Booksology In the summer of 1970, 15-year-old Fern only wants to live a normal life with his family and graduate from high school. However, a car ride with her father makes an unexpected turn, without warning, when he leads her straight to the Wellwood home in St. Augustine, Florida. why? As the fern gets pregnant, this is a place where young, unmarried mothers hide their shame, give birth to a baby, and give it to adoption, and then continue their life without anyone being wise. In fact, no one in Wellwood Home even knows each other’s real names (“fern” is not the real name of the fern either).
Wellwood Home is a scary place led by tough Asnails Miss Wellwood. Everything the girls do is strictly monitored, from the food they eat to the activities they do, everything they discuss, even if it’s just a minor one. Masu. Still, Fern finds a way to build friendship with the other girls in the house as they share their predicaments and find small moments of hope and happiness.
One of the things that shines as a beacon of hope and light for girls, especially ferns? read. At a travel bookstore, Fern discovers a strange how-to guide to magic. At first there’s no point here, but the more she and her new friends jump into the strange spells and spells of this book, the more magical power reveals itself to the girl.
At first, magic seems like the answer to a girl’s prayer. It’s the way they find institutions and power in the world in a world where they see them as pariahs who are not worthy of sympathy and control of their bodies. But there’s nothing so simple. The quest for revenge and power comes with dark consequences.
There are many things I like about this book. First of all, magic. As an independent, free-thinking, childless cat woman, I often find myself identifying with witches rather than fearing them. I think Hendrix makes magic and lore very scary and often grotesque, while acknowledging her witch-like side. The way the witch worked in this novel reminded me of a lot of Robert Eggers witch That’s how it is (free).
The most frightening part of the novel had nothing to do with the witch. It was especially connected to the real fear of being pregnant in this country. Hendrix doesn’t move away from the more cruel aspects of pregnancy and the way in which a woman frequently loses her autonomy the moment she gets pregnant. The reality of this part of the story is absolutely frightening, as it feels like it’s becoming increasingly dangerous to get pregnant. It’s worth reading and considering.
