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Wildwood Magic
From the author of Wildwood Whispers comes a spellbinding novel of magic and self-discovery when a woman escapes her abusive husband and finds shelter in a magical orchard.
Virginia, 1959.
Raised in a children's home run by religious zealots, Rachel never forgot the wildwood orchard she turned to for refuge as a young girl. When she discovers her reverend husband is more violent than she ever imagined, she flees to protect her unborn child. In a society aiming for the moon, yet still held back by men and women constrained by their fear of change, she discovers a forward-thinking community of wise folk with ancient roots hidden within the greater community of Morgan's Gap.
But when Rachel's husband appears as a self-proclaimed prophet with a repurposed circus tent and a fanatical coterie to wage war against the secluded town that's sheltered her, she will have to tap into her true power to protect everyone.
For more from Willa Reece, check out Wildwood Whispers.
Virginia, 1959.
Raised in a children's home run by religious zealots, Rachel never forgot the wildwood orchard she turned to for refuge as a young girl. When she discovers her reverend husband is more violent than she ever imagined, she flees to protect her unborn child. In a society aiming for the moon, yet still held back by men and women constrained by their fear of change, she discovers a forward-thinking community of wise folk with ancient roots hidden within the greater community of Morgan's Gap.
But when Rachel's husband appears as a self-proclaimed prophet with a repurposed circus tent and a fanatical coterie to wage war against the secluded town that's sheltered her, she will have to tap into her true power to protect everyone.
For more from Willa Reece, check out Wildwood Whispers.
384 pages, Hardcover
Published November 8, 2022
72 people are currently reading
1809 people want to read
About the author
Willa Reece
2 books122 followersWilla Reece has published more than a dozen books with top publishers as Barbara J. Hancock, most recently the Brimstone and Legendary Warriors series of paranormal romances for Harlequin and her gothic YA AFTER ALWAYS for Entangled Teen. Her novella “Ghost in the Machine” was a Dear Author Recommended Read. Besides writing, Willa is devoted to animal rescue and her three scientist sons—a biologist, a chemist and a physicist. Willa lives in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia where stories are often told on a dark side porch by the flicker of firefly light.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 103 reviews
August 7, 2023
The nitty-gritty: Folk magic and relatable characters are front and center in Willa Reece's latest Morgan's Gap story.
"Community was like wildwood magic, a precious gossamer thing, light and fleeting, which could easily slip from your grasp."
Wildwood Magic is set in the same small rural town of Morgan’s Gap, Virginia that Wildwood Whispers was (Willa Reece’s last book), but this time the author jumps back about thirty years or so in the past. The books are loosely connected but with different characters, although a lot of names will be familiar to you if you’ve read the first book. That being said, you do not need to read these books in any particular order, in my opinion, so don’t worry about missing anything important if you haven’t read Wildwood Whispers. Both books are similar in many ways, which made this feel like a comfy blanket kind of read. I loved slipping back into Reece’s dreamy, magical world, where the wildwood women of Morgan’s Gap have a strong, sisterly connection to each other, as well as to the land and animals around them.
The story takes place in 1969 but also jumps back in time to 1885 with a series of dream sequences. Rachel Smith came to Morgan’s Gap in 1965 after running away from her abusive husband Ezekiel Gray, the leader a conservative religious cult called the Sect. At the time she was unexpectedly pregnant with Ezekiel’s baby, but Rachel knew that she would never escape his clutches if he found out about the baby, and so she faked her death and headed to Morgan’s Gap, a place she thought she could hide from her husband. Rachel is drawn to the place, and she feels a special affinity to the apple orchard behind Mary May’s house. In order to protect her daughter Pearl, Rachel “gave” her to a kind woman named Helen to raise. Pearl’s connection to Rachel must remain a secret, and so Rachel can only gaze at her daughter from afar, although it’s worth it to know she’s safe.
When the story begins, Rachel is living with Mary May, one of the wise women of Morgan’s Gap. But one morning when she wakes up, Mary is no where to be found. Instead, Rachel finds a note in the kitchen with a list of names, as well as a few recipe cards. Inferring that Mary left them there for a reason, she decides to visit each of the women to see what she can learn. Rachel’s peaceful existence is about to be interrupted, though, when she spots the familiar revival tents of the Sect, setting up on the edges of town. Surely Ezekiel is among them, and now she’s terrified that he will not only find her, but discover Pearl as well. Luckily the women of Morgan’s Gap are a formidable group who do whatever it takes to protect their own.
In alternating chapters that take place around 1885, we meet Siobhán Wright, a young woman who flees Ireland and winds up in Morgan’s Gap. Bringing apple seeds with her from Ireland, Siobhán plants the seeds which eventually grow into the orchard that supplies the apples for Mary May’s special cider. Siobhán’s sections are framed as dreams that Rachel is having, which I thought was a good way to introduce the past events that shaped Morgan’s Gap and the longstanding tradition of the women who live there and care for each other.
Once again, Willa Reece has written a wonderful story about strong women and how important they are to the land and each other. This is a quiet, thoughtful story with positive messages about self worth and acceptance, with the Sect cult standing in as the antithesis of everything that’s good about Morgan’s Gap. Rachel is still learning about her connection to the local women, and so it was nice to see the way she grows into her true self. She loves to embroider, and Reece uses her embroidery skills as a metaphor for “stitching” together residents of Morgan's Gap. Certain motifs occur over and over in the story: bees, apples, vines and even snakes. Rachel acquires a familiar of sorts, a green snake who magically appears when a wooden spoon with a snake carved down its handle goes missing. Mack, the local tinker who also serves as a love interest for Rachel, is a talented woodworker whose wooden animals sometimes come to life. There are subtle touches of magic like this throughout the story, just enough to give it a sense of wonder.
Women aren’t the only gifted characters, though. Mack is also very sensitive to the land and will only use wood that’s already fallen off trees to make his creations. And although Rachel has never told him the truth about Pearl, you get the idea that he senses the truth, even if he doesn’t have all the details. We do get a few sections from Pearl’s point of view as well, which I loved. Pearl is only four, but she’s wise beyond her years, probably because she’s intricately tied to the women of Morgan’s Gap. Pearl doesn’t know that Rachel is her biological mother, but she’s seen her crying outside her window on occasion, and she refers to her as the Crying Lady. It was heartbreaking to think that Rachel had to give up her daughter, but I do love the way this story element is resolved at the end.
I did find Ezekiel to be ridiculous and over-the-top, though. As a religious fanatic and a cult leader, he’s opposed to everything that doesn’t fit in with his conservative religious views, like gays, Black people, strong women and even noisy, disrespectful children. There are a few scenes where I actually laughed as Ezekiel is trying to convert the people of Morgan’s Gap, and even though a few men wander over to his side of the fence, for the most part the town just wants the Sect to leave them in peace.
But as much as I loved Reece’s hopeful messages, the story is extremely slow and meandering, so readers who go in expecting a faster pace with action scenes will be disappointed. Most of the conflict comes from Siobhán’s chapters, which were dramatic and exciting, and there’s a final showdown at the end involving Ezekiel and the people of Morgan’s Gap that had me on the edge of my seat. But for the most part, Wildwood Magic is a slowly unfolding story that focuses on the philosophical ideas of nature and caring and others. If you don’t mind a low stakes, feel-good story, then you’re probably the perfect reader for this book.
I’m not sure if there will be more stories set in Morgan’s Gap, but I hope so! It’s nice every now and then to step away from the horror I usually read and immerse myself in an uplifting story like this one.
Big thanks to the publisher for providing a review copy.
"Community was like wildwood magic, a precious gossamer thing, light and fleeting, which could easily slip from your grasp."
Wildwood Magic is set in the same small rural town of Morgan’s Gap, Virginia that Wildwood Whispers was (Willa Reece’s last book), but this time the author jumps back about thirty years or so in the past. The books are loosely connected but with different characters, although a lot of names will be familiar to you if you’ve read the first book. That being said, you do not need to read these books in any particular order, in my opinion, so don’t worry about missing anything important if you haven’t read Wildwood Whispers. Both books are similar in many ways, which made this feel like a comfy blanket kind of read. I loved slipping back into Reece’s dreamy, magical world, where the wildwood women of Morgan’s Gap have a strong, sisterly connection to each other, as well as to the land and animals around them.
The story takes place in 1969 but also jumps back in time to 1885 with a series of dream sequences. Rachel Smith came to Morgan’s Gap in 1965 after running away from her abusive husband Ezekiel Gray, the leader a conservative religious cult called the Sect. At the time she was unexpectedly pregnant with Ezekiel’s baby, but Rachel knew that she would never escape his clutches if he found out about the baby, and so she faked her death and headed to Morgan’s Gap, a place she thought she could hide from her husband. Rachel is drawn to the place, and she feels a special affinity to the apple orchard behind Mary May’s house. In order to protect her daughter Pearl, Rachel “gave” her to a kind woman named Helen to raise. Pearl’s connection to Rachel must remain a secret, and so Rachel can only gaze at her daughter from afar, although it’s worth it to know she’s safe.
When the story begins, Rachel is living with Mary May, one of the wise women of Morgan’s Gap. But one morning when she wakes up, Mary is no where to be found. Instead, Rachel finds a note in the kitchen with a list of names, as well as a few recipe cards. Inferring that Mary left them there for a reason, she decides to visit each of the women to see what she can learn. Rachel’s peaceful existence is about to be interrupted, though, when she spots the familiar revival tents of the Sect, setting up on the edges of town. Surely Ezekiel is among them, and now she’s terrified that he will not only find her, but discover Pearl as well. Luckily the women of Morgan’s Gap are a formidable group who do whatever it takes to protect their own.
In alternating chapters that take place around 1885, we meet Siobhán Wright, a young woman who flees Ireland and winds up in Morgan’s Gap. Bringing apple seeds with her from Ireland, Siobhán plants the seeds which eventually grow into the orchard that supplies the apples for Mary May’s special cider. Siobhán’s sections are framed as dreams that Rachel is having, which I thought was a good way to introduce the past events that shaped Morgan’s Gap and the longstanding tradition of the women who live there and care for each other.
Once again, Willa Reece has written a wonderful story about strong women and how important they are to the land and each other. This is a quiet, thoughtful story with positive messages about self worth and acceptance, with the Sect cult standing in as the antithesis of everything that’s good about Morgan’s Gap. Rachel is still learning about her connection to the local women, and so it was nice to see the way she grows into her true self. She loves to embroider, and Reece uses her embroidery skills as a metaphor for “stitching” together residents of Morgan's Gap. Certain motifs occur over and over in the story: bees, apples, vines and even snakes. Rachel acquires a familiar of sorts, a green snake who magically appears when a wooden spoon with a snake carved down its handle goes missing. Mack, the local tinker who also serves as a love interest for Rachel, is a talented woodworker whose wooden animals sometimes come to life. There are subtle touches of magic like this throughout the story, just enough to give it a sense of wonder.
Women aren’t the only gifted characters, though. Mack is also very sensitive to the land and will only use wood that’s already fallen off trees to make his creations. And although Rachel has never told him the truth about Pearl, you get the idea that he senses the truth, even if he doesn’t have all the details. We do get a few sections from Pearl’s point of view as well, which I loved. Pearl is only four, but she’s wise beyond her years, probably because she’s intricately tied to the women of Morgan’s Gap. Pearl doesn’t know that Rachel is her biological mother, but she’s seen her crying outside her window on occasion, and she refers to her as the Crying Lady. It was heartbreaking to think that Rachel had to give up her daughter, but I do love the way this story element is resolved at the end.
I did find Ezekiel to be ridiculous and over-the-top, though. As a religious fanatic and a cult leader, he’s opposed to everything that doesn’t fit in with his conservative religious views, like gays, Black people, strong women and even noisy, disrespectful children. There are a few scenes where I actually laughed as Ezekiel is trying to convert the people of Morgan’s Gap, and even though a few men wander over to his side of the fence, for the most part the town just wants the Sect to leave them in peace.
But as much as I loved Reece’s hopeful messages, the story is extremely slow and meandering, so readers who go in expecting a faster pace with action scenes will be disappointed. Most of the conflict comes from Siobhán’s chapters, which were dramatic and exciting, and there’s a final showdown at the end involving Ezekiel and the people of Morgan’s Gap that had me on the edge of my seat. But for the most part, Wildwood Magic is a slowly unfolding story that focuses on the philosophical ideas of nature and caring and others. If you don’t mind a low stakes, feel-good story, then you’re probably the perfect reader for this book.
I’m not sure if there will be more stories set in Morgan’s Gap, but I hope so! It’s nice every now and then to step away from the horror I usually read and immerse myself in an uplifting story like this one.
Big thanks to the publisher for providing a review copy.
January 18, 2024
I really loved this book. I purchased it on a whim at a book fair with friends. The writer keeps you entranced in the story of a young girl and the struggles she faces into adulthood. It is a story of women's strength, a little folk magic, and a love story rolled into one. The writer makes you want to go find this place so you too can experience the wildwood magic.
May 5, 2023
I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
I need to preface this with the fact that I normally hate this genre of book. However, the blurb for the ARC sounded like it might be okay, so I requested it. Best thing I have done for a while! For me, this was a five star read! It's definitely more romance than I normally read, but the paranormal elements, while subtle, distracted from that enough that I didn't want to put the book down. So thankful that I had a rainy day to read this book! Definitely worth it!
I need to preface this with the fact that I normally hate this genre of book. However, the blurb for the ARC sounded like it might be okay, so I requested it. Best thing I have done for a while! For me, this was a five star read! It's definitely more romance than I normally read, but the paranormal elements, while subtle, distracted from that enough that I didn't want to put the book down. So thankful that I had a rainy day to read this book! Definitely worth it!
2023
September 16, 2025Halloween TBR
📱 Thank you to NetGalley and Redhook
📱 Thank you to NetGalley and Redhook
August 6, 2023
This book was so magical and wonderful and instantly so special to me.
April 3, 2024
3.4* I really wanted to like this book more than I did. It was just so slow to start, I felt like the same thing was written over and over just in a slightly different way through the whole book.
July 10, 2024
A nice prequel to the wildwood whispers. Even slower and more descriptive. Sometimes the lesson felt repetitive, but overall it was a nice compliment to the first one that provided a little more back story and a whole lot of cozy vibes
May 21, 2024
The comfy cozy cottagecore witch vibes ✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨
September 22, 2025
I'm not wholly satisfied with my genre tag, but I also just don't know where to put this. In this moment where we are in redemption phase, accompanied by rising religious hysteria, this felt timely. The Appalachia of it all made me yearn a little, which is odd because I am decidedly not from Appalachia. I might need to find the other book that I think is connected to this one.
August 3, 2023
Wildwood Magic is the prequel to Willa's 2021 release- Wildwood Whispers (which I haven't read, but added to my wishlist as soon as I finished WM).
I was fully engrossed in this enchanting tale that offers you a glimpse of the lives and loves of the wisewomen of Morgan's Gap.
After fleeing her abusive husband, Rachel "Smith" finds more than refuge in this small, isolated town. She finds love, a sense of community, and (arguably the most important thing-) herself.
I've never wanted a slice of apple pie as much as I did while I was reading this.
And- don't get me started on the wisewomen's companions! Be it snake, goat, or crow- I would be honored to have one of those precious souls looking out for me!
Thank you to the publisher for sending me a copy of Wildwood Magic in exchange for an honest review!
I was fully engrossed in this enchanting tale that offers you a glimpse of the lives and loves of the wisewomen of Morgan's Gap.
After fleeing her abusive husband, Rachel "Smith" finds more than refuge in this small, isolated town. She finds love, a sense of community, and (arguably the most important thing-) herself.
I've never wanted a slice of apple pie as much as I did while I was reading this.
And- don't get me started on the wisewomen's companions! Be it snake, goat, or crow- I would be honored to have one of those precious souls looking out for me!
Thank you to the publisher for sending me a copy of Wildwood Magic in exchange for an honest review!
July 5, 2023
Can we PLEASE stop writing books about women who find out they have "magical abilities" but only discover it because they have been abused, raped and assaulted?
November 9, 2023
Thank you to Hachette Audio and Jasmine Normil for providing me with an ALC, and to Redhook for sending me an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.
I mainly read this as an audiobook, since it was just more convenient that way for me. This book had three narrators to accommodate for the various POVs—two female narrators and a male narrator. However, despite each narrator voicing more than one character, I never had any issues differentiating the characters.
This is a beautiful story that touches on some very deep themes, some of which can be disturbing. There’s child abuse, domestic violence, religious intolerance and trauma, racism, and prejudice. But there’s also friendship between women, love, safety, and tolerance. Overall, it’s well worth the read. My only issue with the audiobook is that it was the kind that has to be focused on, not the kind you can put on and just tune out, but that isn’t a problem with the book, more a problem with my own expectations.
At the center of the story is Rachel, a woman who escapes from her abusive husband and finds a new home in the small mountain town of Morgan’s Gap. But there’s so much more going on under the surface. Like when she starts having dreams about the woman who started the orchard she lives at. Or the carved snake on a spoon comes to life. Or magic seems to be real in this town.
But the religious sect that raised Rachel shows up at town with their intolerant preachings, and the man leading them is horrifyingly familiar, with evil intentions threaten to turn everything she has worked for to ashes—and with it the entire town.
I loved watching Rachel work through her trauma and learn how to stand on her own feet. She came such a long way over the course of the story, and I was Team Rachel right from the start. She had me cheering for her so much, and all I wanted was to see her overcome all the challenges life threw her way.
The romance subplot was a great one as well. There’s a connection between Mac and Rachel that’s obvious right from the start, but the author gives the characters plenty of time to build a bond as friends before moving forward, just as I’d expect from someone leaving a domestic violence situation. Mac was the perfect guy for her, someone who understood her and was patient enough to allow her to work through her own issues on her own timeline, without pushing her.
Overall, this was a fantastic read, and it makes me more curious about her other book. It’s also set in Morgan’s Gap, although it seems to be only vaguely related. But this one was a wonderful story that allows plenty of time for readers to get to know the characters and really get into their development while following a clear storyline that held me rapt from start to finish. The characters and story that Reece has created are some that I’m going to be sad to say goodbye to.
I mainly read this as an audiobook, since it was just more convenient that way for me. This book had three narrators to accommodate for the various POVs—two female narrators and a male narrator. However, despite each narrator voicing more than one character, I never had any issues differentiating the characters.
This is a beautiful story that touches on some very deep themes, some of which can be disturbing. There’s child abuse, domestic violence, religious intolerance and trauma, racism, and prejudice. But there’s also friendship between women, love, safety, and tolerance. Overall, it’s well worth the read. My only issue with the audiobook is that it was the kind that has to be focused on, not the kind you can put on and just tune out, but that isn’t a problem with the book, more a problem with my own expectations.
At the center of the story is Rachel, a woman who escapes from her abusive husband and finds a new home in the small mountain town of Morgan’s Gap. But there’s so much more going on under the surface. Like when she starts having dreams about the woman who started the orchard she lives at. Or the carved snake on a spoon comes to life. Or magic seems to be real in this town.
But the religious sect that raised Rachel shows up at town with their intolerant preachings, and the man leading them is horrifyingly familiar, with evil intentions threaten to turn everything she has worked for to ashes—and with it the entire town.
I loved watching Rachel work through her trauma and learn how to stand on her own feet. She came such a long way over the course of the story, and I was Team Rachel right from the start. She had me cheering for her so much, and all I wanted was to see her overcome all the challenges life threw her way.
The romance subplot was a great one as well. There’s a connection between Mac and Rachel that’s obvious right from the start, but the author gives the characters plenty of time to build a bond as friends before moving forward, just as I’d expect from someone leaving a domestic violence situation. Mac was the perfect guy for her, someone who understood her and was patient enough to allow her to work through her own issues on her own timeline, without pushing her.
Overall, this was a fantastic read, and it makes me more curious about her other book. It’s also set in Morgan’s Gap, although it seems to be only vaguely related. But this one was a wonderful story that allows plenty of time for readers to get to know the characters and really get into their development while following a clear storyline that held me rapt from start to finish. The characters and story that Reece has created are some that I’m going to be sad to say goodbye to.
August 31, 2023
This is the first book by Willa Reece that I've read. It's been awhile since I've read a book this good. This story is so heart wrenching. Well written and well paced, entertaining, and hard to put down. Very well worth the time to read. I'll have to keep an eye out for other books from this author.
April 20, 2024
Really enjoyed this, but felt it was a bit slow. I will say my singular goal in life is to save enough to build a cabin on a mountainside somewhere in the Blue Ridge Mountains and this definitely made that feeling all the more strong. It also pulled to my witchy heart. Definitely worth the read, even if it is on the slower side.
September 12, 2023
“Away is a place” this phrase repeated throughout the book and was so meaningful. This book was magical and cozy. I loved all the different POVs and how the author brought it all together.
July 27, 2024
3.5 rounded up
September 2, 2024
4.5* - so beautiful
July 2, 2023
I received this arc from NetGalley in exchange for a review. After reading wildwood whispers I have been craving another book experience like this. Both books take place is Morgan's Gap a small town in Appalachia that have secret magical land, people and creatures. it is such a nice escape from every days life and the descriptions are so lyrical that they almost fall off the page. I enjoy the small amount of romance but more so the relationships the main character builds in the community. I am hoping there are more stories in this world in the future!
June 14, 2023
Reentering the wildwood was as magical as I hoped it would be. Not only do we join the wildwomen of Morgan’s Gap, but we see who they came from and have a peek into the next generation that shape the story of Willa’s first wildwood book, Wildwood Whispers.
🌱
Rachel is raised in a strict religious cult, regularly abused, and shown a world without beauty or light. One day, after growing up and marrying one of her abusers, she escapes and runs away to the wildwood. This is her journey of healing, of learning to trust, and learning that her strength comes from within herself. It’s a powerful story of being deeply rooted, trusting yourself, and allowing safe community to be your chosen family.
🐝
This story is one of feminine strength alongside the magic that comes from community and being deeply connected to the wildwood.
🐍
“I didn’t want to keep my head down anymore. I wanted to be difficult to control.“
🦉
“Men might deem a woman’s place as the kitchen, but a woman’s place - wherever she claimed it - was a place of power not servitude.”
🔥
There is an overlay of religious/physical/s*xual ab*se throughout the story, so be forewarned, but know that this is a good conquers evil story.
🤍
I’m so grateful to have had the privilege of entering the wildwood again. I was an ARC reader through NetGalley, and this is my honest review.
🌱
Rachel is raised in a strict religious cult, regularly abused, and shown a world without beauty or light. One day, after growing up and marrying one of her abusers, she escapes and runs away to the wildwood. This is her journey of healing, of learning to trust, and learning that her strength comes from within herself. It’s a powerful story of being deeply rooted, trusting yourself, and allowing safe community to be your chosen family.
🐝
This story is one of feminine strength alongside the magic that comes from community and being deeply connected to the wildwood.
🐍
“I didn’t want to keep my head down anymore. I wanted to be difficult to control.“
🦉
“Men might deem a woman’s place as the kitchen, but a woman’s place - wherever she claimed it - was a place of power not servitude.”
🔥
There is an overlay of religious/physical/s*xual ab*se throughout the story, so be forewarned, but know that this is a good conquers evil story.
🤍
I’m so grateful to have had the privilege of entering the wildwood again. I was an ARC reader through NetGalley, and this is my honest review.
December 12, 2023
I was offered a free reading of this on net galley pre-publication for review and happily bought and reread the physical copy!
Incredibly necessary. Incredibly important. A magical reminder of what conscious kindness can do to a community.
Willa Reece crafts her works like the magical people of her book do their’s. If you like fabulism, folk magic, and fantasy, this author is for you.
I hope we see more of Morgan’s Gap and this storyline in the future!
edit: the use of dialect and vernacular of appalachian english shows how much care and appreciation the author put in representing the community. i think that its important to recognize!
Incredibly necessary. Incredibly important. A magical reminder of what conscious kindness can do to a community.
Willa Reece crafts her works like the magical people of her book do their’s. If you like fabulism, folk magic, and fantasy, this author is for you.
I hope we see more of Morgan’s Gap and this storyline in the future!
edit: the use of dialect and vernacular of appalachian english shows how much care and appreciation the author put in representing the community. i think that its important to recognize!
January 6, 2024
.... holy fucking shit this makes me yearn to walk barefoot in a forest the writing is just delicious
October 18, 2024
I find this authors themes and writing style so comforting. Looking forward to her next book.
January 3, 2025
This is a book I didn’t know I needed until I started reading it. It was one of the most compelling, hard to put down books I have read. The magic seemed to flow through me as I read it.
May 7, 2024
Author Willa Reece returns to Morgan’s Gap in this second "Wildwood Whispers" book. This is more of a history of the town, and can be read as a standalone, though there are references to people from the first book. Willa Reece shows us the evolution of the town and its magical atmosphere using two main characters: Rachel Smith in 1965-1969, and Siobhán Wright in 1885.
Rachel Smith is on the run from her charismatic, conservative and abusive preacher husband Ezekial Gray. She's pregnant, and desperate to not bring the child near Ezekial. She fakes her death, and escapes, finding herself eventually in Morgan's Gap. She finds a home with Mary May, a wisewoman, and is drawn to the apple orchard, finding peace and purpose tending the trees.
Rachel begins dreaming of Siobhán, who had emigrated to America from Ireland, and planted the seeds of what grew into the Morgan's Gap orchard from which Mary May, years later, makes her special cider. Siobhán was married to a wealthy, cruel man, and began an affair with a local man who tended bees. Things went very terribly wrong, of course.
Rachel also gets to know the inhabitants of the town, and becomes entwined in the town's activities and begins to fall for a local man, Mack, a quiet man who is extremely sensitive to the land and what it tells him about those around him. Mack is also a woodcarver, whose carvings of animals sometimes comes to life, much like the wood spoon with a snake carved on its handle transforms into a familiar for Rachel. These little details, as well as the way the bees seem to be unusually aware of danger to Morgan's Gap, are ways in which the supernatural is subtly woven into the town.
But Ezekial arrives in Morgan's Gap, looking for her, and finding followers eager to believe his words of hate and violence. Rachel is terrified that Ezekial will force her back, and more frighteningly, find out he has a daughter, Pearl, who was adopted by a local woman. (Pearl is a wonderful character, also, and much more aware and wise, and a little uncanny, than a typical four-year-old.) But, the wisewomen of Morgan's Gap prove more than a match for the cruelty he breeds.
Author Willa Reece again shows how the things in nature are important, and how interconnected life is. Using the perspectives of Rachel, Siobhán , Mary May, Mack and Pearl, we see how important community is, and how the magical parts of Morgan's Gap can work together to protect the town.
This is a lovely, quiet story of women finding peace, hope and connection through sharing of their work and of themselves. Rachel has much to unlearn and learn, and her bruised body and heart is embraced and healed by the local women. As well, Rachel discovers her own power through embroidery, which she uses to stitch together relationships in the town.
Reece covers similar themes in this novel as in her first Wildwood book: the tie between religion and bigotry, and the importance of respecting and working with nature. It's a warm, hopeful story full of kindness and compassion, and I hope the author returns to Morgan's Gap for more stories.
Thank you to Netgalley and to Redhook Books for this ARC in exchange for my review.
Rachel Smith is on the run from her charismatic, conservative and abusive preacher husband Ezekial Gray. She's pregnant, and desperate to not bring the child near Ezekial. She fakes her death, and escapes, finding herself eventually in Morgan's Gap. She finds a home with Mary May, a wisewoman, and is drawn to the apple orchard, finding peace and purpose tending the trees.
Rachel begins dreaming of Siobhán, who had emigrated to America from Ireland, and planted the seeds of what grew into the Morgan's Gap orchard from which Mary May, years later, makes her special cider. Siobhán was married to a wealthy, cruel man, and began an affair with a local man who tended bees. Things went very terribly wrong, of course.
Rachel also gets to know the inhabitants of the town, and becomes entwined in the town's activities and begins to fall for a local man, Mack, a quiet man who is extremely sensitive to the land and what it tells him about those around him. Mack is also a woodcarver, whose carvings of animals sometimes comes to life, much like the wood spoon with a snake carved on its handle transforms into a familiar for Rachel. These little details, as well as the way the bees seem to be unusually aware of danger to Morgan's Gap, are ways in which the supernatural is subtly woven into the town.
But Ezekial arrives in Morgan's Gap, looking for her, and finding followers eager to believe his words of hate and violence. Rachel is terrified that Ezekial will force her back, and more frighteningly, find out he has a daughter, Pearl, who was adopted by a local woman. (Pearl is a wonderful character, also, and much more aware and wise, and a little uncanny, than a typical four-year-old.) But, the wisewomen of Morgan's Gap prove more than a match for the cruelty he breeds.
Author Willa Reece again shows how the things in nature are important, and how interconnected life is. Using the perspectives of Rachel, Siobhán , Mary May, Mack and Pearl, we see how important community is, and how the magical parts of Morgan's Gap can work together to protect the town.
This is a lovely, quiet story of women finding peace, hope and connection through sharing of their work and of themselves. Rachel has much to unlearn and learn, and her bruised body and heart is embraced and healed by the local women. As well, Rachel discovers her own power through embroidery, which she uses to stitch together relationships in the town.
Reece covers similar themes in this novel as in her first Wildwood book: the tie between religion and bigotry, and the importance of respecting and working with nature. It's a warm, hopeful story full of kindness and compassion, and I hope the author returns to Morgan's Gap for more stories.
Thank you to Netgalley and to Redhook Books for this ARC in exchange for my review.
August 17, 2023
One Sentence Summary: It’s the 1960s and Rachel is desperate to escape her abusive, powerful husband and, when she does, she discovers a community full of wildwood magic, and a power all her own.
Wildwood Magic is more prequel to Wildwood Whispers than a sequel, and I was fascinated by the history of Morgan’s Gap this book had to offer. Set in the late 1960s, Morgan’s Gap felt both touched and not touched by the demands of society in that time period. There are a lot of things I hadn’t expected for the times, like openly apparent LGBTQ relationships, and a lot of things I did, like women expected to submit to their husbands. At times it was a little discombobulating, but, at others, it just felt like it slotted in perfectly to what Morgan’s Gap is. I found this story fascinating, but I also wasn’t a huge fan of how magical this one is.
Wildwood Magic follows Rachel, a woman who has escaped from her Sect husband and found refuge on the outskirts of Morgan’s Gap with an elderly woman with a magical past. There, she finds healing and a place of sorts, but it takes the elderly woman mysteriously vanishing and leaving everything to Rachel for her to begin to step out of the boundaries of the orchard. Unfortunately, this occurs at the same time the Sect have come to town and set up their tent, their leader, none other than the husband Rachel ran from, intent on setting up a permanent settlement in the area, prompting Rachel to do everything she can to protect a secret she can’t have her husband ever knowing. At the same time, she begins to dream of a woman called Siobhan. Through this woman who lived in the late 1800s, she learns of Morgan’s Gap’s origins and a torrid love affair that would have resounding consequences. And it’s up to Rachel to spin everything she learns and everyone she’s drawn to her to protect those she loves and the town she’s come to call home.
There’s a lot of magic in this book. Unlike the first one where it felt like the characters were drawing from the natural powers of nature, this one felt more other. Each wisewoman’s abilities was pulled into certain things, like knitting, bee keeping, metal work, and stitchery, and the things they know and can do with it felt more magical than natural. There’s also talk of the fey and fey children, and the part about the old woman Rachel has taken refuge with just made things feel too magical for me to swallow as it didn’t jive as perfectly with Wildwood Whispers as I would have wished. I felt like this verged more on fantasy than magical realism, and I just wasn’t a huge fan. I loved how the first book made me want to revere nature more, and this one just made me feel like I had one foot in fantasy and the other in fiction and the middle part of me was just a little confused.
The characters were fantastic, though, even if I am now thoroughly confused about the Ross family and their lineage. I had a great time with Rachel as she got to know everyone. The wisewomen she was led to were wonderful and open, but also appropriately cautious. I liked that they took time to come together and, when they did, they were a force to be reckoned with, and the town really did have to reckon with them. They held their own, even as the Sect upturned things in Morgan’s Gap. The women were powerful, even if they were married, and I loved that they had that power and the safe community available to them. I also loved seeing Granny Ross again, even if I’m no longer certain if the two Granny Rosses are the same woman, or if the name is more honorific than name. I just had a great time getting to know them all, and loved how they came together for each other and for their town.
Rachel’s growth was absolutely fantastic. It did bother me a bit that, in the few years she’d spent basically in hiding she didn’t really change. She felt like a static character, so I was glad when she was given a push. It really made her come out of her shell, out of her hiding, and made her face things she didn’t want to. She really came into her own, finding a place with the wisewomen, in the town, and with a new romantic partner. I do wish the romance had been woven in a little better as sometimes it felt like it took over the story and the story took over the romance and it wasn’t all quite even, but I thought it was sweet. I liked that Rachel’s steps were slow and things never felt just a little too easy for her. They felt natural, and her blooming felt natural as well. She was lovely to get to know, and I really enjoyed seeing her come into her own, overcoming all her demons, internal and external.
Morgan’s Gap was interesting to get to know. After having gotten to know it in present day, Wildwood Magic thrusts the reader back into the past, and then further back to its founding. The earliest history is told to Rachel through her dreams of a woman named Siobhan, a woman many others from Morgan’s Gap have dreamed of. Her story was one of resilience and love and pain. I adored her, and wish there had been more of her story. Then there’s the focus on Morgan’s Gap in the 1960s. It was sometimes infuriating to read, and I had to remind myself of the time period several times. I did like how it was woven in and how parts of the story relied on it, and I loved that there’s still an accepting part of society that manages to respect the wisewomen as being the people they need to survive.
Wildwood Magic also tells the story of how the Sect came to be, basically, neighbors to Morgan’s Gap. I despised them just as much as I did in the first book. But this one tells how they managed to get a foothold, even as their leader became increasingly unhinged. There’s a battle brewing in Morgan’s Gap between those who would follow the Sect’s preachings and those who would follow the wisewomen. The climax of this was incredible, and it was wonderful to see exactly where the town’s roots really were. There’s still unrest, but there’s great power in the people, and that was brilliantly shown.
Wildwood Magic was much more magical than I expected, but it also had a lot of heart. There’s a lot of love, as well as hate, to be found on the pages, but I really enjoyed and appreciated Rachel’s journey. She felt real to me, and her struggles were real. As jarring as it was to go back in time with this book, I appreciated what it offered, and I’m hoping there will be a third book. The characters were a lot of fun, and I enjoyed getting to know Morgan’s Gap all over again.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for a review copy. All opinions expressed are my own.
Wildwood Magic is more prequel to Wildwood Whispers than a sequel, and I was fascinated by the history of Morgan’s Gap this book had to offer. Set in the late 1960s, Morgan’s Gap felt both touched and not touched by the demands of society in that time period. There are a lot of things I hadn’t expected for the times, like openly apparent LGBTQ relationships, and a lot of things I did, like women expected to submit to their husbands. At times it was a little discombobulating, but, at others, it just felt like it slotted in perfectly to what Morgan’s Gap is. I found this story fascinating, but I also wasn’t a huge fan of how magical this one is.
Wildwood Magic follows Rachel, a woman who has escaped from her Sect husband and found refuge on the outskirts of Morgan’s Gap with an elderly woman with a magical past. There, she finds healing and a place of sorts, but it takes the elderly woman mysteriously vanishing and leaving everything to Rachel for her to begin to step out of the boundaries of the orchard. Unfortunately, this occurs at the same time the Sect have come to town and set up their tent, their leader, none other than the husband Rachel ran from, intent on setting up a permanent settlement in the area, prompting Rachel to do everything she can to protect a secret she can’t have her husband ever knowing. At the same time, she begins to dream of a woman called Siobhan. Through this woman who lived in the late 1800s, she learns of Morgan’s Gap’s origins and a torrid love affair that would have resounding consequences. And it’s up to Rachel to spin everything she learns and everyone she’s drawn to her to protect those she loves and the town she’s come to call home.
There’s a lot of magic in this book. Unlike the first one where it felt like the characters were drawing from the natural powers of nature, this one felt more other. Each wisewoman’s abilities was pulled into certain things, like knitting, bee keeping, metal work, and stitchery, and the things they know and can do with it felt more magical than natural. There’s also talk of the fey and fey children, and the part about the old woman Rachel has taken refuge with just made things feel too magical for me to swallow as it didn’t jive as perfectly with Wildwood Whispers as I would have wished. I felt like this verged more on fantasy than magical realism, and I just wasn’t a huge fan. I loved how the first book made me want to revere nature more, and this one just made me feel like I had one foot in fantasy and the other in fiction and the middle part of me was just a little confused.
The characters were fantastic, though, even if I am now thoroughly confused about the Ross family and their lineage. I had a great time with Rachel as she got to know everyone. The wisewomen she was led to were wonderful and open, but also appropriately cautious. I liked that they took time to come together and, when they did, they were a force to be reckoned with, and the town really did have to reckon with them. They held their own, even as the Sect upturned things in Morgan’s Gap. The women were powerful, even if they were married, and I loved that they had that power and the safe community available to them. I also loved seeing Granny Ross again, even if I’m no longer certain if the two Granny Rosses are the same woman, or if the name is more honorific than name. I just had a great time getting to know them all, and loved how they came together for each other and for their town.
Rachel’s growth was absolutely fantastic. It did bother me a bit that, in the few years she’d spent basically in hiding she didn’t really change. She felt like a static character, so I was glad when she was given a push. It really made her come out of her shell, out of her hiding, and made her face things she didn’t want to. She really came into her own, finding a place with the wisewomen, in the town, and with a new romantic partner. I do wish the romance had been woven in a little better as sometimes it felt like it took over the story and the story took over the romance and it wasn’t all quite even, but I thought it was sweet. I liked that Rachel’s steps were slow and things never felt just a little too easy for her. They felt natural, and her blooming felt natural as well. She was lovely to get to know, and I really enjoyed seeing her come into her own, overcoming all her demons, internal and external.
Morgan’s Gap was interesting to get to know. After having gotten to know it in present day, Wildwood Magic thrusts the reader back into the past, and then further back to its founding. The earliest history is told to Rachel through her dreams of a woman named Siobhan, a woman many others from Morgan’s Gap have dreamed of. Her story was one of resilience and love and pain. I adored her, and wish there had been more of her story. Then there’s the focus on Morgan’s Gap in the 1960s. It was sometimes infuriating to read, and I had to remind myself of the time period several times. I did like how it was woven in and how parts of the story relied on it, and I loved that there’s still an accepting part of society that manages to respect the wisewomen as being the people they need to survive.
Wildwood Magic also tells the story of how the Sect came to be, basically, neighbors to Morgan’s Gap. I despised them just as much as I did in the first book. But this one tells how they managed to get a foothold, even as their leader became increasingly unhinged. There’s a battle brewing in Morgan’s Gap between those who would follow the Sect’s preachings and those who would follow the wisewomen. The climax of this was incredible, and it was wonderful to see exactly where the town’s roots really were. There’s still unrest, but there’s great power in the people, and that was brilliantly shown.
Wildwood Magic was much more magical than I expected, but it also had a lot of heart. There’s a lot of love, as well as hate, to be found on the pages, but I really enjoyed and appreciated Rachel’s journey. She felt real to me, and her struggles were real. As jarring as it was to go back in time with this book, I appreciated what it offered, and I’m hoping there will be a third book. The characters were a lot of fun, and I enjoyed getting to know Morgan’s Gap all over again.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for a review copy. All opinions expressed are my own.
May 10, 2023
Rachel was so brave for the decision that she made, she left an abusive situation and good on her. I love that we have the found family trope here as well. This was a beautiful story about freedom and love with a touch of whimsy. I didn't like, however, that the book would switch from first person to third person, it really threw me off.
dnf
April 25, 2024DNF @ pg 100 20% did skip to read the last 10% for the ending though. Wow 7 characters!? POV! Too much religious trauma for me esp after attempting to read the home for unwanted girls (which is coincidentally the name of the place Rachel grew up too) 🤯
May 6, 2023
Wildwood Magic is luscious, dreamy, and deserving of its title. A meeting of the old ways and the new, it explores community, love, freedom, nature, magic, home, and the power of bonds between women. Sprawling with gorgeous prose, it unravels its tale through beautiful and sensory description, stunning imagery, and characters immediately familiar and filled with life. It is hopeful without being trite; it charms without romanticizing away the ugly undersides of rural Appalachia.
The webs between characters are finely woven and delightful to behold. While it would be easy to undermine the significance of found family in some of its reveals, the coexistence of family chosen and family reunited highlights community in all its forms. It's a poignant depiction of the impact of the bonds between women, whether blood, friendly, or romantic, as well as the fear they can instill. The necessity of division & discord in sowing the seeds of bigotry & oppression is thrown into sharp relief, as well as those who stand to benefit from it. That said, the antagonists walk a thin line that can veer from the frighteningly real to becoming caricatures, particularly the secondary ones. Ezekiel represents cyclical abuse; Morgan is shown in only one light, that of the evil abuser, while readers must assume that another face exists which inspires the loyalty and devotion of a town, one we never see. It's a small outlier in a novel otherwise populated by richly imagined complex characters.
This is a love story, but it’s a love story of many forms, perhaps the least compelling of which is its romance. The primary romance is believable, and the basis of two individuals surviving their trauma and learning to love again is a lovely one, but it’s simply one bond among many. This is no drawback in my estimation, but readers shouldn’t go in asking this novel to be something it isn't.
A testament to surviving, enduring, loving, and, finally, living, Wildwood Magic is a breathtaking, atmospheric, and transportive triumph, capturing the magic of the world and the magic of life.
Thank you to NetGalley!
The webs between characters are finely woven and delightful to behold. While it would be easy to undermine the significance of found family in some of its reveals, the coexistence of family chosen and family reunited highlights community in all its forms. It's a poignant depiction of the impact of the bonds between women, whether blood, friendly, or romantic, as well as the fear they can instill. The necessity of division & discord in sowing the seeds of bigotry & oppression is thrown into sharp relief, as well as those who stand to benefit from it. That said, the antagonists walk a thin line that can veer from the frighteningly real to becoming caricatures, particularly the secondary ones. Ezekiel represents cyclical abuse; Morgan is shown in only one light, that of the evil abuser, while readers must assume that another face exists which inspires the loyalty and devotion of a town, one we never see. It's a small outlier in a novel otherwise populated by richly imagined complex characters.
This is a love story, but it’s a love story of many forms, perhaps the least compelling of which is its romance. The primary romance is believable, and the basis of two individuals surviving their trauma and learning to love again is a lovely one, but it’s simply one bond among many. This is no drawback in my estimation, but readers shouldn’t go in asking this novel to be something it isn't.
A testament to surviving, enduring, loving, and, finally, living, Wildwood Magic is a breathtaking, atmospheric, and transportive triumph, capturing the magic of the world and the magic of life.
Thank you to NetGalley!
May 22, 2023
Thank you NetGalley and Redhook Books for the ARC!
Wildwood Magic is a prequel to the debut novel, Wildwood Whispers. In Wildwood Magic, we're going back into the past, both circa 1883 and 1957. The juxtaposition of two very different time periods helped to amplify how little the mistreatment of women and POC has changed. In all honesty, I'm hoping this was intentional. Wildwood Whispers was a statement novel in the power of the quiet people on the fringe's of society.
As an avid fan of the first novel, I am hoping that Wildwood Magic is the set up for a follow up story to Wildwood Whispers. There is more understanding of how Reverend Moon came to be, but so many unanswered questions. History shows that the Sect can never truly be expelled from Morgan's Gap and what about the fate of all the lost souls caught up in the Moon's family web? What does the future look like for our wise women?
All in all, Wildwood Magic left me desperate to relive in the wild Appalachia of Morgan's Gap, again.
In terms of the writing, Wildwood Magic had a few more descriptive paragraphs that didn't add value. Less can sometimes be more when trying to transport the reader. Wildwood Whispers had a perfect combination of descriptive surroundings interspersed with the main protagonist's POV. I recommend cutting some of the additive sections in Wildwood Magic. A good example is when Rachel visits Deborah's trailer for the first time. The activity of the two women requires descriptions of the land. Cut the five extra paragraphs that don't add to the storyline. It'll keep the reader from getting bored.
One final note, there were a handful of typos that are disruptive to the reading experience. As well as one word that repeated in the novel, 'haint'. My familiarity with this word is limited, but it's a good learning experience. It might be useful to build into the novel an explanation of the word and why it simply isn't a misspelling of "haunt" but rather an intentional use of the vernacular.
Wildwood Magic is a prequel to the debut novel, Wildwood Whispers. In Wildwood Magic, we're going back into the past, both circa 1883 and 1957. The juxtaposition of two very different time periods helped to amplify how little the mistreatment of women and POC has changed. In all honesty, I'm hoping this was intentional. Wildwood Whispers was a statement novel in the power of the quiet people on the fringe's of society.
As an avid fan of the first novel, I am hoping that Wildwood Magic is the set up for a follow up story to Wildwood Whispers. There is more understanding of how Reverend Moon came to be, but so many unanswered questions. History shows that the Sect can never truly be expelled from Morgan's Gap and what about the fate of all the lost souls caught up in the Moon's family web? What does the future look like for our wise women?
All in all, Wildwood Magic left me desperate to relive in the wild Appalachia of Morgan's Gap, again.
In terms of the writing, Wildwood Magic had a few more descriptive paragraphs that didn't add value. Less can sometimes be more when trying to transport the reader. Wildwood Whispers had a perfect combination of descriptive surroundings interspersed with the main protagonist's POV. I recommend cutting some of the additive sections in Wildwood Magic. A good example is when Rachel visits Deborah's trailer for the first time. The activity of the two women requires descriptions of the land. Cut the five extra paragraphs that don't add to the storyline. It'll keep the reader from getting bored.
One final note, there were a handful of typos that are disruptive to the reading experience. As well as one word that repeated in the novel, 'haint'. My familiarity with this word is limited, but it's a good learning experience. It might be useful to build into the novel an explanation of the word and why it simply isn't a misspelling of "haunt" but rather an intentional use of the vernacular.
September 28, 2023
I received a finished copy of WILDWOOD MAGIC by Willa Reece a while back and intended to read it in July before the publication date but life got in the way. It all worked out since this book is actually a perfect fall read. This whimsical novel weaves a captivating narrative of escape, healing, and the discovery of inner strength. Rachel Smith's journey from an abusive past to the sanctuary of an enchanted orchard in the Appalachian Mountains is both poignant and empowering. Reece's prose effortlessly transports you to the heart of Morgan's Gap, immersing you in a world where magic and wisdom intertwine, guided by a community of remarkable wisewomen. The vivid imagery of the lush apple orchard and the aromas of apple pie enrich the storytelling. Despite being a prequel to "Wildwood Whispers," this book stands on its own, leaving me eager to delve into the companion novel. Reece's storytelling prowess shines, making this a must-read with well-crafted characters and a narrative that's both emotionally impactful and impossible to put down.
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