The book of Gothel by Mary McMyne

Name of Book: The book of Gothel

Author: Mary McMyne 

ISBN: 9780316393119

Publisher: Redhook

Type of book: 1140s, medieval Germany, fairytales, marriage, wedding, love, reproductive care for women, herbs, childbirth, choices, pregnancy, secrets, werewolves, politics, paganism, magic, birds 

Year it was published: 2022

Summary:

"Smart, swift, sure-footed and fleet-winged, The Book of Gothel launches its magic from a most reliable source: the troubled heart. Mary McMyne is a magician."—Gregory Maguire, NYT bestselling author of Wicked

Everyone knows the tale of Rapunzel in her tower, but do you know the story of the witch who put her there?

Haelewise has always lived under the shadow of her mother, Hedda—a woman who will do anything to keep her daughter protected. For with her strange black eyes and even stranger fainting spells, Haelewise is shunned by her medieval village, and her only solace lies in the stories her mother tells of child-stealing witches, of princes in wolf-skins, of an ancient tower cloaked in mist, where women will find shelter if they are brave enough to seek it.

Then, Hedda dies, and Haelewise is left unmoored. With nothing left for her in her village, she sets out to find the legendary tower her mother used to speak of—a place called Gothel, where Haelewise meets a wise woman willing to take her under her wing.

But Haelewise is not the only woman to seek refuge at Gothel. It’s also a haven for a girl named Rika, who carries with her a secret the Church strives to keep hidden. A secret that unlocks a dark world of ancient spells and murderous nobles behind the world Haelewise has always known…

“McMyne’s shimmering debut... is a sprawling epic, full of magic, love, and heartbreak. Fans of Circe and The Wolf and the Woodsman will devour this taut, empowering fairy tale.”—Publisher’s Weekly (starred review)

Characters:

Main character is Haelwise, otherwise known as Gothel who is an only daughter of a former pagan mother and a fisherman father. She suffers from fainting spells and can see into the veil to know whether or not a woman and a baby can survive childbirth. She is also friends with Matthaus. Haelwise is best described as intelligent, haunted and very determined in her goals. Matthaus at first is a childhood friend but then he becomes a crush. He is apprenticed as a tailor just as his father and while determined to be with Haelwise, he cannot. Kunnegunde, Haelwises grandmother is possibly one of the coolest characters I have yet met in literature because of her history and her views and deeds on things. There are others, but it's more fun to find them by oneself.  

Theme:

What is hidden or untold?

Plot:

The story is in first person narrative from Gothels point of view. It takes place in 12th century Germany, and it honestly feels as if we are there because the author does pay attention to details such as food, sewing landscapes of forest and politics as well as famous personages and royalty. I admit I liked learning more German fairytales and how they were seamlessly woven in the story, and I can't wait until the author writes a new novel. 

Author Information:
(From goodreads)

Mary McMyne is the author of The Book of Gothel (Orbit/Redhook, 2022), the story of the medieval midwife who would become known as the witch from Rapunzel. Her fairy-tale poetry chapbook, Wolf Skin (Dancing Girl Press, 2014), won the Elgin Chapbook Award. Her stories and poems have appeared widely in venues like Gulf Coast, Strange Horizons, Apex Magazine, and Redivider. A graduate of the New York University MFA program, she lives with her family in the foothills of the Appalachian mountains just north of Atlanta. She is hopelessly obsessed with illuminated manuscripts and grimoires.

Opinion:

I definitely love it when a much maligned character is humanized and we see the story from their point of view. I never liked the dichotomy of completely bad and good because-boring! I am happy to report that THE BOOK OF GOTHEL doesn't fall into the trope. However saying that, I think I would have loved more information about Gothels mother and family because not a lot is explained as I hoped. I also am wondering if perhaps the author will take a stab at retelling the Rapunzel tale from Gothels point of view? ( including the whole let down your hair part...) The novel reads very realistically and it's a quick but very informative read. Considering the reproductive politics of today, this is an important novel to remind readers that there is hope and we will get there one day. 

This was given for review 

4 out of 5
(0: Stay away unless a masochist 1: Good for insomnia 2: Horrible but readable; 3: Readable and quickly forgettable, 4: Good, enjoyable 5: Buy it, keep it and never let it go.)