Hag
In the years after WWII, a little girl grows up in Glasgow and later moves with her mother to Colorado. Alice Grace is aware at times of seeing things others do not. But she is unaware that she, and later her own daughter, have inherited a legacy—the magic of the Cailleach. The ancient goddess has slumbered, neglected, for years while she waits for her long-lost daughters to return to her. As Alice’s tale unfolds we also learn the stories of this long lineage of women endowed with the forceful power of the Cailleach. The stories infuse and influence each other, like a drop of blue ink soaking through layers of fine white cloth—the example that the Cailleach uses to teach her daughters of the multiple realities comprising our existence.
A mix of magical realism and historical fiction, this story swept me away. Kaufman’s writing flows effortlessly, carrying the reader along on this magical journey. I read the book in one sitting. Kaufman states in her acknowledgments that this story was greatly inspired by stories of her own foremothers, and she has honored them well with this book. Recommended—a lovely read!
