The Women Could Fly
The must read dark, magical - and timely - critically acclaimed dystopian novel
Format:Hardback
Publisher:Pan Macmillan
Published:18th Aug '22
£16.99
Available for immediate dispatch.
For 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.
"Megan Giddings's prose is brimming with wonder. The Women Could Fly is a candid appraisal of grief, inheritance, and the merits of unruliness." - Raven Leilani
Reminiscent of the works of Margaret Atwood, Deborah Harkness, and Octavia E. Butler, The Women Could Fly is a feminist speculative novel that speaks to our times. A piercing dystopian tale about the unbreakable bond between a young woman and her absent mother, 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.
But fourteen years have passed since her mother’s disappearance, and now Jo is finally ready to let go of the past. Yet her future is in doubt. The State mandates that all women marry by the age of thirty – or enrol in a registry that allows them to be monitored, effectively forfeiting their autonomy. At twenty-eight, Jo is ambivalent about marriage. With her ability to control her life on the line, she feels as if she has never understood her mother more. When she’s 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.
In this powerful and timely novel, Megan Giddings explores the limits women face – and the powers they have to transgress and transcend them.
'It can be tempting to read The Women Could Fly, which comes in the shadow of the recent Supreme Court decision overturning Roe v. Wade, and call the book timely. But the relationship at the heart of this novel — between Jo and her mercurial mother — is much closer to timeless.' - The New York Times
For fans of Margaret Atwood * Elle Magazine *
Thoughtful novel, written in a wry, magical realist tone reminiscent of Kelly Link and Carmen Maria Machado * Guardian *
Megan Giddings's prose is brimming with wonder. The Women Could Fly is a candid appraisal of grief, inheritance, and the merits of unruliness. * Raven Leilani, Bestselling author of Luster *
This novel put me in the mind of the works of Margaret Atwood. An extraordinary concept * Platinum *
It can be tempting to read The Women Could Fly, which comes in the shadow of the recent Supreme Court decision overturning Roe v. Wade, and call the book timely. But the relationship at the heart of this novel — between Jo and her mercurial mother — is much closer to timeless. * The New York Times *
Perfect for fans of The Handmaid’s Tale and The Power, The Women Could Fly is a feminist dystopia set in a world where witches are real and young women – in particular, young Black women – are closely monitored for signs of magic and regularly put on trial for witchcraft. * Stylist *
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. * Washington Post *
The Women Could Fly is one of the most exhilarating and fulfilling books I've read in years. It's wildly imaginative, funny, deep, radical, and full of suspense. I read it in one giant gulp of pleasure. Megan Giddings is truly a remarkable writer. * Jamie Attenberg, author of The Middlesteins *
Profound, daring, wondrous, and utterly original. A feminist dystopian epic about a world where women’s life choices are policed and female power and autonomy are the most dangerous forces of all, Megan Giddings’ The Women Could Fly offers a hypnotic blend of enchantment and outrage. I could not love this novel more. * Jessamine Chan, author of The School for Good Mothers *
The Women Could Fly lifts the veil of this world to show, amid the old grief and injustice, a glimmer of necessary magic. This is a gem of a book about womanhood, lineage, and defiance. * C Pam Zhang, author of How Much of These Hills Is Gold *
The Women Could Fly drew me in immediately with its balance of humour and pain, magic and familiarity, and the unforgettable characters who are the novel’s beating heart. 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. Megan Giddings is an exquisite novelist, and a writer to watch. * Adrienne Celt, author of End of the World House *
Born of a radical imagination and executed with piercing elegance and skill, The Women Could Fly recalls legendary works of dystopian fiction but casts a spell all its own. Giddings is a rare and utterly original voice bridging the speculative and the all-too-real. * Alexandra Kleeman, author of Something New Under the Sun *
Equal parts magic and revelatory. * LitHub on The Women Could Fly in LitHub's Most Anticipated Books of 2022 *
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. * Buzzfeed on The Women Could Fly *
A book with echoes of Octavia Butler and Shirley Jackson. * Electric Lit on The Women Could Fly *
Megan Giddings is a young writer to watch. * Kirkus Reviews *
A dynamite story of a Black woman’s resistance in an oppressive dystopia . . . Giddings ingeniously blends her harrowing parable of an all-powerful patriarchy with insights into racial imbalances . . . This is brilliant. * Publishers Weekly *
In Megan Giddings’ tightly wound supernatural dystopia . . . a book about witches, The Women Could Fly feels pretty gritty and grounded, and has plenty to say about the regular old dystopia we’re stuck in. * The Philadelphia Inqirer *
Buzzes with hot-button issues * Daily Mail *
The language and world-building are beautifully executed, rewriting our assumptions of witchcraft . . . I found myself hoping for more stories set in this universe — a coven’s worth, if you will . . . we could all use a little magic right now. * Boston Globe *
ISBN: 9781035001583
Dimensions: 234mm x 153mm x 25mm
Weight: 486g
288 pages