The Winter Witch - by Jennifer Chevalier (Paperback)

Book Synopsis

Two sisters set sail on a bride ship from Normandy hoping to leave a curse behind them and find better lives in the wilds of 17th-century Quebec, only to meet a mysterious witch who forces them to confront the truth about magic--and their past. For fans of Emilia Hart, Sarah Penner, Alix E. Harrow, Ami McKay, and Roberta Rich.

Élisabeth Jossard boards a bride ship to New France with her sister Marthe, forced to start a new life after a scandal in her village in Normandy. She's harbouring a dark secret and hopes that by coming to Montreal--the holiest place in the world, she's been told--the saints will hear her pleas and lift the curse that plagues her.

When Élisabeth's prayers go unanswered and she is unable to banish the spirit she believes is tormenting her, Marthe encourages her to turn to a powerful witch for help, the enigmatic stowaway Jeanne Roy. But Jeanne has secrets of her own, and when she refuses to help, Élisabeth's resentment kindles a dangerous fire.

Inspired by the tales of Canada's Filles du Roi, The Winter Witch examines how lies, arrogance, and ignorance can lead to witch hunts in any society.

Review Quotes

"A rollicking portrait of the filles du roi that centers these young vulnerable women and turns them into feisty, searching, transgressive heroines. Their superstitions make the book alive with magic and strangeness. It is surprising, disturbing, and triumphant. You will find yourself rooting for these young witches and their destinies until the very last page."
-- HEATHER O'NEILL, bestselling author of The Capital of Dreams

"A vivid and wonderful book. It is a great challenge for writers of historical fiction to recreate the past as a wholly imagined world, but Chevalier has met this challenge and created characters who are well realized and engaging."
-- ROBERTA RICH, bestselling author of The Jazz Club Spy

"Forget Salem: The Winter Witch provides as terrifying a witch hunt as I've ever read. This story examines the persuasive ignorance that comes from innocence, the arrogance that comes from power, and the unstoppable force that is a community of women focused on a single purpose. Fans of Sarah Penner and Ami McKay will devour this one and be clamoring for more."
-- DONNA JONES ALWARD, New York Times bestselling author of When the World Fell Silent

"In 1670 New France, two sisters find themselves in a world of frozen forests and religious fanaticism, where superstition rules daily life and a single whispered accusation of witchcraft can destroy innocent lives. The Winter Witch is a captivating debut about guilt, fear, and the fragile bonds that can redeem--or condemn."
-- GENEVIEVE GRAHAM, #1 bestselling author of On Isabella Street

"Jennifer Chevalier has given us not only a gripping story, but also fascinating glimpses of seventeenth century New France with all its terrors, hardships and demonic beliefs. The past is a different country, yet its characters are disturbingly familiar. The Winter Witch is historical fiction at its well-researched best."
-- CHARLOTTE GRAY, author of The Promise of Canada and The Massey Murder

"Jennifer Chevalier writes the best kind of historical fiction--brimming with enticing details, sparkling dialogue, and unforgettable characters. I was utterly enchanted by The Winter Witch."
-- AMI MCKAY, #1 bestselling author of The Witches of New York

"Spellbinding. Chevalier's tale conjures the filles du roi out of history's overlooked pages, affording them agency and courage, hopes and dreams. More than three and a half centuries after the first would-be brides boarded ships for New France, The Winter Witch is a timely reminder that science and reason are powerful antidotes to fearmongering and blind faith."
-- SHELLEY WOOD, bestselling author of The Leap Year Gene

"This story pulled me in and wouldn't let me go. The Winter Witch is a deeply engaging tale about the importance of questioning the narratives we are taught and told, and the profound power of female bonds. A magical read."
-- TARA GEREAUX, author of Wild People Quiet

About the Author

Jennifer Chevalier worked for several years at the BBC in London before moving home to Ottawa where she is currently the showrunner for CBC Radio's long-running weekly political affairs program, The House. The journalism and documentaries she's led have won a Gracie, several RTDNAs, and a CAJ Award for investigative journalism. She lives in Ottawa with her husband and two children.