A Lock of Hair

By: A. Rose Pritchett

Narrated by: Melanie Huesz

Length: 6 hrs and 7 mins

Publisher's summary

Boston, 1846. Eighteen-year-old Mildred Parish, a barber's daughter, practices practical witchcraft using locks of hair obtained from her father's customers. She's very selective about who knows her secret and the kinds of spells she casts. Only people she trusts can know, and she must never cast a spell to harm another person.

One of her father's clients is Theodore O'Brian, an Irish immigrant whose family is fortunate enough to be wealthy. Mildred is head over heels in love with him, but he's destined to be with someone else. One day, a woman named Trinity Hartell comes knocking on Mildred's door. She has a vendetta against an entire family and wants Mildred to cast a death spell on them. The family? The O'Brians, including Theodore. Mildred refuses, but Trinity is set on getting what she wants, one way or another.

Mildred now feels she must protect the O'Brian family and the man she loves, but she must also protect herself. How can she make sure Trinity is stopped without telling the entire city of Boston that she's a witch?

©2019 A. Rose Pritchett (P)2020 A. Rose Pritchett

Historical fiction drama

I quite enjoyed this historical drama. The story revolves around an 18 year old girl who secretly practices practical magic, The plot also draws other characters into the story in the form of neighbours and friends. All are well drawn out and face their own problems.
I thought the world building was good, the plot reached a reasonable conclusion, and the narrator did a wonderful job of bringing the story and characters to life.
Worth a listen.

A Lock of Hair

What is a lock of hair to you and I? Is it simply something that gets lobbed off every so often when we go to the salon? It provides you with a sense of self? Some women and men focus a lot of attention on their hair, but others may think it quite trivial. Think about it. It is so much more than that. It can have your DNA. It can be so powerful that someone can use your hair to incriminate you in a crime. Why wouldn’t witches be able to use it for their spells too, right? Pritchett has a riveting story with a dash of history, a pinch of witchcraft and a thread of mystery. Most importantly, this story is about hope, a hope that the world’s biases can be overcome through knowledge and faith.

Mildrid, AKA Millie, is a witch practitioner. She is also the daughter of a barber, the friend of an Irish Protestant girl, and a devout Christian. After agreeing to take on Mary as an apprentice, a woman comes to her requesting her help with a death spell on the O’Briens, wanting nothing more than vengeance on the family who evicted her loved ones when they needed kindness the most. Millie is desperate to keep her secret safe, but not at the cost of committing harm on others to do so. Declining this woman’s request can do two things: she could expose Millie as a witch to the community or she could take her revenge on the O’Briens herself. And that means, she would be trying to murder the love of her life, Theodore O’Brien. In a ditch effort to help the O’Briens have a fighting chance over what is to come, she warns Theodore and casts a protection spell. When Theodore’s mother and fiance fall ill at a dinner party, Millie is faced with a predicament of her own. She can either tell the detective about her witchcraft and the woman who wanted revenge on the O’Briens or she can hold her tongue. Outing herself as a witch could bring about an end to her life as she knows it once the community finds out, but doing the right thing has always been a part of her.

Pritchett’s story is captivating and original. With a little history in the background, the characters and the situations these characters face are completely credible and readers will find they can relate to them. The characters are all entertaining and expose vulnerability along with strength and bravado. Huesz brought the story to life in an exuberant way, showcasing each character and their methods of working through hardships. This narrator enhanced Pritchett’s story in every way. From listening to the audiobook alone, it does not appear the narrator had any trouble with pronunciation or pace of the context. This is a sensational team and it really shows both are passionate about what they do, writing and narration. If you are a reader of historical and young adult fiction, this may be a good fit for you. There is a warning in the front of the book regarding some of the biases and prejudices faced in Massachusetts and the South during the time period the story takes place.

The audiobook was provided to Turning Another Page by Audiobookworm Promotions and in no way affects the honesty of this review. We provide a five-star rating for A Lock of Hair by A. Rose Pritchett.