by John Updike
First published 2008
Alexandra, Jane, and Sukie have spent over thirty years away from Eastwick, the Rhode Island seaside town where they once wielded supernatural powers under the influence of the mysterious Darryl Van Horne. Now widowed after second marriages, they fill their days with world travel to Canada, Egypt, and China. When Sukie and Jane propose returning to Eastwick for the summer, Alexandra agrees. The three women find their old hometown still holds magic for them, even though Darryl has vanished and their former lovers have aged or died. The familiar streets and scenery remind them of their prime years as liberated, empowered women. But not everyone welcomes their return. Local residents remember the trio and harbor ill will toward them. The widows must confront the lingering consequences of their past misdeeds while facing a mysterious counterspell and the relentless advance of old age. Their struggle to reclaim their place in Eastwick becomes a battle between nostalgia and retribution.
Genres: 20th-century, fantasy, contemporary, adult-fiction, magical-realism, 21st-century
Vibes: atmospheric, emotional, thought-provoking
Tropes: found-family, nostalgia
Setting: Canada, China, Egypt, Eastwick, Rhode Island
Period: 1980s, 2010s
308 pages · Hardcover · Knopf