Thank you to Mindbuck Media for sending me an advance copy of this book! The Making of a Witch by Judy Molland will be released on June 9, 2026.
The Making of a Witch is the story of a young woman caught between her desires and the unforgiving social norms of seventeenth-century England. Alice Molland begins her life as the daughter of a working-class family struggling under the new laws of Oliver Cromwell’s republic.
Alice’s parents teach her to make a public show of compliance in order to stay safe, but Alice is the type of child who questions every injustice, and her desire to help others often overrides her sense of caution. Through her teenage years and into adulthood, her decisions upset numerous privileged people and lead to growing suspicion that her influence on others may have diabolical roots: witchcraft.
This is Judy Molland’s debut novel, and clearly a project very close to her heart, as the main character is based on her real-life ancestor, Alice Molland. The depth of her research on seventeenth-century life shows through in the characters’ frustration over oppressive laws and their constant fear of being denounced by neighbours.
Against this realistic background, however, the character of Alice sometimes seems too ignorant of her own circumstances. In the early chapters of The Making of a Witch, which describe Alice’s childhood, this can be explained away as part of her innocence. But when a teenaged Alice leads a raid of the local market, seemingly convinced that no one involved will be caught, I had to question the sense of this. Why would Alice be so careless with a legal system that has had lethal consequences for her family and friends? This impulsivity might make Alice an interesting character, but compared to how careful she is in caring for her family and working as a healer, it doesn’t fit. On top of that, when Alice does things that seem so out of touch with reality, like the market raid or the spell to make a cute nobleman fall in love with her, it’s no surprise that neighbours eventually wonder if she’s a witch. She’s so naively individualist through the whole story that the witchcraft accusation feels inevitable.
Additionally, I found that the style of writing relied too much on telling rather than showing, and so lost a lot of potential emotional impact. As I read the story I usually knew what Alice felt, but I never formed much of an empathetic connection.
Another aspect of the story that doesn’t quite fit is the group of characters who practice a religion which worships both a male and a female deity. Alice finds more meaning and belonging in this community than in the Christian church, but to my consternation, she never asks any questions about her new faith despite having plenty about Christianity. I’ve got questions, though: How did this group manage to safely practice paganism well into the 1600s? Why haven’t their beliefs blended with the state religion? And why do their rituals resemble those of modern-day Wicca?
Related: Is Wicca the Oldest Religion? from Angela’s Symposium
This anachronism soured the reading experience for me. It’s a shame, because I otherwise enjoyed the theme of how one woman’s devotion to her truth pits her against the vicious classism and misogyny of her society. This might not have been an issue if Molland had incorporated more historically accurate folk magic or had Alice explore one of the alternative Christian sects such as Quakerism (which allowed both men and women to preach).
Who should read it?
I would recommend The Making of a Witch to people who like a bit of fantasy mixed into their history, and who like to watch the main character grow up in a fascinating but dangerous historical era. Fans of seventeenth century history will be happy to see a detailed representation of working-class life and the hardships it forced on people.
Since the book’s style is fairly simple, I’d also suggest this for teenagers and for anyone who likes an uncomplicated narrative voice.
Overall, while The Making of a Witch might not be my preferred type of historical fiction, it’s a detailed and romantic story. I’d love to hear what you all think about it once it lands in bookstores on June 9th!
Emma Lammers 