What We Sacrifice for Magic
By: Andrea Jo DeWerd, Sara Van Beckum (narrator)
Genre: Fantasy, Historical Fiction
Number of Pages: 304
Published: September 24, 2024
Publisher: Alcove Press
Dates Read: March 6, 2025
Format: Library Book / Audiobook

It’s 1968 and in the small town of Friedrich, Minnesota, the Watry-Ridder family is both feared and respected as the town’s witches. Farmers seek out their water charms and the teenagers, their love spells. As the eldest daughter, Elisabeth, recent high school graduate, is set to take over for her grandmother, marry her high school sweetheart, and live the rest of her life in Friedrich. But as the time draws closer and closer, all Elisabeth can ask is, why her? Why is her path so set in stone?

Elisabeth soon discovers magic isn’t the only thing inherited by her family, and that said magic comes with a much greater price than she realized. The more she digs for the truth, the more questions she has, and the less she trusts her grandmother.

As she ventures out, Elisabeth must find out who she is without her family – without their secrets and magic. 

This novel had a super messy family, one filled with jealousy, small mindedness, and miscommunication. Elisabeth was raised by her grandmother, Magda, to be the one to take over, therefore she was more superior than her sister, Mary. She would talk about how talented Mary could be in the same sentence she would undermine her.

This novel definitely brushes upon gatekeeping and the benefits of sharing information and skills.

Overall, this magical realism read about a young witch adventuring out on her own to find herself is perfect as a cozy read.

*Thank you Alcove Press and NetGalley for a digital copy of this book in exchange for an honest review