The Witches of Willowmere
Whenever Claire passes by Willowmere, she is intrigued by the beauty
and exoticism of the estate, so out of place in the small town where she lives. There is something oddly familiar about the eccentric old house, with its widow’s walk, gingerbread trim and lofty turret. Willowmere’s
owner, Dr. Myra Moore, is equally fascinating. She tells Claire about
the Wiccan belief system, which is not about dark spells and magic (as
some of Claire’s classmates seem to believe), but rather about affirming the goodness of the earth and all living things. Claire begins to read about witchcraft and natural magic on her own,
trying to understand what truth may lie within its ancient lore and
wondering if it can help solve the mystery that torments her: Why did
her mother leave so abruptly three years ago? And where has she gone? Claire treasures her new friendship, but she can’t shake the strange
feeling that Myra is holding something back from her. And although she
loves visiting Willowmere, she is haunted by the feeling that ancient
events have pushed their way to the present and are beckoning her. Why
is she having such strange and terrifying dreams? Why does she feel
drawn to the portrait of Myra’s ancestor Alice Ramsay? Could Alice
really have been a white witch? As she struggles to uncover and understand the powers of both good
and evil, Claire is drawn towards the past, to the witch trials of the
17th century, and must battle unexpected adversaries in the present. All the while, she searches for the true story behind her mother’s
disappearance, hoping her new-found knowledge and power will bring them
together again.
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Alison Baird
Alison Baird is the author of The Hidden World, The Wolves of Woden, The Dragon's Egg, and White as the Waves. She was honored by the Canadian Children's Book Centre, is a Silver Birch Award regional winner, and she was a finalist for the IODE Violet Downey Book Award. She lives in Oakville, Ontario.
She also wrote the Willowmere Chronicles, a series of three books about a revenant (a person who has been reincarnated) named Clair Norton. The three books are The Witches of Willowmere, The Warding of Willowmere, and The Wyrd of Willowmere. She is also the author of The Dragon Throne series. The three books in this series are The Stone of the Stars, The Empire of the Stars, and The Archon of the Stars.
Willowmere Chronicles
Willowmere Chronicles consists of three books. The current recommended reading order for the series is provided below.
Reviews and Comments
"The Willowmere Chronicles" is one of my favourite book series. I very much like the protagonist, Claire, because I like the way she always acts. "The Witches of Willowmere" is the beginning of a good story arc which, once you have started, can't put down.
