Nice book about British hedge witches in the 60’s. Reminded me a bit of Puffball by Fay Weldon , except with more heart and less acerbic wit. An easy read, pleasant and somehow soothing despite touching on some pretty heavy topics. ( )

This is a wonderful tale, dark and light in turns, weird in the ways of the old wise women. There is magic here. On every page, Joyce gives us glimpses of country practices that should never have been forgotten. The arrival of “modern medicine” heralded the end of women like Mammy in most places. Yet we see the tenacity of these folk, and those they catered to, and the lengths to which they would go to maintain their practice and safety from those who would harm them. In this story, Mammy was one of “the few,” a term foreshadowed and demonstrated, but never exactly explained. It came clear to me, though, that she was a witch in the old sense, one who whispered love into the baking of a wedding cake, or healing into a poultice. She dwelled apart and lived close to the Earth and its cycles, marking the passage of time with seasonal changes rather than a calendar. Wise woman, witch, healer—all terms apply.

Having spent some time among witches, healers, and herbalists, there were details here I recognized. But as the story takes place in an earlier time, and in rural England, I also found practices, not to mention language, unfamiliar to me. Most is understandable given the context, but it did trip me up a time or two. While the story is fictional, the tale it tells is not. The Hare Pie Scramble and Bottle Kicking festivities that play a role in the story are an actual custom in Hallaton, England that dates back over 300 years. The practices of midwifery and herbal magic, too, are taken almost word-for-word from the real world. It’s details like these, as well as Mammy’s and Fern’s unique character portrayals, that give this book so much charm. (Pun definitely intended.)

True, too, are the portrayals of Mammy’s enemies, men who were threatened by Mammy, Fern, and others like them, women who stood their ground against the power of their detractors who were determined to push them out. I despised the males in this story that thought themselves better than Mammy, and who hurt her in an effort to stop her. In Mammy, and then in Fern, we see wonderful portrayals of strong women, as unstoppable in their own ways as any storm.

This is the first book I’ve read by Graham Joyce, but I’m certain it won’t be the last. The Limits of Enchantment is an excellent tale by a peerless storyteller. If you love tales of magic, of the unique ability to see through the veil between this world and the next, add this book to your list. You won’t want to miss it. ( )

La historia de una mujer joven en Midlands en 1966. Una mujer que puede ser una bruja. Ella y su familia viven al margen de la sociedad. Sin embargo, su vida familiar es asfixiante y busca la libertad con más extraños, un grupo de beatniks, pero lucha por encontrar aceptación allí también. Y todo el tiempo ella está luchando con sus poderes feéricos.

Magic or hallucination? This is a story of a hedge witch's apprentice, set in a village in 1960's England. I got a good sense of the time, place, and its history and became so involved with the character that there is still one plot hole that is bugging me. ( )

Beautiful!

This book was recommended to me, and I'm so glad I read it! I didn't want the story to be over. Beautifully written and a very easy read. ( )