The Book of Gothel

Starred review from May 2, 2022
McMyne’s shimmering debut gives a fresh, exciting backstory to one of the most famous villains in fairy tale lore: the witch who put Rapunzel in her tower. Haelewise daughter-of-Hedda has been plagued by mysterious fainting spells for as long as she can remember. Her mother, a midwife, warns her never to travel alone and keeps her entertained at home through fairy tales. After her mother falls ill and dies, however, Haelewise dares to venture out into the mist-filled woods, seeking more knowledge of her mother’s ancestry, beliefs, and the magic she so often spoke of. Haelewise discovers a sacred place from her mother’s stories, a tower called Gothel, where a wise woman offers her shelter. As Haelewise learns more about the world and her place in it—partly through another young woman, Rika, who also seeks refuge at the tower—she forges her own history, reframing traditional understandings of witches: “I built proverbs in my head.... Blessed is the snow that hides my path. Blessed is the lie that saves a life. Blessed is the woman who helps her kind.” The result is a sprawling epic, full of magic, love, and heartbreak. Fans of Circe and The Wolf and the Woodsman will devour this taut, empowering fairy tale. Agent: Sam B. Farkas, Jill Grinberg Literary.

May 1, 2022

DEBUT This debut novel by poet McMyne (author of the Elgin Award-winning fairytale poetry chapbook Wolf Skin) offers a fresh reimagining of the story of Rapunzel's witch. Haelewise knows she is different, with her black eyes and fainting spells. Her mother, Hedda, protects her from the village's whispers and tells stories of wolf-skins, witches, and an old tower shrouded in mist, one that will protect women courageous enough to find it. When Hedda dies, Haelewise is left alone and unprotected. She looks for the tower from her mother's tales, discovering it and an old wise woman, both known as Gothel. Haelewise begins to learn of the magic that she thought just existed in stories. The lush setting and historical narrative deepen the characters' motivations, and intriguing revelations plus the themes of motherhood and belonging will push readers through the slower paced sections. VERDICT Readers who have enjoyed Gregory Maguire's "Wicked Years" series will find McMyne's perspective delightful.--Kristi Chadwick

Copyright 2022 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

November 1, 2022

With her unsettling black eyes and mysterious fainting spells, Haelewise is shunned by her village. Her only comfort comes from her mother's tales of witches, wolves, spells, and other magical things. When her mother dies, she finds refuge in a place named Gothel, where she is taught by a wise old woman and meets Rika, who knows truths the Church has tried to hide. What Haelewise learns will forever change the way the world views her. This debut novel by poetry chapbook author McMyne (Wolf Skin) blends history, fact, and fable to create a brilliant new addition to the genre of remixing fairy tales. Narrator Vanessa Johansson gives a strong performance, effectively giving voice to Haelewise, Rika, and the others who populate this realm. Johansson's interpretation of Haelewise stands out, lending power to a character who is strong in her convictions, stands for what is right, and is not afraid to question the status quo. VERDICT McMyne's interweaving of Hildegarde, Snow White, Little Red Riding Hood, and Rapunzel is unique and well done. Fans of Spinning Silver, The Wolf and the Woodsman, Malice, and other fairy tale retellings will enjoy this.--Elyssa Everling

Copyright 2022 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

Starred review from June 1, 2022
McMyne's debut is a reinvention of the Rapunzel fairy tale, a luscious origin story from the witch's point of view. The setting is twelfth-century Germany, when belief in the paternalistic Christian God is in ascendance and the female practitioners of the ""old ways"" have gone into hiding to escape persecution for witchcraft. In a time when anyone who is different is suspect, Haelewise, daughter of Hedda, suffers from poor eyesight, headaches, and occasional fainting spells. She is accepted by the people of her village only because her mother is the local midwife and forswore the old ways when she married. When Hedda dies and her father abandons her, Haelewise must find another place to live and she seeks out someone her mother used to know: a wise woman who lives in a tower in the deep woods. McMyne melds folklore with actual historical figures and cleverly bookends the narrative with opening and closing chapters set in the twenty-first century, when an American linguistic scholar arrives in Germany after being called to translate a well-preserved medieval manuscript discovered in the cellar of an old forest cottage. Offer this to fans of The Mermaid, by Christina Henry (2018) and Lucy Holland's Sistersong (2021).

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