There’s so much I could say about this book, but overall….. I loved it.
This was completely different to anything I’ve read in…..well, forever.
It’s a historical novel that spans three generations of women. Told from two different perspectives and time periods.
It’s an extremely immersive read that you, the reader, will be drawn into and will love. Full of magic and intrigue and the wonderful setting (This was one of my favourite parts, the setting of the novel), the characters are full of personality and everything about this books is so atmospheric.
I loved it! I’m really looking forward to reading more from this author.
5 out of 5 stars 🌟

'The Witch of Tin Mountain' by Paulette Kennedy follows three generations of Arkansas women who are healers in the remote foothills of Tin Mountain. When an ancestor makes a bloody promise, a family curse is cast upon the descendants forcing them to fight for their souls and fight against a wicked but charming preacher who will stop at nothing to turn Tin Mountain against the Werner women in order to deliver on an insidious promise.

This story is full of rustic witchiness, a magic of the land that incorporates bits of folklore and traditional healing methods that is authentic to Ozark magical practices. It's a gritty, practical, and simple type of magic in this story that honours the traditions, customs, and beliefs of a powerful and rich healing community. The writing was evocative and I believe it captured the essence of the earthy wilds of the Ozarks. I really liked the resilience of the Werner women, whose stubbornness and sensitivity made them complicated characters who kept surprising me as the story went along. There was a lot of sex in this story but looking past that, there was a really interesting and original plot that kept twisting and turning into something totally unexpected. It's a story full of passion and evil that examines generational trauma, family, and home within a supernatural context. I have read a lot of witchy books, but this story was raw and tough, showing the dark sides of what being a woman and a healer in these neck of the woods entailed (it felt more authentic than some of the popular Salem based witchy stories that are published). It's an intimate story that feels as though you have stumbled upon something that should remain hidden, which mirrors the women in this tale who are each battling evil forces that seek to expose their secrets and darkest wounds.

I really enjoyed Paulette Kennedy's first book 'Parting the Veil', and 'The Witch of Tin Mountain' is another example of her intricate storylines that feature strong women. I really enjoyed this book because of its grounded magic, tough women, creepy characters, and Ozark culture. It has a little bit of everything for fans of supernatural stories.

Thank you to the publisher for providing me with a free arc via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Summary:

Gracelynn Doherty has special talents just like her Granny and she uses them to help make cures for the folk of Tin Mountain. Despite helping many a family, Gracelynn and her Granny are still treated with suspicion and as outcasts from the community. Though accusations of witchcraft are never far from folks’ minds, Gracelynn’s family, for the most part, live a peaceful life.
That is until the travelling preacher, Josiah Bellflower, comes to town with promises of healing both the people and the land. However, he is not what he seems and is old enemy come back to haunt Granny after 50 years. With his arrival comes a curse upon Tin Mountain and the pretending preacher swiftly turns the town against Gracelynn and her grandmother with his manipulative and cunning ways.
With Granny falling sick, it is up to Gracelynn to uncover the past and save not just herself but her family and the folks of Tin Mountain from Bellflower’s vengeance and deadly deceptions.

Thoughts:

Set in the Depression era, the story is gripping from the very start with a compelling story of mystery, peril and the supernatural. From the start, I was immersed in the world of Tin Mountain and it’s haunting atmosphere. The Ozark setting as well as being developed through the descriptive writing was built upon through the language and colloquialisms used, which I felt really gave it character and suited the story well.

The story is told through two points of view, Gracelynn Doherty’s story in first person in 1931 and Deirdre Werner’s in third person in 1981. I felt that by using a different perspective for each it made it easier to keep track of which character the story was focusing on and helped differentiate the points in time. The two timelines really aided to build the story and drew parallels between the events of the past and the present (of the book).
I thought it was cleverly done how the sections in the past gradually revealed secrets and history without ever giving too much away so that it would affect the impact of the mysteries and events in Gracelynn’s story. Both characters were engaging and likeable, and though they shared some similarities, I felt they were still distinct from each other in their thoughts and behaviour.

Kennedy created a haunting atmosphere throughout and tension that steadily increased as the story went on. There was a real sense of threat developed, in both timelines, as both characters struggled with deviance and machinations employed by Bellflower. There were also tender moments that provided a breathing space for the reader and a change of pace.
The story built up to the climatic events of the final chapters and whilst they were full of action, it never felt rushed. The ending itself felt satisfying and touching with the characters finally rewarded for all the battles they had to go through.

Overall:
I found The Witch of Tin Mountain by Paulette Kennedy utterly enthralling and loved every minute of reading it. The characters with their secrets and struggles were engaging and the haunting atmosphere created just added to the feeling of suspense and tension. In fact, as you might have noticed, I could find nothing that I did not like or would change about this story, which is a rare thing indeed.
This is one of my top reads so far this year and I will definitely be recommending others to pick up this book up when it is released in December (in the UK).

Okay, going to say upfront, I loved this book. There. End of review. Not really…

The Witch of Tin Mountain threads the story of three generations of women who live in the Arkansas mountain town of Tin Mountain. They are poor but hard-working healers and midwives using spells from a grimoire, passed through the family, to assist their friends and neighbors. But a dark presence, in the guise of a handsome man plague them.

In 1931, Gracelynn and her Granny eke out a living. She’s happy and thinks she’s in love. But her life is upended when a fifty-year-old promise comes due. As Gracelynn grapples with her new found magical power she must do what those before her could not.

Like I said, I really enjoyed this imaginative story full of strong women. The writing is wonderful, the setting intriguing and the story compelling. There is a tender love story to ice the cake. I had a hard time putting it down.

I highly recommend this book to lovers of historical fiction/historical fantasy fiction/ magical realism

A really enjoyable historical fiction read, very well-written and intriguing! I do find it dragged a bit in spots, but overall, I really did like this book.

This was a fantastic historical novel, it was such a well written novel and had a fantastic premise. The characters were what I wanted from this time period. I was hooked from the description and it had a great tense atmosphere and it was a whirlwind of emotions til the end. Really well done book from Paulette Kennedy and I look forward to whatever Ms. Kennedy will write next.

“That hypocrite,” Deirdre said, seething. Her guilt over poisoning Phoebe thinned with her jealousy. “She threatened to tell Miss Munro about us! Held it over my head.” “I was afraid you’d be angry. And you are. I don’t love her. I swear it. But she’s dying. Am I not supposed to make peace with her and with myself for what happened between us?” “Her bullying isn’t the worst of it. She’s been sending Constance to our room to snoop. She told Miss Munro I have a witch’s book and that I poisoned Phoebe. I could be hanged for that, Esme!”