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The Miracles: A Novel
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Expected 29 Jun 27Win a free print copy of this book!
14 days and 14:33:03
100 copies available
U.S. only
Based on the true story of the last witchcraft trial in Britain during WWII, The Miracles explores the dark underbelly of a little-known side of history, the thin line between life and death, and the forgotten story of a case that gripped a nation.
1942: As war wages in Europe, a British battleship is sunk off the coast of Egypt, and a psychic medium on the coast of England summons the ghosts of the dead sailors aboard. For Iris Remington, a frustrated London journalist relegated to “women’s interest” stories, séances are nothing more than a way for fraudsters to make money from people’s loss. But when her editor assigns her the story, Iris is forced to admit that she has a vested interest in whether this spiritualist can, in fact, see after all, her husband has been missing in action for two years, and she doesn’t know if he’s dead or alive.
1905: Helen MacFarlane is a young girl in the Scottish Highlands, where legends of witches are whispered on the wind. She’s eight when she first discovers that she is different—that she hears things she shouldn’t hear. In the coming years, she will be labeled strange and wrong, and cast out of her family home, forced to make her way in the factories of Dundee. It’s only when she meets Henry Duncan, a wounded veteran of WWI, that she recalls the voices that she was forced to silence…and realizes there may be a better use for her powers.
1944: In the two years since she first encountered Helen Duncan, Iris has been haunted by what she saw and felt in that séance room—and what it means for her husband, whose fate is still unknown. But when Helen is arrested under the Witchcraft Act—the first witch trial in Britain in centuries—Iris is drawn even further into the murky and mysterious world of mystics, mediums, and voices from beyond the grave.
As the case unfolds, Iris finds herself in the center of a trial that’s as much about magic and hoaxers as it is about espionage and government secrets. And as the verdict looms, both women are forced to confront the ghosts in their own lives. From the early days of the twentieth century through some of the most consequential events of WWII, The Miracles is both sweeping and intimate, deeply imagined and wholly lived-in.
1942: As war wages in Europe, a British battleship is sunk off the coast of Egypt, and a psychic medium on the coast of England summons the ghosts of the dead sailors aboard. For Iris Remington, a frustrated London journalist relegated to “women’s interest” stories, séances are nothing more than a way for fraudsters to make money from people’s loss. But when her editor assigns her the story, Iris is forced to admit that she has a vested interest in whether this spiritualist can, in fact, see after all, her husband has been missing in action for two years, and she doesn’t know if he’s dead or alive.
1905: Helen MacFarlane is a young girl in the Scottish Highlands, where legends of witches are whispered on the wind. She’s eight when she first discovers that she is different—that she hears things she shouldn’t hear. In the coming years, she will be labeled strange and wrong, and cast out of her family home, forced to make her way in the factories of Dundee. It’s only when she meets Henry Duncan, a wounded veteran of WWI, that she recalls the voices that she was forced to silence…and realizes there may be a better use for her powers.
1944: In the two years since she first encountered Helen Duncan, Iris has been haunted by what she saw and felt in that séance room—and what it means for her husband, whose fate is still unknown. But when Helen is arrested under the Witchcraft Act—the first witch trial in Britain in centuries—Iris is drawn even further into the murky and mysterious world of mystics, mediums, and voices from beyond the grave.
As the case unfolds, Iris finds herself in the center of a trial that’s as much about magic and hoaxers as it is about espionage and government secrets. And as the verdict looms, both women are forced to confront the ghosts in their own lives. From the early days of the twentieth century through some of the most consequential events of WWII, The Miracles is both sweeping and intimate, deeply imagined and wholly lived-in.
368 pages, Hardcover
Expected publication June 29, 2027
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
October 30, 2026
Thankyou to netgalley for the advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.
The Miracles is built around a fascinating piece of history: the last witchcraft trial in England, which took place during World War II, and Davies weaves this together with the story of two women, moving between the Scottish Highlands and the séance rooms and courtrooms of wartime Britain.
It's a novel about women, war, grief, and the pull to believe in things we can't see, and it keeps you wondering whether what's happening is real magic, a hoax, or something in between.
Davies captures wartime London well, and the themes of loss and the people left behind give the book real emotional weight. I loved Iris' character and how ahead of her time she is, and her desire to tell this story in its entirety.
I loved the twist on war historical fiction too; a really strong read!
The Miracles is built around a fascinating piece of history: the last witchcraft trial in England, which took place during World War II, and Davies weaves this together with the story of two women, moving between the Scottish Highlands and the séance rooms and courtrooms of wartime Britain.
It's a novel about women, war, grief, and the pull to believe in things we can't see, and it keeps you wondering whether what's happening is real magic, a hoax, or something in between.
Davies captures wartime London well, and the themes of loss and the people left behind give the book real emotional weight. I loved Iris' character and how ahead of her time she is, and her desire to tell this story in its entirety.
I loved the twist on war historical fiction too; a really strong read!
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
The Miracles is a compelling story about Helen Duncan, a spiritualist medium, who was put on trial for witchcraft in 1944. With many grief-stricken people convinced that they had seen the ghosts of loved ones at Duncan’s séances, the case as described in the novel was far from clear cut.
I love stories about women rising above the constraints of a patriarchal society and that was certainly the case in this novel where a female journalist pursues Duncan’s story, both for personal reasons and in her role as a news reporter.
I also enjoyed how Davies gave Duncan a backstory, even if some of it was fictionalised. I felt this helped me to understand the experiences and circumstances that shaped her into the medium she became within the context of the story.
A great read for those who enjoy heartfelt historical fiction set in World War 2, this book centres around a trial that sparked considerable public interest at the time and will fascinate readers today.
Thank you to HarperCollins and NetGalley for inviting me to read an eARC in exchange for an honest review.
I love stories about women rising above the constraints of a patriarchal society and that was certainly the case in this novel where a female journalist pursues Duncan’s story, both for personal reasons and in her role as a news reporter.
I also enjoyed how Davies gave Duncan a backstory, even if some of it was fictionalised. I felt this helped me to understand the experiences and circumstances that shaped her into the medium she became within the context of the story.
A great read for those who enjoy heartfelt historical fiction set in World War 2, this book centres around a trial that sparked considerable public interest at the time and will fascinate readers today.
Thank you to HarperCollins and NetGalley for inviting me to read an eARC in exchange for an honest review.
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews