The Bewitching
by Silvia Moreno-GarciaCategory
About this book
NATIONAL BESTSELLER BRAM STOKER AWARD FINALIST Three women in three different eras encounter danger and witchcraft in this eerie multigenerational horror saga from the New York Times bestselling author of Mexican Gothic. “In Silvia Moreno-Garcia’s sure hands, every uncovered secret is fraught with intrigue and creeping horror.”—Tananarive Due, Bram Stoker Award–winning author of The Reformatory A BEST BOOK OF THE YEAR: NPR, Elle, Kirkus Reviews, Book Riot, Library Journal, Crime Reads, She Reads “Back then, when I was a young woman, there were still witches”: That was how Nana Alba always began the stories she told her great-granddaughter Minerva—stories that have stayed with Minerva all her life. Perhaps that’s why Minerva has become a graduate student focused on the history of horror literature and is researching the life of Beatrice Tremblay, an obscure author of macabre tales. In the course of assembling her thesis, Minerva uncovers information that reveals that Tremblay’s most famous novel, The Vanishing, was inspired by a true story: Decades earlier, during the Great Depression, Tremblay attended the same university where Minerva is now studying and became obsessed with her beautiful and otherworldly roommate, who then disappeared under mysterious circumstances. As Minerva descends ever deeper into Tremblay’s manuscript, she begins to sense that the malign force that stalked Tremblay and the missing girl might still walk the halls of the campus. These disturbing events also echo the stories Nana Alba told about her girlhood in 1900s Mexico, where she had a terrifying encounter with a witch. Minerva suspects that the same shadow that darkened the lives of her great-grandmother and Beatrice Tremblay is now threatening her own in 1990s Massachusetts. An academic career can be a punishing pursuit, but it might turn outright deadly when witchcraft is involved.
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What readers are saying
Kindle CustomerBest novel of 2025
"The Bewitching is a layered story that weaves together three timelines - the years 1908, 1934, and 1998 - all coming together to tell a tale of witchcraft and the supernatural in a novel that's an elegant blend of mystery, suspense, and horror. Minerva is a student at Stoneridge University, located in New England. While working on her thesis on a relatively unknown and forgotten writer named Beatrice Tremblay, Minerva learns about the mysterious disappearance of Tremblay's friend, Virginia Somerset. The novel dives heavily into witchcraft and spells, dating back to Minerva's great-grandmother's own supernatural experiences, back in 1908 when Alba is a young adult. Is this novel for you? I personally don't believe in ghosts and witchcraft. HOWEVER, I absolutely love it in stories. If I'm scrolling Netflix and I see anything supernatural, I'm watching it. This is exactly the novel I was looking for. I need more of it in novels, and Silvia Moreno-Garcia has me hooked. I have a feeling I'll be reading several more of her novels in the near future. Keep in mind, there IS witchcraft and spells and things of that nature. This is no Scooby Doo story, where the mask is lifted and the parlor tricks are revealed. If you want witchcraft, it's here. I absolutely fell in love with this amazing novel. The characters truly came to life. It also scared me in a way. Not in a Pennywise sort of way, but the story instead slowly seeped under my skin and truly creeped me out. No jump scares here. The characters are so well developed, they'll live within you rent free. Since we're also talking mystery here, just to give a heads up, Moreno-Garcia is no Agatha Christie, so don't expect it, but she's also not writing detective fiction. But The Bewitching is the best new release you could pick up right now for Halloween. I have to say, I'm truly excited that I've finally discovered this author (took me long enough). I also read Velvet was the Night recently. Good novel, too, but I liked this one better. I can't wait to read Mexican Gothic. ["
January 4, 2026 Verified Purchase
YeseniaThe Bewitching
"Another great read by Silvia Moreno- Garcia. Her writing is so detailed and captures the story perfectly! Can’t wait to read more of her books! ["
March 16, 2026 Verified Purchase