April 20, 2000
Heart of a Witch
Judith Hawkes

This was a beautifully written book – evocative and poetic, almost. Wonderful imagery. The story line was almost flawless, as well. A teenage brother and a sister living in a small, picturesque town become involved with their strange innkeeper neighbors, who turn out to be witches.

Ingram synopsis from Amazon: "In the small town of Green Hollow, New York, the Lockley Arms hotel stands as the meeting place for a coven of witches. When the hotel's owners perish in a mysterious car accident, the coven's leader searches for suitable replacements, for the coven membership must equal 13. The teenage twins who live across the street from the hotel volunteer to join the witches’ circle. But during their apprenticeship, an evil force kidnaps several of the town's little boys, and the coven must pool its power to combat this sinister threat."

It really doesn’t do it justice. It was just so…..lovely! So beautifully written, I didn’t want it to end. I just wanted to keep drinking in the words and the imagery. I wanted to see the little upstate NY town it took place in, and I was heartbroken by the ominous omen of the dying owls. It was breathtaking, even if the borderline incestuous relationship between the brother and sister was disturbing. Highly recommended. I bought another book by Judith Hawkes after reading this one, though I haven’t read it yet. ( )