Thank you Libro.fm / Simon & Schuster Audio for the ALC and Scribner, #partner for the advanced copy of The Witches of Cambridge in exchange for my honest review.
Publisher: Scribner / Simon & Schuster Audio
Published: September 8, 2026
Summary:
The brand-new series from the bestselling author of Practical Magic, following two brilliant young women in 1950s Cambridge, Massachusetts, as they become immersed in a mysterious secret group of witches at Radcliffe known as the Lilith Society.
Once upon a time, women were drowned in the river and the only witnesses were the crows in the trees. The Puritans blamed Eve for the sins of the world. That was when we began to meet in the name of Lilith, Adam’s first wife—banished for refusing to do as she was told.
We Fly Together…
By the 1950s, Cambridge, Massachusetts feels far removed from the legendary witch trials that marked its early days as a colony. Ava, a bright young woman from a small town in Maine, arrives for her first year at Radcliffe College. There, she meets Lauren, her opposite in every way—the wild and brazen daughter of a wealthy and well-established Cambridge family. But the two have more in common than they think. Both are recruited by the Lilith Society, a secret organization of witches at Radcliffe dating back to colonial times. As they learn more about their legacy, Ava and Lauren form a close bond that is put to the test as they learn to navigate their new power, friendship, and love.
While Radcliffe seems like a safe haven, the shadow of McCarthyism looms large, an ever-present threat to the flourishing creative and intellectual life in Cambridge. And as girls from the Lilith Society begin to go missing, Ava and Lauren realize the witch trials of the past may not be as deeply buried as they once believed.
My thoughts:
I didn’t even hesitate when I saw Alice Hoffman had a new book about witches coming out. And to find it was the start of a new series was just icing on the cake!
I am totally living in my witch era right now and this book was just what I needed. This book had everything I was craving and more but done in true Hoffman style. It is a slower-paced book, which worked fine for me as I loved taking the time to really get to know who Ava and Lauren were and learn all about the secret society they are invited into at Radcliff. Being the first book in a series, I felt things have probably been set in motion for later things to come and I cannot wait for that.
I also loved how the history of the witch trials and the McCarthy era was woven into the story. Being set in the 1950s and in Cambridge, Massachusetts, there is so much to pull from, and the author layered it in in such a way that added to the story’s overall atmosphere.
This is the perfect blend of a historical and magical read. It is a story of friendship, sisterhood and female strength. I absolutely loved it and am already quite eager for the next installment!
Audio thoughts:
I paired the physical book with the audio book, narrated by Mena Suvari, who did an excellent job bringing the story to life. She infused just the right tones and emotions as needed.
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