖤
———————————————————————————
Thanks to the ALC program by @librofm I had the possibility to listen to Tonti’s extraordinary work and reflect upon all I’ve learnt.
Blurb:
For centuries, the work of women was viewed with suspicion. Their knowledge – of bodies, nature, and community – posed a threat to a masculine order. To men who saw them as something to be contained and controlled.
Good Witch takes us back hundreds of years to the dark times when witch hunts were sweeping Europe and North America. From Salem to England, Scotland to the northern corners of Norway, tens of thousands of women were persecuted, prosecuted and killed.
Today, we can still feel the legacy of the witch hunts: In the way the natural world has been degraded. In the way humans have become disengaged from the things that make us truly happy. A campaign of disenchantment has sought to disconnect us from the earth – and from each other.
My thoughts 💭
This book was superb! I really want to express my deepest gratitude to @luciannetonti for tremendous work. Every fact, every story and her extensive research make this book a must read for women around the globe.
We have been burnt, we have been brought down to our knees and we have been killed. They still do it, but in different ways. We still suffer the witch hunt at our workplace, at home when society judges how we mother our children and in every decision made to prevent us from gaining access to a better life - whatever that means for each of us.
This is a gem and a must read and I highly recommend it! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5
———————————————————————————
Thanks to the ALC program by @librofm I had the possibility to listen to Tonti’s extraordinary work and reflect upon all I’ve learnt.
Blurb:
For centuries, the work of women was viewed with suspicion. Their knowledge – of bodies, nature, and community – posed a threat to a masculine order. To men who saw them as something to be contained and controlled.
Good Witch takes us back hundreds of years to the dark times when witch hunts were sweeping Europe and North America. From Salem to England, Scotland to the northern corners of Norway, tens of thousands of women were persecuted, prosecuted and killed.
Today, we can still feel the legacy of the witch hunts: In the way the natural world has been degraded. In the way humans have become disengaged from the things that make us truly happy. A campaign of disenchantment has sought to disconnect us from the earth – and from each other.
My thoughts 💭
This book was superb! I really want to express my deepest gratitude to @luciannetonti for tremendous work. Every fact, every story and her extensive research make this book a must read for women around the globe.
We have been burnt, we have been brought down to our knees and we have been killed. They still do it, but in different ways. We still suffer the witch hunt at our workplace, at home when society judges how we mother our children and in every decision made to prevent us from gaining access to a better life - whatever that means for each of us.
This is a gem and a must read and I highly recommend it! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5
Review of advance copy
4.5 ⭐️
I want to thank Libro.fm and Simon & Schuster for this ALC in exchange for my honest review. This book publishes July 28th.
You know how we all blame Ronald Reagan for the complete decimation of US policy and governance? Well apparently we should all be blaming King James for instigating the witch trials in Europe. This is a book that goes back in time and digs up why these trials happened & how it ultimately changed the treatment of women in an already oppressive patriarchal society.
Lucianne Tonti, the author herself, narrates the book. I do absolutely adore when authors do this. It adds a more personal touch.
I found the writing to be witty and informative. I loved how the author inserted pieces of her real life into the research. Some personal observations while also comparing them to historical text in lives past. It was so harrowing to have her compare the conservative nature of the witch trials to this modern day political climate.
Trials might have ended but the burning of women has not. Extremely relevant now and everyone should read this if they don’t know much about the witch trials! Especially if you’ve only ever known the ones in Salem.
Everything is political—love that this book demonstrates that.
I want to thank Libro.fm and Simon & Schuster for this ALC in exchange for my honest review. This book publishes July 28th.
You know how we all blame Ronald Reagan for the complete decimation of US policy and governance? Well apparently we should all be blaming King James for instigating the witch trials in Europe. This is a book that goes back in time and digs up why these trials happened & how it ultimately changed the treatment of women in an already oppressive patriarchal society.
Lucianne Tonti, the author herself, narrates the book. I do absolutely adore when authors do this. It adds a more personal touch.
I found the writing to be witty and informative. I loved how the author inserted pieces of her real life into the research. Some personal observations while also comparing them to historical text in lives past. It was so harrowing to have her compare the conservative nature of the witch trials to this modern day political climate.
Trials might have ended but the burning of women has not. Extremely relevant now and everyone should read this if they don’t know much about the witch trials! Especially if you’ve only ever known the ones in Salem.
Everything is political—love that this book demonstrates that.
September 30, 2026
What an interesting read! This book looks at the history of the witch hunts and how they have had lasting effects on society today. After falling into a bit of a reading slump, this non-fiction was exactly what I needed.
This book really made me question if women's work wasn't devalued during the witch hunts and industrial & scientific revolution, what would the world look like today?'. And I honestly believe we would've been in a better position 🥲
All a witch was was an intelligent, independent, potentially outspoken, woman. They were healers, using their knowledge of plants and herbs to help their neighbours with medical concerns. They were connected with nature and this was a threat to man who wanted to dominate over nature and women for profit.
As woman were barred from the medical space (as healers) and the introduction of private property rights, paired with the devaluing of women's work (childbearing and domestic labour), women were forced out of living independently. Men became the only ones able to make a living and pursue education, while women were forced into domesticity. The fact that this all occurred around the witch hunts and only in the 19th and 20th century were women allowed to re-enter some of these spaces and have some equality is mind boggling.
One of my favourite things was learning about all the different sites around the globe that have memorial for witches who were persecuted. Showing my ignorance here, but I never fully grasped just how widespread these witch hunts were.
Another thing that is clear in the book is how much the author genuinely cares about the subject. The time and effort to visit these memorial sites internationally, speak with historians and show a clear reverence and sympathy for those who perished.
If you enjoy learning about how history can have lasting effects on society for years to come, this is the book for you.
This book really made me question if women's work wasn't devalued during the witch hunts and industrial & scientific revolution, what would the world look like today?'. And I honestly believe we would've been in a better position 🥲
All a witch was was an intelligent, independent, potentially outspoken, woman. They were healers, using their knowledge of plants and herbs to help their neighbours with medical concerns. They were connected with nature and this was a threat to man who wanted to dominate over nature and women for profit.
As woman were barred from the medical space (as healers) and the introduction of private property rights, paired with the devaluing of women's work (childbearing and domestic labour), women were forced out of living independently. Men became the only ones able to make a living and pursue education, while women were forced into domesticity. The fact that this all occurred around the witch hunts and only in the 19th and 20th century were women allowed to re-enter some of these spaces and have some equality is mind boggling.
One of my favourite things was learning about all the different sites around the globe that have memorial for witches who were persecuted. Showing my ignorance here, but I never fully grasped just how widespread these witch hunts were.
Another thing that is clear in the book is how much the author genuinely cares about the subject. The time and effort to visit these memorial sites internationally, speak with historians and show a clear reverence and sympathy for those who perished.
If you enjoy learning about how history can have lasting effects on society for years to come, this is the book for you.
Review of advance copy
Thanks to Libro.fm for this ALC.
I've noticed that white authors have this thing they do where they make very sweeping statements about women's exploitation under patriarchal capitalism and then tack on "of course it's worse for women of color" at the end without actually exploring the ways in which it is worse.
I found myself thinking that a lot as I listened to this.
I think I wanted more from this title than it was able to give. It's definitely not a standout to me with regards to modern feminist scholarship but there are some threads that Tonti connects here that I'll definitely be thinking about for a while longer.
I've noticed that white authors have this thing they do where they make very sweeping statements about women's exploitation under patriarchal capitalism and then tack on "of course it's worse for women of color" at the end without actually exploring the ways in which it is worse.
I found myself thinking that a lot as I listened to this.
I think I wanted more from this title than it was able to give. It's definitely not a standout to me with regards to modern feminist scholarship but there are some threads that Tonti connects here that I'll definitely be thinking about for a while longer.
September 23, 2026
2.5
This was super interesting, and I was impressed with all of the societal parallels the author draws from history's timeline. I felt like there were too many personal anecdotes, too much descriptive color for some of the B roll examples she was providing in each chapter, and not enough hard evidence to support her parallels. I don't disagree with a lot of the points she was trying to make, but overall the book read more like a really long opinion piece in an investigation news magazine rather than a historical psychology/social science piece. It all kind of boils down to: we were more gender-equitable for a lot of history until the last 1000 years or so when female power became more and more suppressed. My biggest issue with a lot of these non-fiction books, especially those written by journalists rather than subject matter experts, is some wild conclusion drawing and the book ending without any suggestion of actions we could take as a society beyond some very idyllic and unrealistic hopes and dreams from the author's.
This was super interesting, and I was impressed with all of the societal parallels the author draws from history's timeline. I felt like there were too many personal anecdotes, too much descriptive color for some of the B roll examples she was providing in each chapter, and not enough hard evidence to support her parallels. I don't disagree with a lot of the points she was trying to make, but overall the book read more like a really long opinion piece in an investigation news magazine rather than a historical psychology/social science piece. It all kind of boils down to: we were more gender-equitable for a lot of history until the last 1000 years or so when female power became more and more suppressed. My biggest issue with a lot of these non-fiction books, especially those written by journalists rather than subject matter experts, is some wild conclusion drawing and the book ending without any suggestion of actions we could take as a society beyond some very idyllic and unrealistic hopes and dreams from the author's.
August 27, 2026
Gardener. Gossip. Spinster. Healer. Nymph. Witch.
Part historical essay and part memoir, this magnificently written book tells the stories of women (witches), why what happened to them happened, and what might have happened if feminine power was never lost. We learn about different types of “witches” and how the author has had similar experiences that, if it wasn’t the 2020s, could see her considered a witch too.
Thank you to Simon & Schuster for gifting me this book as part of the Readers Department. I’m very grateful to have received this one.
While I found it a bit “preachy” in parts (for example, when the book talks about the process of making clothing from natural fabrics and how sometimes people just throw away clothing they got for $2, or when the author stated she has never been on the pill), I still certainly believe this is a book that every woman should read. If you’re not angry at some of the history told to us in this book, you need to reread it.
Part historical essay and part memoir, this magnificently written book tells the stories of women (witches), why what happened to them happened, and what might have happened if feminine power was never lost. We learn about different types of “witches” and how the author has had similar experiences that, if it wasn’t the 2020s, could see her considered a witch too.
Thank you to Simon & Schuster for gifting me this book as part of the Readers Department. I’m very grateful to have received this one.
While I found it a bit “preachy” in parts (for example, when the book talks about the process of making clothing from natural fabrics and how sometimes people just throw away clothing they got for $2, or when the author stated she has never been on the pill), I still certainly believe this is a book that every woman should read. If you’re not angry at some of the history told to us in this book, you need to reread it.
Review of advance copy received from Publisher
At first this book presented as a dialogue about witch trials and the ways in which woman have been persecuted time and again through out history.
But on deeper reading, it was evident that Lucianne Tonti has written a book about far more than this. She interviews some incredibly interesting woman who stitch together a tapestry illustrating the ways in which woman have been blamed for things man has brought about - whether it be the erosion of community living, or the diminishing of the importance of care, or the need to control the earth from above rather than work in tandem with it.
It sparked an interest in me that went beyond witches and to the very heart of what we have lost over the centuries and how it might be regained.
If it isn't too late.
Fabulous read.
But on deeper reading, it was evident that Lucianne Tonti has written a book about far more than this. She interviews some incredibly interesting woman who stitch together a tapestry illustrating the ways in which woman have been blamed for things man has brought about - whether it be the erosion of community living, or the diminishing of the importance of care, or the need to control the earth from above rather than work in tandem with it.
It sparked an interest in me that went beyond witches and to the very heart of what we have lost over the centuries and how it might be regained.
If it isn't too late.
Fabulous read.
September 17, 2026
This book was exactly what I needed it to be, educational while still being entertaining and keeping me engaged.
I cannot stop talking about this book and all the powerful points it delivered.
I feel this book could be digested in one sitting or by reading a few chapters and coming back to it.
I highly recommend this read for all women and men who want to educate themselves on the witch trials, the social injustice of women (and some men) and how we can help rebuild a better future.
The audio is available on Spotify and was easily digestible in that form as well as paperback.
Thank you Simon & Schuster Australia for sending myself a copy of Good Witch, this was a great read!
I cannot stop talking about this book and all the powerful points it delivered.
I feel this book could be digested in one sitting or by reading a few chapters and coming back to it.
I highly recommend this read for all women and men who want to educate themselves on the witch trials, the social injustice of women (and some men) and how we can help rebuild a better future.
The audio is available on Spotify and was easily digestible in that form as well as paperback.
Thank you Simon & Schuster Australia for sending myself a copy of Good Witch, this was a great read!
September 19, 2026
This hit harder than it needed to. Such a powerful historic memoir about the witch trials and what the records actually say. Essentially men are afraid of being the laughed at, judged or seen as weaker and therefore because of the women's connections to land, each other and their mental power they are put down as a witch because they don't conform to standards that men/society set.
Thank you Simon and Schuster!
Thank you Simon and Schuster!
September 24, 2026
absolutely spectacular- so devastating and empowering all at once! tonti’s writing is so personal yet perfectly balanced with history & the impact witch hunts have on modern women. her voice is genuine with obvious passion about this subject shining through. i absolutely love that she narrated the audio! can’t recommend this enough, will be buying a physical copy.
thanks libro.fm for the audio copy <3
thanks libro.fm for the audio copy <3
August 30, 2026
This book blew my mind with every page. I think it’s an important and powerful book for everyone to read. I’ve read about the witch trials before but not like this. It was so informative, emotional and empowering
October 4, 2026
excellent and magical!
Re-enchantment of the world 😊I loved this book ! Especially now. Recommending to everyone I know. I’ve always longed for this connection to the natural world, and now I know why.
Re-enchantment of the world 😊I loved this book ! Especially now. Recommending to everyone I know. I’ve always longed for this connection to the natural world, and now I know why.
August 14, 2026
Brilliant.
August 26, 2026
Was captivated by the audio book and learnt so much more than I expected.
September 6, 2026
I wish this was mandatory reading in schools. Best book I’ve read in a long time. Perfect. Shocking. Devastating. Inspiring.
September 10, 2026
An insightful and powerful book.
September 14, 2026
Insightful, thought provoking and so true. Thank you for writing this book.
October 1, 2026
Every person should read this.
October 5, 2026
This book explains so much!
September 3, 2026
I cried, I got angry, I was empowered. This book pushed me to want to learn more and more. There were so many great sources and interviews, it truly felt well thought out. If you aren't angry after reading this, read it again!
July 22, 2026
This was a fascinating read about how the patriarchy has abused and caged women over the centuries, culminating in where we are now, and the importance of women taking back their power to save humanity and the world.
Thanks to Libro.fm for the ALC!
Thanks to Libro.fm for the ALC!
Displaying 1 - 29 of 29 reviews