A Lullaby for Witches

By: Hester Fox

Narrated by: Lauren Ezzo

Two women. A history of witchcraft. And a deep-rooted female power that sings across the centuries.

Once there was a young woman from a well-to-do New England family who never quite fit with the drawing rooms and parlors of her kin.

Called instead to the tangled woods and wild cliffs surrounding her family’s estate, Margaret Harlowe grew both stranger and more beautiful as she cultivated her uncanny power. Soon, whispers of “witch” dogged her footsteps, and Margaret’s power began to wind itself with the tendrils of something darker.

One hundred and fifty years later, Augusta Podos takes a dream job at Harlowe House, the historic home of a wealthy New England family that has been turned into a small museum in Tynemouth, Massachusetts. When Augusta stumbles across an oblique reference to a daughter of the Harlowes who has nearly been expunged from the historical record, the mystery is too intriguing to ignore.

But as she digs deeper, something sinister unfurls from its sleep, a dark power that binds one woman to the other across lines of blood and time. If Augusta can’t resist its allure, everything she knows and loves—including her very life—could be lost forever.

Don't miss A MAGIC DEEP & DROWNING, Hester Fox's lush, enchanting reimagining of The Little Mermaid, where a young woman in 1650 Friesland must face a deadly choice between love, duty, and a mythic legacy...

Look for these other gothic mysteries from Hester Fox:

• The Book of Thorns
• The Last Heir to Blackwood Library
• The Witch of Willow Hall
• The Widow of Pale Harbor
• The Orphan of Cemetery Hill

Fun

Interesting and fun. Nice post holiday listen. Liked the characters. Will look for more from the Author.

Meh

I didn’t particularly love this story or this narrator. As others mentioned, parts of the story aren’t really fleshed out or ever wrapped up. I found the narrator’s style distracting and somewhat overwrought. I’ll probably skip any other books by both the author and the narrator.

Had potential

This book had potential but there were so many elements that could have been written better. Margaret is supposed to be a witch but you really don’t get to see her power. There are also too many loose ends including endings that I didn’t understand and unanswered questions.

The first few chapters almost had me giving up and the narration was painful at best. However, I did warm up to it and was engaged in the story even if it left a lot of loose ends.

Could Not Put This Down

I found this book through a Twitter giveaway the author did, and I am so happy that I did!
This book - from the prologue - sent my linguistic nerd heart ablaze, and didn’t disappoint. Every time I had to pause the book (work day ended, drive was finished, etc), I couldn’t wait to start listening again!
The characters were so beautifully written, and were both relatable, and engaging.
Listening to the path of Margaret, and Augusta made you feel like you were there, in their respective timelines.

Calling it now: one of my favorite books of the year! ♥️


My only other comment is that it looks like Margaret’s chapters are misspelled. :)

A witchy tale w a twist

I mostly enjoyed this book, but would have enjoyed it more if I had felt like Augusta was likeable or relatable. She’s meant to be an adult, but she relates to others, especially men, like a teen. Zero emotional intelligence & almost solely concerned w how other ppl think of her. The longterm toxic relationship felt like it made sense, but everything else, including her relationship w food & her mom felt kind of shoehorned in & added little to the story other than to show how reserved she was in comparison to her ancestor, I guess? Making her the polar opposite felt kind of lazy & made for a seriously boring character. I did enjoy the little discoveries throughout & Augusta is necessary for those, but almost every part from Margaret’s perspective was vastly more fun & interesting. Still worth a read & the mystery of Margaret had me hooked into finishing it nonetheless.