For fans of Margaret AtwoodThoughtful novel, written in a wry, magical realist tone
reminiscent of Kelly Link and Carmen Maria MachadoMegan Giddings's prose is
brimming with wonder.
The Women Could Fly is a candid appraisal of grief, inheritance, and the merits of unruliness.This novel put me in the mind of the works of Margaret Atwood. An extraordinary conceptThe relationship at the heart of this novel — between Jo and her mercurial mother — is much closer to timeless.
Perfect for fans of The Handmaid’s Tale and The Power.The Women Could Fly is an absolute triumph. Giddings conjures up a world that feels familiar, despite the increasingly creepy hints of dystopia. And along the way, she shows what the anti-witch crusaders really fear most: our ability to create a better world if we work together.
One of the most exhilarating and fulfilling books I've read in years. It's wildly imaginative, funny, deep, radical, and full of suspense. Profound, daring, wondrous, and utterly original. A feminist dystopian epic . . . a hypnotic blend of enchantment and outrage. I could not love this novel more.
This is a gem of a book about womanhood, lineage, and defiance.Reading this book is like putting on an old winter coat and discovering a magical talisman in the pocket: it’s full of warmth, comfort, and a whole new world of possibility.The Women Could Fly recalls legendary works of dystopian fiction but casts a spell all its own.Megan Giddings has a knack for taking her readers on
a wild, suspenseful and thrilling ride. With descriptive setting and peculiar character development, I'm sure this novel is about to give us
Dune meets The Salem Witch Trials realness.A book with echoes of Octavia Butler and Shirley Jackson.Megan Giddings is
a young writer to watch.Buzzes with hot-button issuesFor fans of Margaret Atwood and Deborah Harkness's
The Discovery of Witches, The Women Could Fly is a wonderfully evocative, dark and magical dystopian novel from the critically acclaimed Megan Giddings
Reminiscent of the works of Margaret Atwood, Deborah Harkness, and Octavia E. Butler, The Women Could Fly is a queer feminist speculative novel that speaks to our times – a piercing dystopian tale, set in a world in which magic is real and single women are closely monitored in case they are shown to be witches . . .
Josephine Thomas has heard every conceivable theory about her mother's disappearance. That she was kidnapped. Murdered. That she took on a new identity to start a new family. That she was a witch. This is the most worrying charge because in a world where witches are real, peculiar behaviour raises suspicions and a woman - especially a Black woman - can find herself on trial for witchcraft.
Finally ready to let go of the past, Jo’s future is in doubt. The State mandates that all women marry by the age of 30 - or forfeit their autonomy by registering to be monitored. At 28, Jo is ambivalent about marriage, feeling she has never understood her mother more. When offered the opportunity to honour one last request from her mother's will, Jo leaves her regular life to feel connected to her one last time.
'For fans of Margaret Atwood' - Elle
'Thoughtful...wry, magical' - Guardian
'Brimming with wonder' - Raven Leilani, author of Luster
Megan Giddings is the author of the novel
Lakewood; a features editor at
The Rumpus, a channel of the
Los Angeles Review of Books; and a contributing editor at
Boulevard. She is a recipient of a Barbara Deming memorial fund grant for feminist fiction. Her short stories have been published in
Black Warrior Review, Gulf Coast, and
The Iowa Review. She holds degrees from the University of Michigan and Indiana University. She lives in Michigan.
