A Secret History of Witches

A Novel

By: Louisa Morgan

Narrated by: Polly Lee

A sweeping historical saga that traces five generations of fiercely powerful mothers and daughters -- witches whose magical inheritance is both a dangerous threat and an extraordinary gift.

Brittany, 1821.

After Grand-Mere Ursule gives her life to save her family, their magic seems to die with her.

Even so, the Orchires fight to keep the old ways alive, practicing half-remembered spells and arcane rites in hopes of a revival. And when their youngest daughter comes of age, magic flows anew. The lineage continues, though new generations struggle not only to master their power, but also to keep it hidden.

But when World War II looms on the horizon, magic is needed more urgently than ever -- not for simple potions or visions, but to change the entire course of history.

Praise for A Secret History of Witches:

"I loved it. A beautiful generational tale, reminiscent of Practical Magic. . .. Grounded and real, painful and hopeful at the same time." —Laure Eve, author of The Graces

"Historical fiction at its absolute finest....Deliciously absorbing." —Boston Globe

"At once sprawling and intimate, A Secret History of Witches deftly captures the greatest magic of all: the love between mothers and daughters." —Jordanna Max Brodsky, author of The Wolf in the Whale

For more from Louisa Morgan, check out:

The Witch's Kind
The Age of Witches

Critic reviews

"At once sprawling and intimate, A Secret History of Witches deftly captures the greatest magic of all: the love between mothers and daughters."—Jordanna Max Brodsky, author of The Immortals

"Epic in scope and heartbreakingly tender in its portrayal of mothers and daughters... Recommended for fans of Nora Roberts and readers of feminist fantasy."—Booklist

"I loved it. A beautiful generational tale, reminiscent of Practical Magic if it had been set in various time periods, but much more expansive in scope. Grounded and real, painful and hopeful at the same time."—Laure Eve, author of The Graces

"Epic relay race that gripped me from start to finish. Fiercely uncompromising and unsentimentally poignant, A Secret History of Witches will transfix you."—Michael Bishop

"A moving multigenerational saga about strong women who work behind the scenes to save the world from tyranny. A deeply satisfying and magical work of great craft."—Carol Goodman, author of The Lake of Dead Languages

"Morgan's transportive words will sweep you away to a time of magic, love, and loss. Simply hold on and enjoy this mesmerizing ride."—p.p1 {margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 14.0px Calibri; -webkit-text-stroke: #000000}span.s1 {font-kerning: none}Tish Thawer, award-winning author of The Witches of BlackBrook series

"An enthralling journey through time and the hearts of women with powers they must hide. Deeply moving and richly conceived. The secret is out. This is how it happened."—Kay Kenyon, author of At the Table of Wolves

"Historical fiction at its absolute finest.... Deliciously absorbing."—Boston Globe

"Poignant tale of mothers and daughters struggling to survive and preserve their craft in a hostile world. A tale full of love and betrayal, happiness and terror, it will keep you reading long into the night."—p.p1 {margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 14.0px Calibri; -webkit-text-stroke: #000000}span.s1 {font-kerning: none}Melissa Lenhardt, author of Sawbones

"A grand family saga rich with historical detail and threaded through with magic. You won't want this book to end."—Sharon Shinn, author of Archangel

"A Secret History of Witches is an epic family saga that speaks to the strength of all women and the difference that one true heart can make, not only for herself, but for the world."—Marci Jefferson, author of Girl on the Golden Coin

"Fresh and unpredictable.... [Morgan] depicts with visceral impact the roles of women in a male-centered world."—Historical Novel Society

Outstanding!

Although its fiction, the story and exquisite performance makes the story about generations of witches believable and entertaining. I had a hard time not listening all the way through. A must listen! loved it!

Excellent!!

It's a phenomenal story. Wonderfully written and very well read! I highly recommend you download it.

Possibly my favorite of all time

While I'll admit the ending had me wishing for a sequel I loved this book. I listened to this book over a year ago and again just in the last week- and I never reread books. it's so interesting to see the times move by with the characters and, even when I know what will happen, I still feel my heart beat fast. beautiful writing and such great narration! Can't get enough

PLEASE WRITE A PART TWO

Just wish it would have continued until the current century!

loved this story.

love is truly a gift. greed gets you no where in the end. love brings you closer to the truth