The Magic of Storytelling

It is amazing how much magic can come from books.  When I am reading a book, my imagination starts to run wild.  And when I am enthralled into a book, it becomes difficult for me to stop reading.  Of course this has gotten me into trouble as I have found myself staying up until almost 4 o’clock in the morning.  While I had stopped myself from staying awake until the sun was rising, I did find myself not wanting to put this week’s book down.

The Witches of Cambridge can definitely be a book for those that enjoy realism fantasy.  Realism   Menna van Praag’s books have often been compared to Sarah Addison Allen, another realism fantasy author.  Both authors are able to take the reader away from reality and be placed in a fantasy world.  If you want to read more realism fantasy books, check out my previous blog post where I had discussed my favorite stories that can be considered realism fantasy.  

fantasy books have been becoming rather well-known as the authors combine realistic places with a fantasy element.

The main focus of this story are the lives of six witches as they are going through real life struggles.  Amandine Bisset has an intuition as to what others are feeling, including a change in her husband that makes her begin to question her marriage.  Her pupil, Noa, is able to see every person’s secrets and it has been a curse on her life that is until she meets a mysterious stranger that she is unable to see his secrets.  Kat is a mathematics professor, who has a crush on George, a male witch, that has been left unnoticed and she intends to not cast any spells to win anyone’s heart.  Cosmia, Kat’s younger sister, is just the opposite as she will cast spells by using her baking skills to get what she wants.  Lastly, there is Héloïse, Amandine’s mother, who is struggling over the loss of her husband and she is afraid to use her sight to see what the future holds.  Each of these individuals struggle with not only their magical abilities, but with handling unexpected events that happen in their daily lives.

By the time I had finished The Witches of Cambridge, I was not expecting with how the character’s lives would turn out.  That is the magic of reading books.  The progression of storytelling can make you realize that things are not what they seem, and to always prepare yourself for the unexpected.  I recommend this book to anyone who wants to be taken out of their daily lives, and to experience others for just a brief moment.