by Erin Bow
First published 2012
Kate grows up in her father's woodcarving shop, learning to shape charms with her knife. Her wooden creations work so well that townspeople whisper she might be a witch. They call her "witch-blade" behind her back. This marks her as dangerous in a place where suspected witches face the flames in the town square. Kate lives surrounded by old beliefs and dark magic. Songs can close wounds. Shadows hold power that runs deeper than most dare imagine. She must navigate a world where her gift with wood and blade could save lives or cost her own. The line between craft and witchcraft blurs when survival depends on hiding what makes you special.
Genres: historical-fiction, mystery, fantasy, magical-realism
Vibes: atmospheric, suspenseful, thought-provoking
Tropes: found-family, hidden-identity
Setting: Kate
Period: 19th-century
320 pages · Paperback · Scholastic
Content warnings: violence